Ptolemaida is the capital of Province Eordea of Prefecture Kozani. The location of Eordea with the remainder Upper Macedonia of antiquity or the current West Macedonia, occupies the N.W. corner of Greek state, constitutes the ancient cradle of Macedonian Hellenism. Eordea owes her name at the historians in the ancient view "Eorda"(Mother Earth). In Eordea with the rich plain, was the state of ancient Orestes – Elmioton. The ancient city Eordea means "Beloved" (Isyhos, Arrianos, Ptolemy the First). The persons, that lived in the geographic space of ancient Eordea, but also the later season of copper (2700-1200 p. h) will be supposed to emanate from the populations that were installed in the W. Macedonia before the season of iron.

According to historians, the Eordians, residents of Eordea, belonged to one of the first Greeks, which lived in the location before 2200 BC. Current researches show that in the total tangible first Greeks that is to say Eolians and Arcadians that is characterized as Archaic substrate lived in the West Macedonia With this way is interpreted the linguistic kinship of ancient Macedonian dialect. In the passage of times the small state of Eordeans developed powerful force, its own way in arts and culture. Because it was under attack from various invaders, it was forced to be incorporated in the state of Aigon, because of the friendly relations that had with them.

The fast development of the state of Aigon, in which kings among the other were Philip V and Alexander The Great, had as result the complete assimilation of Eordean in the state of this ancient Macedonians. An entire line of generals, officers and superior employees, which were distinguished next to Alexander The Great, they emanated from Eordea. Among his generals and his bodyguards were Ptolemy of Hare and Aristonous, which were from Eordea. Ptolemy was born in 337 BC in Eordea of Macedonia, schoolmate of Alexander The Great and beloved student of Aristotle, because it acquired epoch-making importance, after this is the founder of homonym dynasty of Lagidon Ptolemians in Egypt that reigned 300 roughly years, to price of which brings the name the city of Ptolemaida. Ptolemy as general subjugated the mountainous Eogdiani, fought in India, where at the siege of a city he defended and saved Alexander The Great, which was heavily wounded. That’s why he took the title Savior.

Afterwards the death of Alexander The Great and the distribution of his empire, Ptolemy took the area of Egypt. It mainly acquired big prestige because of his prudent administration and his respect against the religion and the customs of Egyptians. In 306 BC he was named king, having as base Alexandria, which on his days was embellished with brilliant palaces and public buildings, climax the lighthouse of Alexandria, one from the seven (7) marvels of world. At the same time as intellectual man that was he founded the eminent Alexandrian library, that contained 700.000 volumes from all the sciences and which were burned down by July Caesar, Dioklitiano and finally were destroyed completely by the Caliph Omar the fifth. Ptolemy wrote the book “About Alexander’s actions” and with his own initiative was translated in the Greek language the Old Will. The last of the dynasty of Ptolemy was queen Cleopatra.

At the Roman period, we have a lot of information from historians about Eordaia, because it was the theatre of many conflicts during the long-lasting fight of Macedonians with the Romans which they tried to overtake Eordaia so as they could move to Continental Greece, but also because the area was crossed by the Egnatia road that connected Rome with the countries of sovereignty of Roman in the Far East. In the long-lasting fights of Romans with various tribes of Europe, the area of Eordea was in the middle of the fights because of its strategic place. In 1389 afterwards the tragic battle of Kossyfopedius the Turks occupied and slaved the area and caused big destructions. However despite the make that most residents enslaved and were led in slave markets the Turkish, Eordea achieved to play important role in the liberating fight 1821.

In historical books and code of Holy abbey of Metamorphosis of Savior of Zamportas and Bishop Sisaniou, it is reported that the first concealed school here in Macedonia, functioned in the church of Saint Nicolas of Vlasti, in the community of Eordaia that later with sultan’s order worked as boys’ school, girls' school.

The contribution of Eordea in the fights 1854-1878 as well as in the Macedonian Fight is priceless because o lot of chieftains where from Eordea.

 On 15 October 1912 the whole Macedonia was released from the Turks and Ptolemaida too. During the Turkish possession was named “Kalar” and the wider area “province Kailarion ”.

By royal order in the 11-9-1916 province Kailarion was renamed in province Eordea and then with legislative decree 1726/8-9-1942 Ptolemaida from Community was named municipality Ptolemaida, enumerating roughly 8.000 residents with main occupation the agriculture. The existence of lignite play important role in the growth of the city and the entire area. Big factories of NATIONAL ELECTRICAL COMPANY were manufactured in this location, and many thousands found a job. The reserves of lignite are calculated in 3 billions tones with annual excavation 50 mills of tones and production 4000 MW, that cover the 75% of all of electrical energy that consumes Greece and provides for the electric energy sufficiency and independence of our country, that constitutes the condition for the bioengineering and her economic growth.

The swift demographic growth of Ptolemaida, today enumerates roughly 30.000 residents, because of the industrial area, had as consequence the creation of modern city with most excellent street layout, very good road network and infrastructure.

Ptolemaida allocates crowd of public services, schools, faculties, manufactures, commercial enterprises, centers of recreation, enough big and modern hotel units, gyms, playgrounds, spaces of recreation and green and anything other exists in a modern city.

Municipality of Ptolemaida finally gave particular gravity in the sector of cultural growth of city, make that appears from the foundation of Museum, Musical Faculty, Library, Intellectual Centre and organization and all the duration of year of reports of painting, craftsmanship, concerts, presentation of choral groups, cultural festivals where participate local and foreigner groups.

At the same time a pioneering program of growth and upgrade of city has begun and generally the place with the reception of meters for the protection of environment and the manufacture of big pioneering work.

The manufacture of Commercial Multicoated, Intellectual Centre, building of Firefighting Service, department of measurement of pollutants of atmosphere, new National Gym, Biological cleaning, the construction of a lot of schools, as well as the manufacture of pioneering work of teleheating, that is aircraftman for Greece, of expense 3,5 twice and with which are provided heat and hot water all day the residents of city with steam from the units of NATIONAL ELECTRICAL COMPANY a work that apart from the benefit heat contributes biggest in the National economy, in the growth of area (sunspace) also and in the protection of environment.

The municipality is trying to connect the modern city with its historical payments, so a glorious statue of Ptolemy the first is under construction.

 Municipality of Ptolemaida, in order to develop good relationships with other cities twinned in year 1988 with city MOST of Czech Republic, that has common traits and characteristics as industrial city with Ptolemaida and year 1992 with Municipality Egomi of Nicosia Cyprus, that is connected historical through the dynasty of Ptolemy.

 In the Ptolemaida the last fifty-year period with the industrial exploitation of its subsoil, many and considerably paleontologic, archaeological and historical discoveries were found.

 The skeleton of the prehistoric elephant, tools of Stone Age, as well as the skeleton of a mammoth were found in our city.