The region of Serres and especially the city of Serres has been a significant crossroad of trade and culture since antiquity. However, there are few findings of this period. In the years to follow, Serres became part of the Roman and then Byzantine Empire. In the 5th century, the city of Serres was mentioned as the seat of a Bishop while in the 8th century Serres was considered to be the most important among the cities between the rivers Nestos and Strymon. During the Middle Ages it had been often hard hit, sometimes even completely destroyed. In 1204 AD it surrendered to the Frankish Crusaders and then to Bulgarians, Serbs and Turks in 1383. Because of its high importance during Byzantine and Turkish Occupation, there are many interesting Byzantine churches in Serres along with one of the most beautiful and typical Mosques, the Ahmet Pasha Mosque built in 1492 famous for its graceful elegance. The college of Education of Serres was the first that was founded in the whole European Turkey and Greece in 1872 and the teachers who graduated from it, spread far beyond Greece and turned out to be a vital force for the nation in the education and cultural awakening of the Greek nation.