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Elefsina
Elefsina () or Eleusis ( ; ) is a suburban city and municipality in Athens metropolitan area. It belongs to West Attica regional unit of Greece. It is located in the Thriasio Plain, at the northernmost end of the Saronic Gulf. North of Elefsina are Mandra and Magoula, while Aspropyrgos is to the northeast. It is the site of the Eleusinian Mysteries and the birthplace of Aeschylus. Today, Elefsina is a major industrial centre, with the largest oil refinery in Greece as well as the home of the Aeschylia Festival, the longest-lived arts event in the Attica Region. On 11 November 2016, Elefsina was named the European Capital of Culture for 2021, which became effective in 2023 due to the COVID-19 pandemic postponement. Etymology The word ''Eleusis'' first appears in the '' Orphic Hymn to Eleusinian Demeter'': «Δήμητρος Ελευσινίας, θυμίαμα στύρακα». Also Hesychius of Alexandria reports that the older name for Eleusis was Saesara (Σαισάρι ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aeschylia Festival
Aeschylia Festival is the annual artistic festival of the city of Elefsina in West Attica, Greece. Creation The institution of the artistic events that take place in Elefsina was established in 1975 and owes its name to the ancient Greek tragedian Aeschylus, who originated from the city. The responsibility of the organizing lies with the municipality of Elefsina and a large number of volunteers. Art events This annual artistic event takes place at the end of Summer and at the beginning of Autumn (usually beginning at the end of August and lasting until early September). The main program contains a large number of diverse events such as theatre plays, music concerts, dances, visual art exhibitions and installations, cinema projections and others. With the passage of time the program is being enriched and now it constitutes a very important cultural event, not only for the town of Elefsina but for the wider region of Attica. Location The vast majority of the events take place ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Thriasio Plain
The Thriasio Plain () is a plain in western Attica within Athens metropolitan area in Greece. It is bounded by Mount Egaleo to the east, Mount Parnitha to the north, Mount Pateras to the west, and the Bay of Elefsina to the south. History The Thriasio Plain owes its name to the ancient deme of Thria (), one of the demes of ancient Athens. The largest town in the plain was Eleusis (modern-day Elefsina), location of the famous Eleusinian Mysteries. In Greek mythology, when the goddess Athena won the contest for control of Attica over Poseidon, Poseidon flooded the plain in wrath, until called to order by Zeus. In antiquity, as today, the area was connected to central Athens by two passes: the Sacred Way () to the west, today used by the main Athens–Corinth highway, and another pass to the northwest nowadays used by the Attiki Odos highway. During the Peloponnesian War (431–404 BC) the Thriasio Plain was ravaged by the Spartan army of King Archidamus II in his ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
West Attica
West Attica () is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the region of Attica. The regional unit covers the western part of the agglomeration of Athens, and the area to its west. Administration The regional unit West Attica is subdivided into 5 municipalities. These are (number as in the map in the infobox): * Aspropyrgos (2) * Elefsina (1) * Fyli (5) * Mandra-Eidyllia (3) * Megara (4) With respect to parliamentary elections West Attica belongs to the electoral district of Attica. Prefecture As a part of the 2011 Kallikratis government reform, the regional unit West Attica was created out of the former prefecture West Attica (). The prefecture had the same territory as the present regional unit. At the same time, the municipalities were reorganised, according to the table below. Provinces There were two provinces in the prefecture of West Attica: Megarida, and the Attica Province (most of which was part of East Attica). They were abolished in 2006. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Magoula, Attica
Magoula () is a suburban town of Athens and former community (pop. 4,992 in 2011) of West Attica, located in the Thriasio Plain. Since the 2011 local government reform, it is part of the municipality Elefsina, of which it is a municipal unit. The municipal unit has an area of 18.134 km2. Magoula is located 2 km east of Mandra, 5 km north of Elefsina and 21 km northwest of central Athens. The municipal unit of Magoúla also includes the village of Néos Póntos. Magoula is served by a station on the Athens Airport–Patras railway. The A6 motorway runs southeast of the town. Climate According to the National Observatory of Athens station located in north Magoula the area has a Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification: ''Csa'') with mild winters and very hot summers. The Thriasio Plain The Thriasio Plain () is a plain in western Attica within Athens metropolitan area in Greece. It is bounded by Mount Egaleo to the east, Mount Parnitha t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Attica (region)
Attica ( ; , ) is an administrative regions of Greece, administrative region of Greece, that encompasses the entire Athens metropolitan area, the core city of which is the country's capital city, capital and Cities of Greece, largest city, Athens. The region is coextensive with the former Attica Prefecture of Central Greece (geographic region), Central Greece and covers a greater area than the historical region of Attica. Overview Located on the eastern edge of Central Greece (geographic region), Central Greece, Attica covers about 3,808 square kilometres. In addition to Athens, it contains within its area the cities of Elefsina, Megara, Laurium, and Marathon, Greece, Marathon, as well as a small part of the Peloponnese peninsula and the islands of Salamis Island, Salamis, Aegina, Angistri, Poros, Hydra, Saronic Islands, Hydra, Spetses, Kythira, and Antikythera. About 3,790,000 people live in the region, of whom more than 95% are inhabitants of the Athens metropolitan area. In 20 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aspropyrgos
