Bela was a medieval fortress town and
bishopric in
Epirus, northwestern
Greece. Bela first appears in the mid-10th century, when the
Byzantine Empire's
Notitiae Episcopatuum mention the see of "
Photice, that is Bela" (Φωτικῆς ἤτοι Βελᾶς), implying that the seat of the bishopric of Photice, a
suffragan of the
Metropolis of Naupaktos, had been moved to Bela. This move was temporary, since from the mid-11th century, Photice is again mentioned without further additions. Its only recorded bishop during that time, Constantine, is known from a 10th-century episcopal seal. From the early 13th century, however, Bela is attested as a separate bishopric, held by Manuel Makres. It is possible that during the 13th century, Bela formed also a province (
theme), but this is unclear. It appears that by 1367, Bela and nearby
Dryinopolis were no longer suffragans of Naupaktos, but of the
Metropolis of Ioannina, as indeed is confirmed from the late 15th century on. ==Restoration==