The Prefecture of Kozani is located in the western part of Macedonia and has been inhabited since the Palaeolithic era. During the Archaic period, the area was inhabited by Greek tribes. During the Roman era, it was conquered by the Romans, followed by the Byzantium and finally became part of the Ottoman Empire until 1912. During its history, the area witnessed great commercial, industrial and home-crafts activity and showed great prosperity in the field of literature, music and architecture. It has lush forests of fir and beech trees, numerous springs and rivers, torrential streams, fierce-looking gorges, rocky slopes, plateaus, acres of grazing land, and valleys. There is also an abundance of rare wildflowers in Kozani, which combine with its wild natural beauty, most harmoniously giving it a serene and almost mystifying beauty.