Aspropyrgos (, ) is a western suburb, in the Athens metropolitan area and a municipality in the West Attica regional unit in the Thriasio Plain, Attica, Greece. The municipality had a population of 31,381 at the 2021 census. It has an area of 101.983 km2. Etymology The name 'Aspropyrgos' is derived from the Greek words , meaning 'white', and , meaning 'castle' or 'tower'. Geography Aspropyrgos is located 15 km northwest of the city center of Athens in the Thriasio Plain. It is 5 km northeast of Elefsina, near the Saronic Gulf coast. Mount Parnitha forms its northern border, and the Aigaleo hills its southeastern border. The Elefsina Military Airbase lies to its west. The main street is Dimokratias ('Democracy') Avenue. Aspropyrgos can be accessed from the A6 motorway (Elefsina - Athens International Airport) and the A65 motorway (Ano Liosia - Aspropyrgos). It is also accessible through A6 exit 4. (The industrial area is in the southeastern part of Aspropy ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mandra, Greece
Mandra (), is a town and former municipality in West Attica, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Mandra-Eidyllia, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit. The municipal unit has an area of 205.770 km2. The population of the municipal unit was 12,365 at the 2021 census. History The inhabitants of Mandra are Arvanites. Mandra was the location of the last Greek naval base to deploy naval ships to aid in the Aegean War which the Greeks won in 268 B.C. In 2017, the area was badly hit from catastrophic floods, that resulted in 24 deaths in the entire region, but mainly in Mandra and Nea Peramos. Mandra was severely affected by 2023 Greece wildfires. Geography Mandra is a western, outer suburb of Athens. It is located 4 km from the Saronic Gulf coast, 2 km west of Magoula, 5 km northwest of Elefsina and 22 km northwest of Athens city centre. The western part of the municipal unit is covered by Mount Pateras ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Salamis Island
Salamis ( ; ) or Salamina () is the largest Greece, Greek island in the Saronic Gulf, about from the coast of Athens' port of Piraeus and about west of Athens center. The chief city, Salamina (city), Salamina, lies in the west-facing core of the crescent on Salamis Bay, which opens into the Saronic Gulf. On the eastern side of the island its main port, Paloukia, connects the island with Perama in the western part of Athens urban area through a frequent ferry line and is the second largest port in Greece in terms of passengers, after the port of Piraeus. Etymology The traditional etymology of Salamis derives it from the eponymous nymph Salamis (mythology), Salamis, the mother of Cychreus, the legendary first king of the island. A more modern theory considers "Salamis" to come from the root ''sal'' 'salt' and ''-amis'' 'middle'; thus ''Salamis'' would be the place amid salt water. A theory presented by Martin Bernal in his book Black Athena, which has been overwhelmingly rejecte ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
European Capital Of Culture
A European Capital of Culture is a city designated by the European Union (EU) for a period of one calendar year during which it organises a series of cultural events with a strong pan-European dimension. Being a European Capital of Culture can be an opportunity for a city to generate considerable cultural, social, and economic benefits, and it can help foster urban regeneration, change the city's image, and raise its visibility and profile on an international scale. Multiple cities can be a European Capital of Culture simultaneously. In 1985, Melina Mercouri, Greece's Minister of Culture, and her French counterpart Jack Lang came up with the idea of designating an annual City of Culture to bring Europeans closer together by highlighting the richness and diversity of European cultures and raising awareness of their common history and values. The Commission of the European Union manages the title, and each year the Council of the European Union, Council of Ministers of the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Homeric Hymn
The ''Homeric Hymns'' () are a collection of thirty-three ancient Greek hymns and one epigram. The hymns praise deities of the Greek pantheon and retell mythological stories, often involving a deity's birth, their acceptance among the gods on Mount Olympus, or the establishment of their cult. In antiquity, the hymns were generally, though not universally, attributed to the poet Homer: modern scholarship has established that most date to the seventh and sixth centuries BCE, though some are more recent and the latest, the ''Hymn to Ares'', may have been composed as late as the fifth century CE. The ''Homeric Hymns'' share compositional similarities with the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', also traditionally attributed to Homer. They share the same artificial literary dialect of Greek, are composed in dactylic hexameter, and make use of short, repeated phrases known as formulae. It is unclear how far writing, as opposed to oral composition, was involved in their c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Saronic Gulf
The Saronic Gulf ( Greek: Σαρωνικός κόλπος, ''Saronikós kólpos'') or Gulf of Aegina in Greece is formed between the peninsulas of Attica and Argolis and forms part of the Aegean Sea. It defines the eastern side of the isthmus of Corinth, being the eastern terminus of the Corinth Canal, which cuts across the isthmus. The Saronic Islands in the gulf have played a pivotal role in the history of Greece, with the largest, Salamis being the location of a significant naval battle in the Greco-Persian wars. The Megara Gulf makes up the northern end of the Saronic Gulf. The Athens urban area lies on the north coast of the Saronic Gulf. Etymology The origin of the gulf's name comes from the mythological king Saron who drowned at the Psifaei lake (modern Psifta). The Saronic Gulf was a string of six entrances to the Underworld, each guarded by a chthonic enemy in the shape of a thief or bandit. History The Battle of Salamis, fought in 480 BCE in the Saronic Gu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eleusinian Mysteries
The Eleusinian Mysteries () were initiations held every year for the Cult (religious practice), cult of Demeter and Persephone based at the Panhellenic Sanctuary of Eleusis in ancient Greece. They are considered the "most famous of the secret religious rites of ancient Greece". Their basis was a Bronze Age Agrarianism, agrarian cult, and there is some evidence that they were derived from the religious practices of the Mycenean Greece, Mycenean period.Dietrich (1975) ''The origins of Greek Religion''. Bristol Phoenix Press pp. 166, 167Walter Burkert. (1985)''Greek Religion''. Harvard University Press. p. 285 The Mysteries represented the myth of the Persephone#Abduction myth, abduction of Persephone from her mother Demeter by the king of the underworld Hades, in a cycle with three phases: the ''descent'' (loss), the ''search'', and the ''ascent'', with the main theme being the ''ascent'' () of Persephone and the reunion with her mother. It was a major festival during the Hellenistic ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
