Zografou ( el, Ζωγράφου, Zōgráfou) is a suburban town of approximately 70,000 inhabitants in the eastern part of the
Athens agglomeration,
Greece. It was named after the Greek politician
Ioannis Zografos. To the east of Zografou lies mount
Hymettus. The area, being close to the centre of Athens, developed similar
urban sprawl characteristics, with high-rise buildings of even 10 stories tall being the norm. The municipality is also home to the
National and Kapodistrian university of Athens
The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA; el, Εθνικό και Καποδιστριακό Πανεπιστήμιο Αθηνών, ''Ethnikó ke Kapodistriakó Panepistímio Athinón''), usually referred to simply as the Univers ...
and
National Technical university of Athens campuses and a significant
percentage of the local population are students, faculty and employees of both institutions. Zografou includes the smaller areas of
Ilissia
Ilisia ( el, Ιλίσια ) is a neighborhood of Athens, Greece, named after the river Ilisos. A portion of the neighborhood, Ano Ilisia (Upper Ilisia), is in Zografou and is near the Theology, Philosophy and Scientific faculties of the University ...
and
Goudi.
Geography
Zografou is an inner suburb of Athens, located about 4 km east of
Athens city centre. The municipality has an area of 8.517 km
2.
Towards the east the municipality extends to the forested
Hymettus mountain. The built-up area of Zografou is continuous with that of municipality of Athens. A large campus of the
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA; el, Εθνικό και Καποδιστριακό Πανεπιστήμιο Αθηνών, ''Ethnikó ke Kapodistriakó Panepistímio Athinón''), usually referred to simply as the Univers ...
is situated in
Ano Ilisia, the easternmost quarter of Zografou. Ano Ilisia derived its name from the river
Ilisos, which starts at St Eleousa, now in the University campus.
Aπό την εκδήλωση στο Ζωγράφου για την βίλα
", indymedia.gr, accessed 31 August 2008. Another quarter of Zografou is Goudi, in the northwestern part of the municipality. The main church of Zografou is consecrated to Agios Therapontas (Greek: Άγιος Θεράποντας). With Zografou having been built on the hills of Hymettus, a common sight around the suburb are some very steep uphill streets.
Transport
Zografou is served by bus lines 140 (Polygono - Glyfada), 220 (Ano Ilisia - Akadimia), 221 (Panepistimioupoli - Akadimia), 230 (Akropoli - Zografou), 235 (Zografou - Akadimia), 250 (Panepistimioupoli - Evangelismos station), 608 (Galatsi - Akadimia - Nekr. Zografou), 622 (Goudi - Ano Galatsi) and 815 (Goudi - Tavros).metro stations
A metro station or subway station is a station for a rapid transit system, which as a whole is usually called a "metro" or "subway". A station provides a means for passengers to purchase tickets, board trains, and evacuate the system in the ...
at Ilissia, Zografou (Gardenia Place) and Goudi.
History
After the departure of the Ottomans from the area in the 1830s, the area came into the ownership of Ioannis Koniaris, mayor of Athens from 1851 to 1854, and Leonidas Vournazos.
In 1902, Eleni Vournazos, widow of Leonidas, sells 1,250 stremmata (1 stremma equal to 1000 square meters ) of the Kouponia/ Goudi area to Ioannis Zografos (died 1927), a Member of Parliament for the Nationalist Party and university professor. Dividing it into plots, he sold them for installments of 112 drachma per month. The first houses were erected in 1919. Within ten years, 100 had been built. At this time, the foundations of the Church of St. Theraponta were erected.
In 1929, the area, now known as Zografou, was split from the municipality of Athens and became an independent community. It was elevated to a municipality in 1947,
Scientific Centers, Museums and others
Dimitri Kitsikis Public Foundation"
* Gounaropoulos Museum, dedicated to the works of painter Giorgios Gounaropoulos
Giorgos Gounaropoulos ( el, Γιώργος Γουναρόπουλος, 22 March 1890 – 17 August 1977) was a Greek artist.
