Edessas

Edessas is a toponym that has been applied to more than one place in the ancient and modern world. The name is most often encountered in reference to two towns in different regions, though other historical sites have borne the same designation in antiquity.

Edessa in ancient Osroene (modern Şanlıurfa, Turkey) was the regional capital of the kingdom of Osroene from the late Hellenistic period into the early Islamic era. Located near the upper Euphrates in what is now southeastern Turkey, it flourished as a center of administration, culture, and early Christianity. In late antique sources it appears in Christian legends and tradition, and the city remained prominent under successive empires before gradually losing its distinctive political identity. Today the site sits within Şanlıurfa Province and remains a focal point for archaeologists and researchers studying the region’s classical and late antique heritage.

Edessa in Greece (Edessa, Central Macedonia) is a town in northern Greece, serving as the administrative center of the regional unit of Pella in Central Macedonia. It is renowned for its natural setting and the Edessa Waterfalls, a long-standing tourist landmark formed by streams descending through a narrow gorge. The town has a continuous history from antiquity through Byzantine and Ottoman periods, with a landscape and architecture that reflect its historical roles as a local settlement and gateway to the surrounding region.

The plural form Edessas is used in scholarly and historical texts to refer collectively to multiple places bearing the name Edessa. In contemporary usage, the two most prominent Edessas are the ancient Osroene capital in what is now Turkey and the modern town in Greece.