Imaret

Tripadvisor: #5 Attraction to the preferences of visitors to Kavala. 

Walking in Theodorou Poulidou one meets the Imaret. A huge edifice which was built in 1817 by Mehmet Ali Pasha as a place for Islamic teaching. Born in Kavala in 1769, he occupied the office of Valis (regent) of Egypt in 1805 and never forgot his beloved birthplace. Thus, he built in one of the most beautiful areas of the city (on the hill of The Virgin Mary) a seminary, the Imaret, of an area of 4,500 sq.m. The Imaret hosted internal students and had a number of rooms, a mosque, two "madrassas" (Muslim seminaries) for the teaching of various sciences e.g. Theology, Law, History, Geography, Mathematics, Arabic language and Poetry, a "mekteb" (primary school), kitchens,  warehouses and internal courtyards; In addition to free education and the teaching of the Qur'an in the Imaret, warm soup was also offered to those who needed it, regardless of their religion. Besides, the literal translation of the word Imaret means "kitchen for soups". 

The Imaret was a religious and educational center of great repute that operated throughout the 19th century, until the beginning of the 20th. From 1902 it ceased to function as a seminary and was a charitable institution until 1923, where thousands of refugees who came from Asia Minor at that time found refuge. In 1954 the Imaret was designated by the Greek government as a listed monument. Later, in the shadow of its history, the Imaret became a bar, disco, tavern and café. 

Then the Egyptian government (the property belongs to Egypt) ceded it to a private company, which undertook the restoration of the building and after four years (2001-2004) restoration works carried out by experts, the building was completely renovated revealing not only the original architectural beauty, but also the spirit and atmosphere of a place of education and hospitality. From then until today, this masterpiece of Islamic architecture operates as a luxury hotel with a bar-restaurant and is the first hotel in Greece to operate in a historic place.