Kavala
Kavala
Καβάλα | |
|---|---|
Settlement | |
 A view of the castle from the sea | |
| Country | Greece |
| Administrative region | East Macedonia and Thrace |
| Districts | 15 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 112.6 km2(43.5 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 53 m (174 ft) |
| Lowest elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| Population (2001)[1] | |
| • Total | 63,293 |
| • Density | 560/km2(1,500/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+2(EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3(EEST) |
| Postal code | 65x xx |
| Area code(s) | 2510 |
| Vehicle registration | KB |
| Website | cityofkavala.gr |
Kavala(Greek:Καβάλα), is the second largest city in northernGreece,the principalseaportof easternMacedoniaand the capital ofKavala prefecture.It is situated on theBay of Kavala,across from the island ofThasos.
History
Antiquity
The city was founded by settlers from Thassos in about the6th century BC,who called itNeapolis(Νεάπολις; "new city" in Greek). Neapolis was a town ofMacedonia,and the harbor ofPhilippi,from which it was distant 14 km. It probably was the same place asDatum(Δάτον), famous for its gold mines (Herod. ix. 75; comp. Böckh,Pub. Econ. of Athens,pp. 8, 228, trans.), and a seaport, asStrabo(vii. p. 331) intimates: whence the proverb which celebrates Datum for its good things. (Zenob.Prov. Graec. Cent.iii. 71; Harpocrat. s. v.Δάτος.)Scylaxdoes, indeed, distinguish between Neapolis and Datum; but, as he adds that the latter was an Athenian colony, which could not have been true of his original Datum, his text is, perhaps, corrupt in this place, as in so many others, and his real meaning may have been that Neapolis was a colony which theAthenianshad established at Datum.Zenobius(l. c.) andEustathius(ad Dionys. Perieg.517) both assert that Datum was a colony of Thasos; which is highly probable, as the Thasians had several colonies on this coast. If Neapolis was a settlement of Athens, its foundation was, it may be inferred, later than that ofAmphipolis.Neapolis was a member of theAthenian League,as a pillar found in Athens mentions a contribution of Neapolis to the alliance. Neapolis also minted coins in antiquity.
Roman Era
It became aRomancivitasin168 BC,and was a base forBrutusandCassiusin42 BC,before their defeat in theBattle of Philippi.(Appian,B.C.iv. 106;Dion Cass.xlvii. 35.). The ApostlePaullanded at Kavala on his first voyage to Europe (Acts, xvi. 11).
Byzantine Era
InByzantinetimes the city was calledChristoupolisby the Greeks andMorunetsby theBulgarians.In the 6th century Byzantine emperorJustinian Ifortified the city in an effort to protect it from barbaric raids. In the 8th and 9th centuryBulgarianattacks forced the Byzantines to reorganize the defense of the area, giving great care to Christoupolis with fortification and a notable garrison. Due to the location of Christoupolis, the city experienced an economic flourish. During theNormanraid in Macedonia (1185), the city was captured and was burned.
Ottoman Era
Kavala was part of theOttoman Empirefrom 1387 to 1912. In the middle of the 16th century,Ibrahim Pasha,Grand VizierofSuleiman the Magnificent,contributed to the prosperity and growth of Kavala by the construction of anaqueduct.[2]The Ottomans also extended the Byzantine fortress on the hill ofPanagia.Both landmarks are among the most recognizable symbols of the city today.
Mehmet Ali,the founder of adynastythat ruledEgypt,was born in Kavala in 1769. His house has been preserved as a museum.
Modern Kavala
Kavala was captured by theBulgariansinFirst Balkan Warin 1912 andGreek Navyduring theSecond Balkan warin 1913. After theGreco-Turkish Warof 1919, the city entered a new era of prosperity because of the labour offered by the thousands of refugees that moved to the area from Asia Minor. The development was both industrial and agricultural. Kavala got greatly involved into the processing and trading of tobacco. Many buildings related to the storage and processing of tobacco from that era are preserved in the city.
It was occupied again byBulgariabetween 1941-1944 duringWorld War II.
In the late 50s Kavala expanded towards the sea byreclaiming landfrom the area west of the port.
In 1967, KingConstantine IIleft Athens for Kavala in an unsuccessful attempt to launch a counter-coup against themilitary junta.
Twinnings
Postage stamps
Between 1893 and 1903, theFrenchpost officein the city issued its ownpostage stamps;at first stamps of Franceoverprintedwith "Cavalle" and a value inpiasters,then in 1902 the French designs inscribed "CAVALLE".
Culture
- Kavala's medieval castle is located at a hill above the town. Additionally, the town's fortifications are still widely visible, especially in the coastal front.
- Cosmopolis International Festival, one of the biggest ethnic festivals in Greece.
Sports
Historical population
| Year | Town population | Municipality population |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 56,705 | - |
| 1991 | 56,571 | 60,187 |
| 2001 | 58,663 | 63,293 |
Notable Figures
- Muhammad Ali Pasha of Kavala,theAlbanianWali(governor) ofEgyptbetween 1805–1848 and founder of the modern state of Egypt.
- Theodore Kavalliotis
- George Georgiadis
- Georgi Dimitrov(1889 -?), Bulgarian politician
- Giorgos Heimonas(1938-), writer and translator
- Nikos Karageorgiou,(b. December 9, 1962) Manager of Greek football teamErgotelis,based in Heraklion, Crete.
- Anthi Karagianni,silver medalist in the Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games; the city's Municipal stadium is named after her.
- Vasilis Karas,aGreek singer
- Nikos Kourkoulis,Greek singer
- Sofoklis Schortsianitis(b. June 22, 1985), professionalbasketballplayer withOlympiakos and the Greek national team
- Aleksis Tsipras.Greek politician[3]
- Antigone Valakou,actress
- Despina Vandi,aGreeksinger
- Vassilis Vassilikos(b. November 18, 1934), aGreek writer
- Anna Verouli,1982 Gold Medalist, European Championship, javelin thrower)
- Nikos Vertis,Greek singer
- Zisis Vryzas(b. November 9, 1973), former footballer, currently president ofPAOK FC
- Theodoros Zagorakis(b. October 27, 1971), former footballer
- Anna Gerasimou,aGreektennis player
Subdivisions
Kavala is built amphitheatrically, with most residents enjoying superb views of the coast and sea. Some of the regions inside Kavala are:
| Agia Varvara | Agios Athanasios | Agios Ioannis | Agios Loukas | Chilia |
| Dexameni | Kalamitsa | Kentro | Neapolis | Panagia |
| Perigiali | Potamoudia | Profitis Ilias | Timios Stavros | Vyronas |
See also
References
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain:Smith, William,ed. (1854–1857).Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography.London: John Murray.{{cite encyclopedia}}:Missing or empty|title=(help)
- ^De Facto Population of Greece Population and Housing Census of March 18th, 2001(PDF 39 MB).National Statistical Service of Greece. 2003.
- ^Kiel, Machiel (1971). "Observations on the History of Northern Greece during the Turkish Rule: Historical and Architectural Description of the Turkish Monuments of Komotini and Serres, their place in the Development of Ottoman Turkish Architecture and their Present Condition".Balkan Studies.12:416.
- ^"Wikipedia"
External links
- Official website(in Greek and English)
- The official website of the prefecture of Kavala - online since 1996
