Axioupoli ( el, Αξιούπολη), known until 1927 as Boymitsa (Боймица, Μποέμιτσα), is a small town and a former municipality in the former
Paionia Province
Paionia ( el, Παιονία, ) is a municipality in the Kilkis regional unit of Central Macedonia, Greece. The seat of the municipality is the town Polykastro. The municipality is named after the ancient region of Paeonia. It has an area of 919 ...
of
Kilkis regional unit,
Greek Macedonia
Macedonia (; el, Μακεδονία, Makedonía ) is a geographic and former administrative region of Greece, in the southern Balkans. Macedonia is the largest and Greek geographic region, with a population of 2.36 million in 2020. It is ...
. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality
Paionia
In antiquity, Paeonia or Paionia ( grc, Παιονία, Paionía) was the land and kingdom of the Paeonians or Paionians ( grc, Παίονες, Paíones).
The exact original boundaries of Paeonia, like the early history of its inhabitants, a ...
, of which it is a municipal unit.
The municipal unit has an area of 284.406 km
2.
In 2011 the town had a population of 2,897, and the municipal unit 5,619.
Name
Its ancient name was
Atalanti and it was established in prehistoric times.
["History of Macedonia I" N. G. L. Hammond, 1972] Atalanti was conquered by
Bottieans who came into the area in the 12th century BC. In the 5th century BC Atalanti was annexed in the Macedonian kingdom and by that time it followed the Greek history. The
Bulgarian
Bulgarian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to the country of Bulgaria
* Bulgarians, a South Slavic ethnic group
* Bulgarian language, a Slavic language
* Bulgarian alphabet
* A citizen of Bulgaria, see Demographics of Bulgaria
* Bul ...
and
Macedonian name is ''Boymitsa/Bojmica'' (Cyrillic: Боймица/Бојмица) by which the town was known until the name was changed in 1927. There have been suggestions that its former name was obtained during the era of Byzantine Empire and its transliteration means ''strong''. Slavic tribes, who entered the area in the 7th century AD, named the area ''Boymitsa'', which means 'little Boymia', because the valley of
Axios Axios commonly refers to:
* Axios (river), a river that runs through Greece and North Macedonia
* ''Axios'' (website), an American news and information website
Axios may also refer to:
Brands and enterprises
* Axios, a brand of suspension produ ...
looks like the Valley of
Bohemia
Bohemia ( ; cs, Čechy ; ; hsb, Čěska; szl, Czechy) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. Bohemia can also refer to a wider area consisting of the historical Lands of the Bohemian Crown ruled by the Bohem ...
(although during the Ottoman era the valley of
Axios River
The Vardar (; mk, , , ) or Axios () is the longest river in North Macedonia and the second longest river in Greece, in which it reaches the Aegean Sea at Thessaloniki. It is long, out of which are in Greece, and drains an area of around ...
used to be called ''
Roumlouki
Roumlouki ( el, Ρουμλούκι, from the Ottoman Turkish ''Rûmlık'', "place of the Rûm") or Kampania (Καμπανία), is the traditional name of the northeastern part of Imathia located in Macedonia, Greece, specifically the plain of the ...
'', meaning 'Valley of Romans'). The town was renamed Axioupoli on 1 January 1927, after the Axios River in its vicinity.
History
![Macedonian Museums-59-Fysikhs Istorias Ajioypolhs-258](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/55/Macedonian_Museums-59-Fysikhs_Istorias_Ajioypolhs-258.jpg)
Refounded in 1760 by
Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
settlers from adjoining areas, they chose it as their new home due to its proximity to the Axios River, near the ruins of ancient town Atalanti. The town form part of the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
until the early 20th century. In the Greek revolution of 1821, inhabitants of Axioupolis and other villages, fought against Ottomans. The family of Papazafiriou Stamatiadi from Idomeni gave the most famous Greek fighters of 1821.
[In Greek: Obscure Native Macedonian Fighters" Company of Macedonian Studies (CMS), University Studio Press, Thessaloniki, 2008]] The Ottoman troops defeated the rebels in the area, and the revolution continued only in Southern Greece.
Construction of Axioupolis' first church, Saint Dimitrios (Greek: Αγίου Δημητρίου), started in 1843 after Christians were given the right to build churches and schools by the Ottomans. Saint Dimitrios was completed in 1859. During the national competitions in the area, a lot of locals resisted in the
Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization
The Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (IMRO; bg, Вътрешна Македонска Революционна Организация (ВМРО), translit=Vatrešna Makedonska Revoljucionna Organizacija (VMRO); mk, Внатр ...