Life
Giorgos Gounaropoulos was born in Sozopol, Bulgaria, on 22 March 1890, the sixth child of a Greek family.
In the earl ...
. It was founded in 1979.
* Marika Kotopouli Museum, a museum of modern art, founded in 1990 and housed in the 1926 villa of actress Marika Kotopouli
Sports
Zografou hosts the local sport teams Asteras Zografou Asteras is a Greek word meaning star. See also:
*Ethnikos Asteras F.C.
*Asteras Tripolis F.C.
*Agrotikos Asteras F.C.
*Kyanos Asteras Vari F.C.
*Asteras Amaliada F.C.
*Nafpaktiakos Asteras F.C.
*Asteras Magoula F.C.
*Neos Asteras Rethymno F.C.
*Ast ...
, a football club founded in 1965 and EFAO Zografou B.C.
EFAO Zografou B.C. (Greek: ΕΦΑΟ Ζωγράφου K.A.E.), abbreviated as EFAOZ B.C. (ΕΦΑΟΖ K.A.E.), is a Greek professional basketball club based in Zografou, Athens. The club's full name is Enosi Filathlitikou Athlitikou Omilou Zografou ...
(formerly Filathlitikos B.C.), a basketball club founded in 1986. In addition, the sport club Ilisiakos
Ilisiakos Football Club ( el, Ηλυσιακός A.O.) is an Athens-based Association football, football club that was founded in 1927 by Michalis Xydis, Lambropoulos, Evgenopoulos, Nikolaos Plessas, ''et al.''. They played in Delta Ethiniki until ...
, founded in 1927, is based in Ilisia
''Ilisia'' is a genus of crane fly in the family Limoniidae.
Distribution
Palaearctic, North America & Oriental.
Species
*'' I. armillaris'' ( Osten Sacken, 1869)
*'' I. asymmetrica'' (Alexander, 1913)
*'' I. graphica'' ( Osten Sacken, 1860) ...
a district that is shared between Municipalities of Athens and Zografou.
Historical population
Notable people
*Dimitri Kitsikis
Dimitri Kitsikis ( el, Δημήτρης Κιτσίκης; 2 June 1935 – 28 August 2021) was a Greek Turkologist, Sinologist and Professor of International Relations and Geopolitics. He also published poetry in French and Greek.
Life
Dimitri K ...
(1935–2021) Royal Society of Canada
The Royal Society of Canada (RSC; french: Société royale du Canada, SRC), also known as the Academies of Arts, Humanities and Sciences of Canada (French: ''Académies des arts, des lettres et des sciences du Canada''), is the senior national, bil ...
* Marika Kotopouli (1887–1954) actress
*Nikos Kourkoulos
Nikos Kourkoulos ( el, Νίκος Κούρκουλος; December 5, 1934 in Athens, Greece – January 30, 2007) was a highly respected Greek theatrical and film performer, one of the most talented and recognizable actors in Greece of modern tim ...
(1934–2007) actor
*Luciano de Souza
Luciano de Souza, sometimes known simply as Luciano (, born 21 August 1972 in Volta Redonda), is a Brazilian-Greek former professional footballer and current football manager. His main strengths were his technique and free kick ability, along wit ...
(1972-) football player
Gallery
File:Attica 06-13 Zografou 01 Papagou.jpg, Papagou Avenue in Zografou
File:Attica 06-13 Zografou 04 StThomas Church.jpg, Church of St. Thomas
File:Attica 06-13 Zografou 05 StTherapont Church.jpg, Church of St. Therapont
File:Attica 06-13 Zografou 02 Mansion.jpg, Villa Zografou
See also
* List of municipalities of Attica
References
External links
City of Zografou official website
{{Authority control
Municipalities of Attica
Populated places in Central Athens (regional unit)