Polygyros (

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 ...

: Πολύγυρος) 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 Central Macedonia, Greece. It is the capital of

Chalkidiki Chalkidiki (; , alternatively Halkidiki), also known as Chalcidice, is a peninsula and regional unit of Greece, part of the region of Central Macedonia, in the geographic region of Macedonia in Northern Greece. The autonomous Mount Athos reg ...

Geography

Polygyros town (pop. 7,779 at the 2021 census) is built in the shape of an amphitheatre on a plateau on the south west side of the mountain

Cholomontas Cholomon or Cholomondas (, sometimes transliterated as ''Holomontas'') is a mountain in Central Macedonia, Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsu ...

. It is south of Greek National Road 16 (Thessaloniki - Arnaia). Polygyros is located SE of

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 ...

, NE of

Nea Moudania Nea Moudania (, ''Néa Moudaniá''; often referred to as Moudania (Μουδανιά, ''Moudaniá''), the name of the municipal unit to which the town belongs, is the seat of the municipality of Nea Propontida, Chalkidiki, Greece. The town is 60&n ...

, NW of

Sithonia Sithonia (), also known as Longos, is a peninsula and part of the larger peninsula of Chalkidiki in Greece. The Kassandra, Chalkidiki, Kassandra Peninsula lies to the west of Sithonia and the Mount Athos peninsula to the east. Sithonia is also the ...

and SW of Arnaia. The municipal unit (the municipality before 2011) has a population of 11,386 inhabitants (2021) and a land area of 470.933 km². Other large communities in the municipal unit are Ólynthos (pop. 1,053), Taxiárchis (742), and Vrástama (944).

Climate

Polygyros has a

hot-summer Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate ( ), also called a dry summer climate, described by Köppen and Trewartha as ''Cs'', is a temperate climate type that occurs in the lower mid-latitudes (normally 30 to 44 north and south latitude). Such climates typic ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

: ''Csa''), closely bordering on a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

(

: ''Cfa'') with relatively cold winters and relatively hot summers due to its elevation.

Name

There are different speculations about the origin of Polygyros' name. Some claim that it comes from the combination of ''poly'' (much) and ''geros'' (strong), because of the healthy climate. Others believe that the words ''poly'' and (sacred) have given the present name, because of an ancient temple in the area. Also an old landowner, named ''Polyaros'', offers a possible etymology. A further potential source could be from ''poly'' and ''

gyros Gyros, sometimes anglicized as a gyro (; , ), is meat cooked on a vertical rotisserie, then sliced and served wrapped or stuffed in pita bread, along with other ingredients such as tomato, onion, fried potatoes, and tzatziki. In Greece, it is ...

'', referring to the residents' dietary habits. According to another possible etymology, the name derives from ''poly'' and ''gyros'' (round), possible due to the town's amphitheatric position.

Municipality

The municipality Polygyros was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following 4 former municipalities, that became municipal units: *

Anthemountas Anthemountas () is a former municipality in Chalkidiki, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it has been part of the municipality of Polygyros Polygyros (Greek languages, Greek: Πολύγυρος) is a town and Communities and Municip ...

Ormylia Ormylia () is a town and a former municipality in Chalkidiki, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Polygyros Polygyros (Greek languages, Greek: Πολύγυρος) is a town and Communities and Municipalit ...

*Polygyros *

Zervochoria Zervochoria () is a former municipality in Chalkidiki, 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 northwe ...

The municipality has an area of 947.417 km², the municipal unit 470.933 km². The municipality includes the villages of Vrastama, Taxiarchis,

, Olynthos,

Gerakini Gerakini or Yerakini ( , ) is a village on the Chalkidiki peninsula in Central Macedonia, Northern Greece. It was an official settlement within the municipality of Polygyros until it was abolished in 2001. It has been the port of nearby Polygyr ...

and Kalives.

History

Belfry of Saint Nicholas Church in Polygyros

Antiquity

Some situate in the broader area of modern Polygyros the ancient city of Apollonia. Apollonia was one of the 32 cities, which, under the leadership of the

Olynthus Olynthus ( ''Olynthos'') is an ancient city in present-day Chalcidice, Greece. It was built mostly on two flat-topped hills 30–40m in height, in a fertile plain at the head of the Gulf of Torone, near the neck of the peninsula of Pallene, Cha ...

, constituted the ''Koinon ton Chalkideon'' (

Chalkidian League The Chalcidian League (, ''Koinon tōn Chalkideōn'', "League of the Chalcidians"), also referred to as the Olynthians or the Chalcidians in Thrace (, ''Chalkideis epi Thrakēs'') to distinguish them from the Chalcidians in Euboea, was a federa ...

). The ''Koinon'' was destroyed in 379 BCE by the

Sparta Sparta was a prominent city-state in Laconia in ancient Greece. In antiquity, the city-state was known as Lacedaemon (), while the name Sparta referred to its main settlement in the Evrotas Valley, valley of Evrotas (river), Evrotas rive ...

ns, while in 348 BCE Philipp II of Macedon annexed the whole Chalcidice into the

Macedonian Kingdom Macedonia ( ; , ), also called Macedon ( ), was an Classical antiquity, ancient monarchy, kingdom on the periphery of Archaic Greece, Archaic and Classical Greece, which later became the dominant state of Hellenistic Greece. The History of ...