(IMRO),
[In Greek: "The Macedonian Struggle" K. Vakalopoulos, C. Nerantzis, 2000] while others participated in the struggle led by IMRO. A committee of IMRO was founded in Boymitsa in 1896. Its leader was the local
Bulgarian
Bulgarian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to the country of Bulgaria
* Bulgarians, a South Slavic ethnic group
* Bulgarian language, a Slavic language
* Bulgarian alphabet
* A citizen of Bulgaria, see Demographics of Bulgaria
* Bul ...
teacher Filip Dimitrov. Dellios Petkou Topalis killed in 1898 by Bulgarians.
The first school in town was built in 1894. People of Axioupolis Municipality participated in the
Macedonian Struggle
The Macedonian Struggle ( bg, Македонска борба; el, Μακεδονικός Αγώνας; mk, Борба за Македонија; sr, Борба за Македонију; tr, Makedonya Mücadelesi) was a series of social, po ...
, and the main leaders of Greek efforts are mentioned below.
Macedonian fighters (Makedonomachi):
*Axioupolis: Athanasios Gertzikis (priest), Ioannis Goussidis, Vasilios Papageorgiou, Anastasios Karakechagias, Nikolaos Koulerdas, Christos Kotsidis (priest), Sofia Nikou
Dimitrios Penos*Ryzia: Vassilios Vantsis, Christos Karamarkos,
*Skra: Dimitrios Papageorgiou, Anastasios Stavridis, Athanasios Tsempis
*Chamilo: Panagiotis Varvatis
*Idomeni: Stylianos Kovatsis Sideras, Grigorios Kokkalis, Georgios Papazafiriou Stamatiadis, Grigorios Papazafiriou Stamatiadis, Zafirios Papazafiriou Stamatiadis
The "La Macédoine et sa Population Chrétienne" survey by Dimitar Mishev (D. Brankov) from 1905 shows that the local Christian inhabitants were divided between
Bulgarian Exarchate
The Bulgarian Exarchate ( bg, Българска екзархия, Balgarska ekzarhiya; tr, Bulgar Eksarhlığı) was the official name of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church before its autocephaly was recognized by the Ecumenical See in 1945 and th ...
and
Patriarchate of Constantinople
The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople ( el, Οἰκουμενικὸν Πατριαρχεῖον Κωνσταντινουπόλεως, translit=Oikoumenikón Patriarkhíon Konstantinoupóleos, ; la, Patriarchatus Oecumenicus Constanti ...
. There were 1080 Bulgarian Exarchists and 280 supporters of Patriarchate of Constantinople. A Bulgarian and a Greek schools were functioning.
On 22 October 1912 the Ottomans were expelled and the town became part of Greece. During the population exchange of the early 20th century the town was settled by refugees from all over the
Balkans
The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...
and
Anatolia
Anatolia, tr, Anadolu Yarımadası), and the Anatolian plateau, also known as Asia Minor, is a large peninsula in Western Asia and the westernmost protrusion of the Asian continent. It constitutes the major part of modern-day Turkey. The re ...
n regions, giving it a unique feel. Its residence played a big part in helping win the
Battle of Kilkis-Lahanas
A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...
and with the battle of
Skra-di-Legen
The Battle of Skra-di-Legen (Skora di Legen) was a two-day battle which took place at the Skra fortified position, located northeast of Mount Paiko, which is north-west of Thessaloniki, on May 29–30, 1918, on the Macedonian front of World War I ...
.
In 1913 the first
customs
Customs is an authority or agency in a country responsible for collecting tariffs and for controlling the flow of goods, including animals, transports, personal effects, and hazardous items, into and out of a country. Traditionally, customs ...
office between Greece and
Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...
was opened in Axioupoli. The main railway between
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki (; el, Θεσσαλονίκη, , also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece, with over one million inhabitants in its Thessaloniki metropolitan area, metropolitan area, and the capi ...
and Europe went through the town's center, making Axioupoli a center of information during the
Balkan Wars
The Balkan Wars refers to a series of two conflicts that took place in the Balkan States in 1912 and 1913. In the First Balkan War, the four Balkan States of Greece, Serbia, Montenegro and Bulgaria declared war upon the Ottoman Empire and defe ...
,
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
and World War II.
