The ancient Fortress of Ioannina is the main sight of the city, located in the center. The fortress was built by the Byzantines, its size is about two hundred hectares. The wars on the territory of the city, and a large number of military conflicts, in which Ioannina was involved, led to the complete destruction of the fortress. 

It was restored by Ali Pasha in the 16th century, but, we do not have reliable evidence if he renovated it or made a completely different building. But it is still very interesting to walk on the territory of these ancient buildings.

On the territory of the fortress, there are a large number of ruins, which were left of the large and stolid buildings, but you can also see the preserved library, the Ali Pasha's mausoleum, the mosque and even the hammam (Turkish baths). It is built in the shape of a cross and consists of not just the baths, but also various meeting rooms. That hammam was very popular among women, that was their place of communication. 

Inside the fortress it is very interesting, it has some high-arched passages, everything is made of white stone, some of the walls are covered with ivy, it decorated the fortress and adds an unkempt look. The passages inside are huge, wide, with high ceilings, they make an unbelievable impression. 

The mosque, on the contrary, is small and looks comfortable and nice, the cornices are decorated with unusual patterns on the stone. I cannot imagine how people could make it in the 16th century.

Close to the mosque, there was Ali Pasha’s castle, where he lived for a long time. But the original building was not preserved, and it was demolished, and the building was remade again. Now there is located the Byzantine museum with unique jewelry and silver items. Also, in the museum, you can find the exhibits of clay and stone, the icons and ancient manuscripts.

Do not forget that the museum is open from Tuesday to Sunday, Monday is a day off, so the visit should be planned for other days.