Pylaia
Pylaia (Greek: Πυλαία) is a former municipality in the Thessaloniki Prefecture of Greece. In the 2011 local government reform, Thessaloniki Prefecture became the regional unit of Thessaloniki (without boundary changes), and Pylaia became a part of the new municipality of Pylaia-Chortiatis. Pylaia continues under its old boundaries as a municipal unit within Pylaia-Chortiatis.[2]
Pylaia Πυλαία | |
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St Elias of Pylaia | |
Flag | |
Pylaia Location within the regional unit | |
Coordinates: 40°36′N 22°59′E | |
Country | Greece |
Administrative region | Central Macedonia |
Regional unit | Thessaloniki |
Municipality | Pylaia-Chortiatis |
Government | |
• Mayor | Ignatios Kaitetzidis |
• Municipal unit | 24.379 km2 (9.413 sq mi) |
Population (2011)[1] | |
• Municipal unit | 34,625 |
• Municipal unit density | 1,400/km2 (3,700/sq mi) |
Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
Pylaia covers 24.379 km2[3] with 4.5 km of coastline extending along the shores of the Thermaic Gulf and had a population of 34,625 at the 2011 census. Pylaia is relatively sparsely populated for a municipal unit within the Thessaloniki Urban Area.
History
The first reference to Pylaia is found in the historian Thucydides, in 319 BC, under the name Strepsa. It was later known as Kapoutzida, from the Turkish word kapıcı ("gatekeeper"), deriving from the guards watching over the city walls of Byzantine Thessaloniki. The current name came into general use in 1927, and is derived from the word Pyle (πύλη), meaning gateway and referring to the Eastern Entrance of the city.
Sports clubs
- Ethnikos Pylaias, football, volleyball, founded 1950
Notable residents
- Paschalis Terzis, singer
- Dimitris Kontolazos, singer
Communities
External links
- Official website (in Greek)
References
- "Απογραφή Πληθυσμού - Κατοικιών 2011. ΜΟΝΙΜΟΣ Πληθυσμός" (in Greek). Hellenic Statistical Authority.
- Kallikratis law Greece Ministry of Interior (in Greek)
- "Population & housing census 2001 (incl. area and average elevation)" (PDF) (in Greek). National Statistical Service of Greece.