Acharnes ( el, Αχαρνές, , before 1915: Μενίδι Menidi, ) is a northwestern suburb of Athens, Attica, Greece. With 106,943 inhabitants (2011 census), it is the most populous municipality in East Attica. It is part of the Athens Urban area.

Geography

The northern part of the municipality is covered by the forested

Parnitha Mount Parnitha ( ell, Πάρνηθα, , Katharevousa and grc, Πάρνης ''Parnis''/''Parnes''; sometimes Parnetha) is a densely forested mountain range north of Athens, the highest on the peninsula of Attica, with an elevation of 1,413 m, and ...

mountain. The southern part is in the plain of Athens, and is densely populated. The built-up area of Acharnes, in this southern part of the municipality, is continuous with that of the adjacent suburbs to the west, east and south. The centre of Acharnes is due north of Athens city centre. The two other settlements in the municipality, Thrakomakedones and Varympompi, are situated further north, in the foothills of Parnitha. Acharnes is crossed by several important roads and railways, including Motorway 6, the Piraeus–Platy railway and the Athens Airport–Patras railway. The

Acharnes Railway Center The Acharnes Railway Center () or SKA is a two-level railway station in the northern parts of the Athens Urban Area, in the municipality of Acharnes, where several important railway lines converge. It is an important passenger interchange stati ...

is the main railway junction of Attica; two other stations in the municipality are

Acharnes railway station Acharnes railway station ( el, Σιδηροδρομικός σταθμός Αχαρνών, Sidirodromikós stathmós Acharnón) is a station on the Piraeus–Platy railway line in the northern part of the Athens urban area, in the municipality ...

and

Kato Acharnes railway station Kato Acharnes railway station ( el, Σιδηροδρομικός Σταθμός Κάτω Αχαρνών, Sidirodromikos stathmos Kato Acharnon) is a station on the Piraeus–Platy railway line in Agioi Anargyroi, West Athens. This station opene ...

, both on the Piraeus–Platy railway. Acharnes is home to the

Folk Art Museum of Acharnes Acharnes ( el, Αχαρνές, , before 1915: Μενίδι Menidi, ) is a northwestern suburb of Athens, Attica, Greece. With 106,943 inhabitants (2011 census), it is the most populous municipality in East Attica. It is part of the Athens Urban ar ...

History

Acharnes has historically been an Arvanite settlement. Acharnes was named after the '' deme'' Acharnae ( grc, Ἁχαρναί), a subdivision of Athens in classical antiquity. The Athenian playwright Aristophanes characterised the inhabitants of Acharnae as peasants in his play '' The Acharnians''. Acharnes suffered significant damage from the

1999 Athens earthquake The 1999 Athens earthquake occurred on September 7 at near Mount Parnitha in Greece with a moment magnitude of 6.0 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (''Violent''). The proximity to the Athens metropolitan area resulted in widespread stru ...

, being very close to the epicenter.

Municipality

The municipality Acharnes was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following 2 former municipalities, that became municipal units: *Acharnes * Thrakomakedones The municipality has an area of 149.956 km², the municipal unit 146.406 km².

Historical population

Crime

Acharnes is considered one of the least safest places to live in Greece since it has a relatively high crime rate, usually involving drugs, theft and gang activity. There is also a significant population of marginalized people such as

Romani Romani may refer to: Ethnicities * Romani people, an ethnic group of Northern Indian origin, living dispersed in Europe, the Americas and Asia ** Romani genocide, under Nazi rule * Romani language, any of several Indo-Aryan languages of the Roma ...

living in ghettos in Acharnes, that tend to be delinquents and offenders from an early age.

Museums

The Folk Art Museum of Acharnes is a museum in Acharnes, a northern suburb of Athens, Greece. It was founded in 1977 by the local Greek Mountaineering Society, which also formed the Historical and Folklore Association in 1981, to which it bequeathed the museum in 1982. The archaeological part of the collection was then separated from the historical and folklore material and was given to the Hellenic Ministry of Culture. Former Minister

Melina Mercouri Maria Amalia "Melina" Mercouri (, 18 October 1920 – 6 March 1994) was a Greek actress, singer, activist, and politician. She came from a political family that was prominent over multiple generations. She received an Academy Award nomination a ...

founded for it the Archaeological Museum of Acharnes in a neoclassical building in the central square of Acharnes, which had formerly housed the local Town Hall. The same building houses the Historical and Folklore Society and its Folk Art Museum to the present time.

Sporting teams

Acharnaikos F.C. Acharnaikos Football Club ( el, Α.Ο. Αχαρναϊκός) is a Greek football club based in Acharnes (Menidi area), Attica, Greece. It was created in 1938 and was founded in 1953. The club was known as Yperochi Menidi until 1961. It plays in Ac ...

- second division

References

{{Authority control Municipalities of Attica Populated places in East Attica Arvanite settlements