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Grevena (, ''Grevená'' ; ) is a town and
municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...
in
Western Macedonia Western Macedonia (, ) is one of the thirteen Regions of Greece, administrative regions of Greece, consisting of the western part of Macedonia (Greece), Macedonia. Located in north-western Greece, it is divided into the regional units of Greece ...
, northern
Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...
, capital of the
Grevena Grevena (, ''Grevená'' ; ) is a town and Communities and Municipalities of Greece, municipality in Western Macedonia, northern Greece, capital of the Grevena (regional unit), Grevena regional unit. The town's current population is 12,515 citizen ...
regional unit. The town's current population is 12,515 citizens (2021). It lies about from
Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...
and about from
Thessaloniki Thessaloniki (; ), also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, Salonika, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece (with slightly over one million inhabitants in its Thessaloniki metropolitan area, metropolitan area) and the capital cit ...
. The municipality's population is 25,905. Grevena has had access to the A2 motorway (Egnatia Odos) since the early 2000s, which now connects
Igoumenitsa Igoumenitsa () is a coastal city in northwestern Greece. It is the capital of the regional unit of Thesprotia. Igoumenitsa is the chief port of Thesprotia and Epirus, and one of the largest passenger ports of Greece, connecting northwestern Main ...
with
Thessaloniki Thessaloniki (; ), also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, Salonika, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece (with slightly over one million inhabitants in its Thessaloniki metropolitan area, metropolitan area) and the capital cit ...
and
Alexandroupoli Alexandroupolis (, ) or Alexandroupoli (, ) is a city in Greece and the capital of the Evros (regional unit), Evros regional unit. It is the largest city in Greek Thrace and the region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, with a population of 71,75 ...
at the border with
Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
. Mountains surround the municipality, which is situated by the river Greveniotikos, which itself flows into the Aliakmon. Other significant towns in the municipality are Amygdaliés and Méga Seiríni. Grevena Municipal Museum is located in the town.


History


Ottoman period

Under Ottoman rule, Grevena was a small administrative and military centre, the seat of a kaza belonging to the Sanjak of Serfiğe within the Vilayet of Manastir. According to the statistics of
Vasil Kanchov Vasil Kanchov (26 July 1862 – 6 February 1902) was a geographer, ethnographer and teacher who served as Minister of Education of Bulgaria. Early life and education Vasil Kanchov was born in Vratsa. Upon graduating from High school i ...
("Macedonia, Ethnography and Statistics"), 600
Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...
Christians A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the world. The words '' Christ'' and ''C ...
, 500 Turks, 200 Greek Muslims, 150
Aromanians The Aromanians () are an Ethnic groups in Europe, ethnic group native to the southern Balkans who speak Aromanian language, Aromanian, an Eastern Romance language. They traditionally live in central and southern Albania, south-western Bulgari ...
and 100 Romani lived in the town in 1900. Grevena was a mixed town and a part of its population were Greek-speaking Muslim
Vallahades The Vallahades () or Valaades () are a Greek-speaking Muslim population who lived along the river Haliacmon in southwest Greek Macedonia, in and around Anaselitsa (modern Neapoli) and Grevena. They numbered about 17,000 in the early 20th centur ...
. The 1920 Greek census recorded 3,108 people in Grevena, and 200 inhabitants (40 families) were Muslim in 1923. Following the Greek–Turkish population exchange, Greek refugee families in Grevena were from
East Thrace East Thrace or Eastern Thrace, also known as Turkish Thrace or European Turkey, is the part of Turkey that is geographically in Southeast Europe. Turkish Thrace accounts for 3.03% of Turkey's land area and 15% of its population. The largest c ...
(6),
Asia Minor Anatolia (), also known as Asia Minor, is a peninsula in West Asia that makes up the majority of the land area of Turkey. It is the westernmost protrusion of Asia and is geographically bounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the south, the Aegean ...
(33) and
Pontus Pontus or Pontos may refer to: * Short Latin name for the Pontus Euxinus, the Greek name for the Black Sea (aka the Euxine sea) * Pontus (mythology), a sea god in Greek mythology * Pontus (region), on the southern coast of the Black Sea, in modern ...
(16) in 1926. The 1928 Greek census recorded 3,747 town inhabitants. In 1928, the refugee families numbered 52 (194 people). Due to its small size, the town's Ottoman past, represented through a few public buildings and the homes of Muslims located in the urban centre, all disappeared during the 20th century. A mosque and a
madrasa Madrasa (, also , ; Arabic: مدرسة , ), sometimes Romanization of Arabic, romanized as madrasah or madrassa, is the Arabic word for any Educational institution, type of educational institution, secular or religious (of any religion), whet ...
remained in Grevena until the population exchange; later both were destroyed.. Another mosque existed in Grevena and was converted into a church in 1927; later it and its minaret were demolished, and the church of Agios Achillios built on the site.. Military barracks remained until World War Two, and were later destroyed. The large granite fortress residence ( konak) of Veli Bey was destroyed after the population exchange.