. In 168 BCE Chalcidice was subjected by the

Romans Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

.
D. C. Samsaris, Romans and Chalcidice (in Greek), Μακεδονικά 25 (1985-86) 33-46 = Πρώτο Πανελλήνιο Συμπόσιο "Ιστορία και Αρχαιολογία της Χαλκιδικής", Πολύγυρος, 7-9 Δεκεμβρίου 1984, σ. 113

Byzantine and Ottoman Era

The town of Polygyros is first mentioned in a medieval imperial document, ''chryssovoulon'' (with golden stamp), of

Eastern Roman Emperor The foundation of Constantinople in 330 AD marks the conventional start of the Eastern Roman Empire, which fell to the Ottoman Empire in 1453 AD. Only the emperors who were recognized as legitimate rulers and exercised sovereign authority are ...

Nikephoros III Botaneiates Nikephoros III Botaneiates (; 1002–1081), Romanization of Greek, Latinized as Nicephorus III Botaniates, was Byzantine Empire, Byzantine List of Byzantine Emperors, Emperor from 7 January 1078 to 1 April 1081. He became a general du ...

about 1080 CE. In 1430, as the rest of the Eastern Roman Empire, Polygyros was conquered by the

Ottomans Ottoman may refer to: * Osman I, historically known in English as "Ottoman I", founder of the Ottoman Empire * Osman II, historically known in English as "Ottoman II" * Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empir ...

and belonged to the

Sanjak A sanjak or sancak (, , "flag, banner") was an administrative division of the Ottoman Empire. The Ottomans also sometimes called the sanjak a liva (, ) from the name's calque in Arabic and Persian. Banners were a common organization of nomad ...

. On 17 May 1821 the people of Polygyros rose against the Ottoman authority and managed, temporarily, to expel the Ottoman guard. Polygyros, such as other villages of the peninsula, were burned by the Ottomans. Many residents of Polygyros also took part in the 1854's unsuccessful revolutionary movement against the

Modern Era

Finally, on November 2, 1912 the

Greek army The Hellenic Army (, sometimes abbreviated as ΕΣ), formed in 1828, is the land force of Greece. The term '' Hellenic'' is the endogenous synonym for ''Greek''. The Hellenic Army is the largest of the three branches of the Hellenic Armed F ...

, as one of the victors of the

First Balkan War The First Balkan War lasted from October 1912 to May 1913 and involved actions of the Balkan League (the Kingdoms of Kingdom of Bulgaria, Bulgaria, Kingdom of Serbia, Serbia, Kingdom of Greece, Greece and Kingdom of Montenegro, Montenegro) agai ...

, entered Polygyros and incorporated the town in the Greek State.

Culture

Polygyros is famous for its

carnival Carnival (known as Shrovetide in certain localities) is a festive season that occurs at the close of the Christian pre-Lenten period, consisting of Quinquagesima or Shrove Sunday, Shrove Monday, and Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras. Carnival typi ...

celebrations, which attracts visitors from all over

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 ...

. A nearby location called Panagia (Virgin Mary) is the setting of a famous religious celebration on August 15. Also, cultural societies are active in the fields of folk music and dance. Classic and modern music is cultivated in the municipal conservatory. There is a

Folklore Museum A folk museum is a museum that deals with folk culture and heritage. Such museums cover local life in rural communities. A folk museum typically displays historical objects that were used as part of the people's everyday lives. Examples of such ...

in the town, opened in 1998.

Sports

''Niki'' (victory) is the name of Polygyros' football club, which participates in the Greek National Fourth Division Professional League. ''AOP'' (Athletic Club of Polygyros) is the local

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

team, participant in the Third National Basketball Division.

Landmarks

The Archaeological Museum of Polygyros has exhibits containing findings from all over Chalkidiki and referring to

Paleolithic The Paleolithic or Palaeolithic ( years ago) ( ), also called the Old Stone Age (), is a period in human prehistory that is distinguished by the original development of stone tools, and which represents almost the entire period of human prehist ...

and

Neolithic The Neolithic or New Stone Age (from Ancient Greek, Greek 'new' and 'stone') is an archaeological period, the final division of the Stone Age in Mesopotamia, Asia, Europe and Africa (c. 10,000 BCE to c. 2,000 BCE). It saw the Neolithic Revo ...

age,

geometric Geometry (; ) is a branch of mathematics concerned with properties of space such as the distance, shape, size, and relative position of figures. Geometry is, along with arithmetic, one of the oldest branches of mathematics. A mathematician w ...

, archaic,

classic A classic is an outstanding example of a particular style; something of Masterpiece, lasting worth or with a timeless quality; of the first or Literary merit, highest quality, class, or rank – something that Exemplification, exemplifies its ...

hellenistic In classical antiquity, the Hellenistic period covers the time in Greek history after Classical Greece, between the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC and the death of Cleopatra VII in 30 BC, which was followed by the ascendancy of the R ...

and

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

period. * Archaeological Museum of Polygyros

Historical population

People

Margaritis Schinas Margaritis Schinas (Greek: Μαργαρίτης Σχοινάς ; born 28 July 1962) is a Greek politician and former civil servant. He served as vice-president in the Von der Leyen Commission with the portfolio of European Commissioner for Promot ...

, politician. * Christos Zabounis, editor. * Fonis Zoglopitis (1930–2015), painter.

References

External links

Official website

Official website of the Prefecture of Chalkidiki
{{Authority control Municipalities of Central Macedonia Populated places in Chalkidiki Greek prefectural capitals