FOLK ARCHITECTURE

The destruction of Serres by the Bulgarians in 1913, apart from its national importance, it was a great loss for Serres' folk architecture. The great fire burned many Greek districts in the centre of the town to ashes where the most important mansions of Serres were positioned. Nowadays, only in a few districts can you find traces that are still preserved and offer evidence of the wealth of the old urban houses.

A house that gives us a clear picture of folk architecture is Zaparas' house, which reminds us of the well-known type of Macedonian architecture. In this type of architecture the ground plan of the house is in a "Π" shape. The exterior formation of the building is characterized by gravity and abstinence, while this was always the case with all the mansions during the Turkish domination. The particular attention as far as the spans, doors and ceilings are concerned shows the great wealth of the owner.

This mansion is a cross-section of the development which is noticeable in Macedonian architecture in the middle of the 19th century and continues until the beginning of the 20th century. Zaparas' house is the centre of attention at the moment while the Municipality is making an effort to preserve the building.

In the city of Serres, there is a Centre of Architectural Tradition of Serres. Its foundation is due to private initiative and aims to a great private collection of plans and photographs of traditional buildings, from which most of them no longer exist.