Antiquity Herodotus locates at the Naousa area "the fertile Gardens of King
Midas, son of Gordios". Although no ancient settlement has been identified in the current location of the city itself, numerous archaeological findings at the sites of Kopanos, Hariessa, and Lefkadia date back from the
Bronze Age era to the Roman period. They indicate the presence of an important city,
Mieza, where
Aristotle's school, an ancient theatre, and several tombs from the Hellenistic period have been found. Mieza is also mentioned in a Delphi dedication.
Ottoman period Information described in this section is mainly derived from books written by
François Charles Hugues Laurent Pouqueville,
William Martin Leake, and Basil Nicolaïdes. All three visited the Ottoman administrated Macedonia and referred to Naousa. In addition, two historical works by the Greek authors, Efstathios Stougianakis and Thomas Bliatkas are exclusively dedicated to Naousa. The current city was established in the second half of the 14th century. During this century, Macedonia, after having been part of the
Byzantine and
Serbian Empires, started to be conquered by the
Ottomans. The anarchy prevailed in the region and people took refuge in the place of present-day Naousa, from where they could easily see impending dangers, the entire plain lying at their feet. The officialization of the settlement in the frame of the Ottoman Empire is connected with the military commander
Evrenos. Its Ottoman name was Ağustos, which evolved to the Greek Niaousta, and then Naousa. Since its foundation, Naousa was a Christian city; the only Ottomans present were the
Qadi and the Voivode (commander). Its inhabitants had been awarded important tax privileges, self-government rights, as well as the right of having their own garrison. Many of these privileges were obtained thanks to the intervention of
Mara Branković, daughter of the Serbian ruler
Đurađ Branković and wife of the Sultan
Murad II. This resulted in a rapid increase of population and the development of handicrafts (weaponry, goldsmithing, weaving, etc.). The Ottoman traveller
Evliya Çelebi mentions that, during his visit in the 17th century, Naousa was inhabited by Greeks. At that time, it was already a well-known urban center with about one thousand houses, and an economic influence in the region of central Macedonia. An important uprising took place in 1705, when a Turkish official arrived with the order to recruit young boys for the
Janissary battalions. The residents refused to hand over their children and killed the official and two of his companions. Led by the armatoles
Zisis Karademos and his two sons, some 100 people raised the flag of rebellion and inflicted blows on the conquerors. However, a detachment of 800 Turks managed to surround the rebels and finally kill Karademos. His two sons were arrested and sentenced to death. The uprising of the Naousians in 1705 contributed to the end of
devshirme in the Balkans. In 1772, Naousa became one of the centers of a conspiratorial movement for a rebellion against the Ottomans, instigated by Sotirios Lefkadios, an agent of the
Russian Empire. The bishops of
Edessa,
Veria,
Servia,
Kozani and other cities, decided the formation of military corps with the help of the
armatoles. There is no precise information regarding the fate of this conspiracy. However, at that time, the Ottomans, fearing an attack by the Russian fleet, committed many atrocities against the Greeks. This situation ended with the
Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca (1774), which forced the Ottoman Empire to grant many privileges to the Greeks. In the meantime, Naousa continued to develop at a rapid pace. Within a century, its population almost doubled and it gained a reputation for both its wines and its educational activities. Such flourishing attracted the interest of the ambitious
Ali Pasha of Ioannina. Starting from 1795, he tried several times to annex the city to his administration, using either sieges or treachery. He achieved his goal in 1804, but he was obliged, by order of the sultan, to abandon the city eight years later.
Greek Revolution of 1821 In February 1822, Naousa, despite its prosperity, took part in the
Greek War of Independence. A solemn declaration of the revolution was made in the Cathedral with praise, swearing, revolutionary chants and the raising of flags on the towers and gates of the city. Military operations led by
Zafeirakis Theodosiou and
Anastasios Karatasos, aiming at the creation of a free revolutionary regime in the region, led to the siege of the city. Abdul Abud, the Pasha of
Thessaloniki, arrived on 14 March with 16,000 soldiers and 12 cannons. The Greeks defended Naousa with a force of 4,000 men. The Ottomans attempted to take the city on 16, 18, and 19 March, without success; on 24 March, they started a bombardment lasting for several days. Their attack failed, but on 6 April, after receiving a reinforcement of additional 3,000 men, they finally overcame the Greek resistance and entered Naousa. A complete destruction of the city, looting, massacres and persecutions of the population followed. Several women preferred to kill themselves by falling with their children into the foamy waters of the Arapitsa waterfall in the Stubanoi site in order to avoid being captured. According to official Ottoman documents, 409 Naousians were killed, 33 left the city, and 198 were pardoned. Over 400 women and children were sold as slaves. The properties of the dead and fugitives (655 houses) and the church were confiscated. The fall and the
massacre of Naousa marked the end of the Greek Revolution in Central Macedonia. After this catastrophe, the city lost its privileges for the next few years. Many Naousians went to Southern Greece, where they continued the struggle in the frame of the
Greek War of Independence.
Macedonian Struggle Despite the above devastation, Naousa recovered quickly. In the last years of Ottoman rule, the city experienced commercial and industrial prosperity. The latter was favored by the
Tanzimat reforms in the
Ottoman Empire, which attributed to Christians equal rights with Muslims. A first cotton spinning mill was founded in 1875, and by 1910, a total of six industrial units were operative. Industrialization greatly benefited from the cheap energy provided by the waterfalls. During the
Macedonian Struggle, Naousa was an important center against the action of the Bulgarian
komitadjis. In particular, the city supported
Greek rebel bodies led by Epaminondas Garnetas and
Ioannis Simanikas.
Modern Greek State Naousa was freed from Ottoman rule on 17 October 1912. When it joined the Greek state, as established by the
Treaty of Bucharest, its population was around 10,000 inhabitants, 20% of them being workers. New industrial units were founded, agriculture was modernized with systematic tree cultivation and the foreign trade was developed. The city's population increased significantly following the
Greco-Turkish War (1919–1922) and the subsequent
Treaty of Lausanne, when a large number of Greek refugees, originating from Asia Minor, were settled in Naousa. During the German Occupation, Naousians participated actively to the
Greek resistance. The large number of workers living in the city constituted a fruitful recruiting ground for
Greek Communist Party (KKE). Moreover, the mountainous massifs around Naousa facilitated the action of the
Greek People's Liberation Army (ELAS). In September 1944, ELAS liberated Naousa. In the course of the
Greek Civil War that followed, the city suffered frequent guerrilla attacks. In 1946, a large part of Naousa was burnt and. In January 1949, the
Democratic Army of Greece occupied the city for a few days, set on fire and kidnapped residents, especially young women; several prominent citizens were executed. During another assault in June 1949, 300 inhabitants were taken as hostages. From 1945 to 1949, three
Mayors were executed and the municipal archives destroyed. Eventually, the National Air Force attacked the retreating rebels, who released the abductees. ==Administration and demographics==