Aliakmonas River

Aliakmonas River, a source of life for Imathia territory, spreads over the centuries to form a beautiful natural valley on the border with the prefecture of Kozani. Thanks to the river in the area, the Sfikia energy barrier has been developed, utilizing part of the hydrodynamics of the municipality and thus of the Prefecture. The river is ancient, just like its name. The name Aliakmonas is complex and comes from the greek word «αλς» (salt, sea) and from the «ακμών» (anvil).

According to Greek Mythology the river Aliakmonas was the son of Ocean and Tithys. Ocean was a huge river that surrounded the earth from everywhere. Tithis was one of “Titanides”, the daughter of Heaven and Earth. There is another version in which Aliakmon's father was the king of Thrace, Palestinos and his mother, Pieria, who was one of the nine mortal daughters of the king of Pieria, Piero and his wife Euphippis. Palestinos loved his son Aliakmon very much. When he learned his murder (Aliakmon) in a battle, he fell to the river Konasos, which was renamed Palestinos (now Strymonas – near Serres). Still, there is an ancient tradition that says that the sheep drank water from Aliakmon, changed color and became white. A record of the Latin writer Plinios confirms this tradition (23-79 AD), translated from the Latin, saying: "Likewise, in Macedonia, those who wanted to have white sheep went to the Aliakmon, those who wanted black, went in Axios river". Moreover, Aliakmonas was associated with the revolutions in Macedonia (1821), such as the Macedonian Struggle (1904-1908), the liberation of Veria (1912) from the Turkish and the resistance (1941-1944) against the occupying forces (German - Italian).

The lakeside area in the area of Aliakmonas is an area of the Natura 2000 network (GR1210002).