Philippi was a major mainland Greek city northwest of the nearby island, Thasos. Its original name was Crenides. The city was renamed by Philip II of Macedon in 356 BC and abandoned in the 14th century after the Ottoman conquest. The present village of Filippoi is located near the ruins of the ancient city within the modern city of Kavala, in turn a part of the administrative region of East Macedonia and Thrace. The archaeological site was classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2016 because of its exceptional Roman architecture, its urban layout as a smaller reflection of Rome itself, and its importance in early Christianity. Philippi is also the place where the Battle of Philippi took place in 42 BC.