1995 earthquake

The earthquake that occurred in the region on 13 May 1995 was 6.6 on the
Richter magnitude scale The Richter scale (), also called the Richter magnitude scale, Richter's magnitude scale, and the Gutenberg–Richter scale, is a measure of the strength of earthquakes, developed by Charles Richter in collaboration with Beno Gutenberg, and pr ...
, but it caused only material damage. The worst hit area was the county of Ventzia. There were two foreshocks of lesser intensity that preceded the main earthquake by a few minutes and warned people. These warnings sent the population out of their houses. When the main earthquake came, it destroyed nearly all the houses in several villages of the Ventzia County – the houses collapsed to the ground – but all the inhabitants were outside. Another earthquake on 5 January 2005 measured 4.9 near Grevena. It took place at 20:00 local time (EET), and no damage was reported. Another earthquake with a measured intensity of 5.4 occurred on 17 July 2007 at 21:23 local time (EET) and was followed by weak aftershocks. Some older buildings were lightly damaged in villages northeast of Grevena.


Administrative division


Municipality

The municipality Grevena was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following 13 former municipalities, that became municipal units: * Agios Kosmas * Dotsiko * Filippaioi * Gorgiani *Grevena * Irakleotes * Mesolouri * Samarina * Smixi * Theodoros Ziakas * Ventzio


Municipal unit

The municipal unit of Grevena is divided into the following communities: *
Agioi Theodoroi Agioi Theodoroi () is a town and a former municipality in Corinthia, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform, it is part of the municipality Loutraki-Perachora-Agioi Theodoroi, of which it is a municipal unit. The municipal u ...
* Amygdalies * Elatos * Elefthero * Felli * Kalochi * Kyrakali * Megalo Seirini * Myrsina * Rodia * Megaro * Vatolakkos


Community

The community of Grevena consists of three separate settlements: * Doxaras (population 190 in 2021) *Grevena (population 12,293) * Kalamitsi (population 30)


Education

Two departments of the university of Western Macedonia based in the city, the departments of Statistics and Insurance Science and Business Administration.


Economy

In the area, there is large production of
mushrooms A mushroom or toadstool is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground on soil or another food source. ''Toadstool'' generally refers to a poisonous mushroom. The standard for the name "mushroom" is ...
, collected in the Valia Calda area. It is also the place of production of Anevato cheese.


Climate

Grevena has a mediterranean continental climate characterized by a great diurnal temperature variation. Winters are cold with frequent snowfalls, whereas summers are hot during the day and cool during the night.


Historical population


People

* Theodoros Ziakas, fighter in the Greek revolution * Konstantinos Dimidis, printer, gunsmith, fighter in the Greek revolution * Charissios Tziogas, fighter in the Greek revolution * Nicolaos Tsolakis, chieftain of the Greek Struggle for Macedonia * Nicolaos Zamkinos, leader of the Greek Struggle for Macedonia * Georgios Boussios, fighter of the Greek Struggle for Macedonia, politician, minister of the Interior (Greece) * Kostas Koutsomytis, director * Kostas Papanikolaou, former NBA player * Miltiadis Tentoglou, Olympic and European champion long jumper * Eva Chantava, volleyball player


References


External links


Official website

Dasilio Grevenon


{{Authority control Populated places in Grevena (regional unit) Municipalities of Western Macedonia Aromanian settlements in Greece Former Vallahades settlements