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ΚIFISSIA history | art | greenery |culture|culture | gastronomy | modern malls MUNICIPALITY OF KIFISSIA NEW EDITION 2018 MUNICIPALITY OF KIFISSIA GEOGRAPHICAL POSITION: Kifissia is situated at a 15 km d istance northwest of A thens at the foothills of M ou nt P enteli. YEAR OF ESTABLISHMENT: In 1925, Kifissia becomes a commu nity and in 1942, it is recognized as a mu nicipality. AREA: 34. 03 squ are km POPULATION: 7 1. 000 ACCESS: The c ity is at a 29 km d istance from “EL . VENIZELOS” airport, it can be reached by car throu gh A ki Od os motorway and it's connected to the su bu rban railway. It's at a d istance of 15 km from Syntagma squ are and 27 km from the port of P iraeu s. One can easily acc ess the c enter of the c ity and other su bu rbs of A thens, by train, bu s and taxi. USEFUL NUMBERS M u nicipality of Kifissia: Dionysou & M yrsinis – 213 2007 100 Kifissia P olice Department: Othonos 93 – 210 8 012544 Fire Department: 199 A mbu lances: 166 ELECTRONIC ADDRESS: www. kifissia. gr CONTENTS A Brief History of Kifissia .......................................................... ... p. 5 Kazou lis M ansion .............................................................................. p. 10 Museums – Galleries – Study Centers .............................. ... p. 1 1 Small Churches in Kifissia .......................................................... .. p. 21 Kifissia Cemetery ............. .............................................................. ... p. 24 «Dimitris Zomopoulos» Kifissia Grove ................................. p. 25 Municipality of Kifissia Philharmonic Orchestra............ p. 28 Walking routes ................................................................................. ... p. 29 Syngrou Forested Land .................................................................. p. 31 24 hours in Kifissia ........................................................................... p. 33 Kifissia - a heaven for all seasons .......................................... p. 36 A walk in Nea Erythraia ............................................................... .. p. 39 The roman Tombs in Kifissia .................................................... .. p. 41 Ownership- Publisher: M u nicipality of Kifissia | Photographic archives: M . Tz. - P. R. - E. V. - elia.org.gr Repu blicaon is prohibited withou t wrien consent of the owner WELCOME TO KIFISSIA Ou r three c ies, Kifissia with its history, Nea Erythraia with its A sia M inor origins and Ekali with its gardens, form a joint M u nicipality with rich Environment, Tradion and H istory. The d evelopment of a M u nicipality is d irectly connected to c u lture and tou rism. In add ion to its beau ty and natural environment, Kifissia can also be d eemed as a notable C u ltural Desnaon, since it has mu seu ms, venu es that celebrate art, art galleries, etc. Its listed bu ildings along with the old manors with their special architecture and aesthec qu ality, are an integral part of the identy of Kifissia, and , together with the green areas and the beau fu l environment, they offer u niqu e opportunies for recreaon. Great personalies from the areas of ed u caon, art and entrepreneu rship, as well as top polical figures, P rime ministers and P residents of Greece, have, and sll live here. Nea Erythraia was fou nd ed by Greek refu gees from the area of Erythraia, a peninsu la in A sia M inor, who fou nd sanctuary in Kifissia aer the A sia M inor C atastrophe in 1922. M od ern Nea Erythraia, with a plethora of c u ltural and social ac vies, is always an u nd immed beacon of the A sia M inor Greek Diaspora and its disnct tradion. B oth ou r c ies, Kifissia, as well as Nea Erythraia, are an ideal d esnaon for recreaon, strolls, shopping, c offee, internaonal and loc al c u isines. They offer a remarkable experience that combines relaxaon with a sense of afflu ence, since visitors will find malls, large and small stores with all the brand names of the Greek market, as well as luxu riou s cafés and restau rants for a pleasant break aer a stroll. Kifissia also has an excellent transport network, with two ISA P (Athens–Piraeu s Electric Railways) staons: “KIFISSIA” and “KA T”, as well as a plethora of OA SA (Athens M ass Transit System) lines, in order to offer visitors and residents easy acc ess to the other su bu rbs in A ca. Ou r goal is to connect Tou rism and C u lture with ou r city. A d ifferent Tou rist Gu ide, which will help visitors, offering them u sefu l informaon, so that they c an get to know the opportunies ou r M u nicipality offers for a walk or a stay to remember. W e are waing for you ! GIORGOS T. THOMAKOS MAYOR 3 