In World War I the French Army was stationed there to control one of the main supply routes. They helped build numerous projects in town, and within the region, to help with their supply transportation. They built the
Kodza Déré Decauville Railway from the center of Axioupoli to
Skra, KilkisÄ and the railroad bridge which crosses over the
Axios river
The Vardar (; mk, , , ) or Axios () is the longest river in North Macedonia and the second longest river in Greece, in which it reaches the Aegean Sea at Thessaloniki. It is long, out of which are in Greece, and drains an area of around ...
and leads into
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
. These projects helped change the town as one of Greece's industrialized centers.
On 8 April 1944 the Germans took control of the town, which gave them access to the railroads, bridges and control over the supply routes for the
Axis
An axis (plural ''axes'') is an imaginary line around which an object rotates or is symmetrical. Axis may also refer to:
Mathematics
* Axis of rotation: see rotation around a fixed axis
* Axis (mathematics), a designator for a Cartesian-coordinat ...
. They occupied the town until 31 October 1944. During the occupation, the Greek People's Liberation Army (
Greek People's Liberation Army
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
(ELAS) staged many sabotage missions against the Axis in the region while residents helped hide Greek fighters from the Germans. Because of its location it has had geopolitical significance, being one of the last places from which the Germans left after
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
ended.
Demographics
Location
The town is located north-northwest of
Athens
Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
the capital of Greece; northwest from the regional capital
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki (; el, Θεσσαλονίκη, , also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece, with over one million inhabitants in its Thessaloniki metropolitan area, metropolitan area, and the capi ...
; west from the
regional unit
The 74 regional units of Greece ( el, περιφερειακές ενότητες, ; sing. , ) are the country's Seventy-four second-level administrative units. They are divisions of the country's 13 regions, and are further divided into municipa ...
capital
Kilkis
Kilkis ( el, Κιλκίς) is a city in Central Macedonia, Greece. As of 2011 there were 22,914 people living in the city proper, 28,745 people living in the municipal unit, and 51,926 in the municipality of Kilkis. It is also the capital city o ...
, west from the small town of
Polykastro
Polykastro ( el, Πολύκαστρο, before 1928 , ''Karasoúli''; ''Pandektis: Name Changes of Settlements in Greece'', compiled by the/ref>) is a town and a former municipality in Kilkis regional unit of Central Macedonia, Greece. Since the 2 ...
. It is west of the
Axios River
The Vardar (; mk, , , ) or Axios () is the longest river in North Macedonia and the second longest river in Greece, in which it reaches the Aegean Sea at Thessaloniki. It is long, out of which are in Greece, and drains an area of around ...
.
Sightseeing
To reach Axioupoli it is most possible to cross Axios River, which is mentioned on Homer's Iliad as Peones, who used to live in the area, fought in the Troy war. The
Natural History Museum
A natural history museum or museum of natural history is a scientific institution with natural history collections that include current and historical records of animals, plants, fungi, ecosystems, geology, paleontology, climatology, and more. ...
is one of the best in Greece, the Library,
Mega Rema, the Statue of Liberty in the main square and the
Metalio Lake, the big plane tree,
which according to legend has been there since the era of
Alexander the Great
Alexander III of Macedon ( grc, wikt:Ἀλέξανδρος, Ἀλέξανδρος, Alexandros; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the Ancient Greece, ancient Greek kingdom of Maced ...
. Last but not least, it is worth visiting the Blue Lake on mountain
Paiko. It is situated between village Koupa and village of Skra, which is internationally famous for the
Battle of Skra-di-Legen
The Battle of Skra-di-Legen (Skora di Legen) was a two-day battle which took place at the Skra fortified position, located northeast of Mount Paiko, which is north-west of Thessaloniki, on May 29–30, 1918, on the Macedonian front of World War I ...
that took place there during the first World War, on 17 May 1917.
Education
Axioupoli has a complete system of State schools including one Nursery school, two Primary, two Elementary, one Secondary and one High School. There is also a Technical school (EPAL). Apart from these you can find two Private Foreign Language Schools (Hassapi-Sidera and Sphera).
Famous people born in the town
*
Apostol Petkov
Apostol Petkov Terziev (Bulgarian/ mk, Апостол Петков Терзиев) (May 6, 1869 – August 2, 1911) was a Macedonian Bulgarian revolutionary and one of the leaders of the national liberation movement in Ottoman Macedonia. He was a ...
-
Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization
The Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (IMRO; bg, Вътрешна Македонска Революционна Организация (ВМРО), translit=Vatrešna Makedonska Revoljucionna Organizacija (VMRO); mk, Внатр ...
(IMRO) Revolutionary (1869–1911)
References
External links
Official Site
{{Paionia div
Populated places in Kilkis (regional unit)