The Tourkovounia ( el, Τουρκοβούνια), also known as Lykovounia (Λυκοβούνια, "wolf mountains") and in
Antiquity
Antiquity or Antiquities may refer to:
Historical objects or periods Artifacts
*Antiquities, objects or artifacts surviving from ancient cultures
Eras
Any period before the European Middle Ages (5th to 15th centuries) but still within the histo ...
called Anchesmos (), is a hill range in
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 a ...
,
Attica
Attica ( el, Αττική, Ancient Greek ''Attikḗ'' or , or ), or the Attic Peninsula, is a historical region that encompasses the city of Athens, the capital of Greece and its countryside. It is a peninsula projecting into the Aegean ...
. The name has also been transferred to a neighbourhood in
Central Athens
Central Athens ( el, Κεντρικός Τομέας Αθηνών) is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the region of Attica. The regional unit covers the central part of the agglomeration of Greater Athens.
Administration
As a ...
and a neighbourhood in
Keratsini
Keratsini ( el, Κερατσίνι) is a suburb in the western part of the Piraeus regional unit, part of the Athens Urban Area. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Keratsini-Drapetsona, of which it is the seat ...
.
Tourkovounia means "Turkish mountains". They are so named because of a large Turkish cemetery that existed there during the
Ottoman period
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) ...
in Greece.
The Tourkovounia are the tallest and most extensive hill range in central Attica, dividing the Athens basin into eastern and western parts. The range forms the boundary between the municipalities of
Galatsi (to the west and northwest),
Filothei (to the north) and
Psychiko (to the northeast), while the southern part of the range belongs to the
municipality 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 a ...
.
The ancient name, Anchesmos, refers to the sharp peaks of the range, while the modern name is said to derive either from a Turkish cemetery during the
Ottoman rule
Ottoman is the Turkish spelling of the Arabic masculine given name Uthman ( ar, عُثْمان, ‘uthmān). It may refer to:
Governments and dynasties
* Ottoman Caliphate, an Islamic caliphate from 1517 to 1924
* Ottoman Empire, in existence fro ...
or because the troops of Omar Pasha had their camp there in the last years of the
Greek War of Independence
The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution or the Greek Revolution of 1821, was a successful war of independence by Greek revolutionaries against the Ottoman Empire between 1821 and 1829. The Greeks were later assisted by ...
. In the later 19th century, the hills were the lair of the notorious brigand Kakaras. During the
Regime of the Colonels (1967-1974), a huge church dedicated to the Saviour was planned to be built on the hills as a "National
Votive", but the project was never carried out.
In ancient times, the Greek god
Zeus
Zeus or , , ; grc, Δῐός, ''Diós'', label= genitive Boeotian Aeolic and Laconian grc-dor, Δεύς, Deús ; grc, Δέος, ''Déos'', label= genitive el, Δίας, ''Días'' () is the sky and thunder god in ancient Greek relig ...
had an epithet derived from Anchesmos: Zeus Anchesmius (Greek: grc, Ἀγχέσμιος). There was a statue of him on the hill.
Pausanias Pausanias ( el, Παυσανίας) may refer to:
*Pausanias of Athens, lover of the poet Agathon and a character in Plato's ''Symposium''
*Pausanias the Regent, Spartan general and regent of the 5th century BC
* Pausanias of Sicily, physician of t ...
i. 32. § 2
Today, the
Attic Forest, the Youth Center of Galatsi, and the Monastery of prophet Helias are located on the hills. The quarters of Polygono and Panorama Galatsiou are situated on their slopes.
References
{{DGRBM, author=LS, title=Anchesmius, volume=1, page=167, url=http://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/moa/acl3129.0001.001/182
Hills of Athens