Othonos Street, 1930 A BRIEF HISTORY OF KIFISSIA Kifissia, a c ity with a long history of The insc ripons fou nd at the A ncient A gora c enturies. One of the most ancient c ies in (market) of A thens, prove that, apart from Eu rope, which has been c onnu ou sly parc ipang in the highest offices of the inhabited and bearing the same name for A thenian state, they also showed great m ore than 2 , 50 0 years. A s its name interest in literature and arts. su ggests, it is closely connected to a c river Kifisos (Cephissu s). Two writers refer to the c ity's d istant past. Philochorus (3rd century BC), who menons it as one of the twelve c ies Theseus and Strabo (1st century BC - 1st century AD) consolidated, who writes that it was fou nd ed by mythical A thenian king, Cecrops I (Str. IX, 397 ). Melas Square, 1948 Kifissia, as an A thenian Demos, was part of The most well-known c izen of Kifissia by the Erechtheis phyle (tribe). the end of the 4th c entury B C , was Thanks to the waters and the ferle land s, Menander, son of Diopeithes (342/1 -293/2 Kifissians, as A thenian cizens, enjoyed high BC), the best-known representave of ec onomic and soc ial living stand ards, as A thenian New C omed y of single c haracters, find ings of rich tombs that were brou ght to “types” with their c ity life adventures, their love issu es, their sc hemes and recognions. light du ring excavaons in 2001, su ggest. W ith “New Athenian Comedy”, Menander became a mod el for L an comed y writers, throu gh whom he influ enced New Eu ropean C omed y and le his mark on internaonal theater. «Vourou» Mansion, 1895 «PALAS» Hotel, 1936 5 We also have informaon about Kifissia in the 17th century from Englishman G. Wheler and Frenchmen J. Spon, J. Giraud, S. Fourmont. A century later, European explorers J. Stuart and N. Reve, travelled to Greece (1751- 1754) and together they wrote the monumental work «The Anquies of Athens», where Kifissia is menoned as «the best village in Aca», with a great Κefalari, 1888 producon of oil, grain and wine. The revelaon of roman baths with hypo- causts, on Tatoiou street, near «Panagia Xydou», reinforces the belief that it is a part of the majesc mansion of Herodes. Herodes Acus (101/2 – 177/8 AD), an extremely educated man, taught rhetoric and is considered the most notable propo- nent of the Second Sophisc, which chara- cterizes the renaissance of Greek leers (2nd century AD). Athenian aristocrats and sophists, delighted «APERGI» Hotel themselves with fine wine and tasty treats in the ideal environment of Kifissia. The Du ring O oman years, famou s Danish descripons made by Lan Aulus Gellius in novelist Hans Chrisan Andersen, «Ac Nights» (Noctae Akae) about the fasc inated by Kifissia's natural environment, writes in his «Travelogue» (1841): gardens of the mansion (villa cui nomen est Cephisia) give the same idea. Turkish explorer Evliya Çelebi, menons in his «Seyahatname» (Book of Travel) in the 17th century AD: «Kifissia is a picturesque village, in a rich flatland, with a hundred heavenly houses with red roof les, a lot of public buildings, a big mosque with a minaret, a madrasa (religious school), a Turkish bath (hammam), a great inn (Menzil), and 10 shops». «Pyrna» Mansion 6 «…In the village, one can find the remains In 1900, Kifissia had 1, 539 inhabitants, a of a Turkish mosque. The only thing telephone center, a post office, and abou t 12 remaining from the minaret were the tennis cou rts on the beau fu l gardens of its foundaons, but in front of it stood the mansions and hotels. most beauful plane tree I have seen in my life. In 1925, its popu laon reaches 7 , 000 and it Its heavy sinuous branches formed a is now a self-governed C ommu nity. foliage so thick, it shaded almost the whole square». Newly-fou nd ed cou ntryside selements of Nea Kifissia and Ekali, the refu gee se- Its railway connecon to A thens in 18 8 5 (with s teamed locom ove «Thirio», lement of N ea Erythraia and Dionisos «B east»), marks Kifissia's thriving period . pertained to its administrave bou nd aries. «Since Kifissia was rendered approachable through the railway and featured On Janu ary the 29th of 1943, the C ommu - European hotels, it can be considered as the nity of Kifissia was recognized as a M u ni- most appropriate place to meet the c ipality. capital's inhabitants' desire for the countryside» (Emmanouil Roidis). Platanos Square, 1920 Kifissia railway staon with «Thirio» Photograph of Pavlos Melas (1890s) Kifissias Grove, 1901 Nea Erythraia was fou nd ed by Greek Ekali was created in 1924. It was d esigned as refu gees from A sia M inor aer the A sia a stand ard rural selement by civil engineer M inor C atastrohpe in 1922, who fou nd ed Spilios Th.