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Xanthi ( el, Ξάνθη, ''Xánthi'', ) is a city in the region of
Western Thrace Western Thrace or West Thrace ( el, �υτικήΘράκη, '' ytikíThráki'' ; tr, Batı Trakya; bg, Западна/Беломорска Тракия, ''Zapadna/Belomorska Trakiya''), also known as Greek Thrace, is a Geography, geograp ...
, northeastern Greece. It is the capital of the Xanthi regional unit of the region of East Macedonia and Thrace. Amphitheatrically built on the foot of Rhodope mountain chain, the city is divided by the Kosynthos River, into the west part, where the old and the modern town are located, and the east part that boasts a rich natural environment. The "Old Town of Xanthi" is known throughout Greece for its distinctive architecture, combining many
Byzantine Greek Medieval Greek (also known as Middle Greek, Byzantine Greek, or Romaic) is the stage of the Greek language between the end of classical antiquity in the 5th–6th centuries and the end of the Middle Ages, conventionally dated to the Ottoman co ...
churches with neoclassical mansions of Greek merchants from the 18th and 19th centuries and Ottoman-Era mosques. Other landmarks in Xanthi include the Archaeological Museum of Abdera and the Greek Folk Art Museum. Xanthi is famous throughout Greece (especially
Macedonia Macedonia most commonly refers to: * North Macedonia, a country in southeastern Europe, known until 2019 as the Republic of Macedonia * Macedonia (ancient kingdom), a kingdom in Greek antiquity * Macedonia (Greece), a traditional geographic reg ...
and Thrace) for its annual spring
carnival Carnival is a Catholic Christian festive season that occurs before the liturgical season of Lent. The main events typically occur during February or early March, during the period historically known as Shrovetide (or Pre-Lent). Carnival typi ...
( Greek: καρναβάλι) which has a significant role in the city's economy. Over 40 cultural associations from around Greece participate in the carnival program. The festivities which take place during the period include concerts, theatre plays, music and dance nights, exhibitions, a cycling event, games on the streets, and re-enactments of old customs.


Name

There are two theories regarding the origin of its name: it was either named after a daughter of
Oceanus In Greek mythology, Oceanus (; grc-gre, , Ancient Greek pronunciation: , also Ὠγενός , Ὤγενος , or Ὠγήν ) was a Titan son of Uranus and Gaia, the husband of his sister the Titan Tethys, and the father of the river gods a ...
and Tethys, or after Xanthi, one of the
Amazons In Greek mythology, the Amazons (Ancient Greek: Ἀμαζόνες ''Amazónes'', singular Ἀμαζών ''Amazōn'', via Latin ''Amāzon, -ŏnis'') are portrayed in a number of ancient epic poems and legends, such as the Labours of Hercules, ...
that ruled the region, according to legend. Xanthi is known as ''"İskeçe"'' in
Turkish Turkish may refer to: *a Turkic language spoken by the Turks * of or about Turkey ** Turkish language *** Turkish alphabet ** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation *** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey *** Turkish communities and mi ...
and ''"Скеча"'' (Skecha) or ''"Ксанти"'' (Ksanti) in Bulgarian.


History

Xanthi is sometimes identified with the ancient city of ''Xantheia'' mentioned in the 1st century BC by the geographer
Strabo Strabo''Strabo'' (meaning "squinty", as in strabismus) was a term employed by the Romans for anyone whose eyes were distorted or deformed. The father of Pompey was called "Pompeius Strabo". A native of Sicily so clear-sighted that he could see ...
, but it was not mentioned by any other ancient historian. It began as a small village and experienced all the tumultuous periods of the history of Thrace, such as raids, disasters, ethnic conflicts, civil wars. The population of the region of Xanthi had dwindled down to almost nothing, as the region was depopulated in the 3rd century AD and almost everything had been destroyed when the Ottomans conquered the region in 1361. For this reason, the
Ottomans The Ottoman Turks ( tr, Osmanlı Türkleri), were the Turkic founding and sociopolitically the most dominant ethnic group of the Ottoman Empire ( 1299/1302–1922). Reliable information about the early history of Ottoman Turks remains scarce, ...
brought settlers from within of Asia Minor, which is how Genisea (Γενισέα) was created, while Oraio (Ωραίο) and Xanthi remained mainly Greek and Christian centres.


Middle Ages

Known references to Xanthi (), or Xanthia (), the city's origins are obscure; it was a prosperous stronghold of the Byzantine era but latter became a colony of the Ottomans known as ''Eskije''. Xanthi is first recorded in 879 (Bishop Georgios of Xantheia is reported as taking part in the Fourth Council of ConstantinopleAbout Xanthi
). From the 13th to the 14th century it was the most important city of the region. Three monasteries date from the Middle Ages: Pammegiston, Taxiarchon, and Panagia Archangeliotisa, although written records indicate several others now lost.History of Xanthi
.
Xanthi featured in the campaign of
Andronikos II Palaiologos , image = Andronikos II Palaiologos2.jpg , caption = Miniature from the manuscript of George Pachymeres' ''Historia'' , succession = Byzantine emperor , reign = 11 December 1282 –24 May 1328 , coronation = 8 Novembe ...
in 1327.


Early modern

By 1715, Xanthi, as well as Genisea, became renowned for its tobacco quality. Many foreign sightseers traveled throughout the region and described both the life and struggles of the locals. The tobacco trade throughout Europe led Xanthi into a course of prosperity.
George Demetriou George may refer to: People * George (given name) * George (surname) * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Washington, First President of the United States * George W. Bush, 43rd Presiden ...
was active in the Xanthi area during the Greek Revolution of 1821. In March and April 1829 two earthquakes leveled the city, however, they played a decisive role in the further developments as the city's rebuilding immediately got underway. In 1870, the city of Genisea was burned down and thus all of the agencies and services were transferred to Xanthi which, at that time, had a population of about 10,000 inhabitants. In 1891, a rail line was established near the city, while further economic development led to the founding of schools and associations. During the late period of Ottoman rule until 1912, the city was administratively located in the
Sanjak of Gümülcine The Sanjak of Gümülcine ( Ottoman Turkish: ''Sancak-i Gümülcine'', el, Υποδιοίκησις Γκιουμουλτζίνας, bg, Гюмюрджински санджак) was a second-level province (''sanjak'') of the Ottoman Empire in Thr ...
within the Adrianople Vilayet.


Balkan Wars

During the First Balkan War, Xanthi was captured by the Bulgarian army from the Ottomans in 8 November 1912. In the Second Balkan War the Greek army captured it in July 1913. However, with the Treaty of Bucharest, Xanthi along with
Western Thrace Western Thrace or West Thrace ( el, �υτικήΘράκη, '' ytikíThráki'' ; tr, Batı Trakya; bg, Западна/Беломорска Тракия, ''Zapadna/Belomorska Trakiya''), also known as Greek Thrace, is a Geography, geograp ...
were ceded to Bulgaria (where it was also called ''Skecha''), and remained a part of the latter until the end of World War I. Following the Bulgarian defeat in this war, Western Thrace came under
Allied An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...
administration and on 4 October 1919 the Greek army under
Georgios Leonardopoulos Georgios Leonardopoulos (; 1867–1936) was a Greece, Greek army major general who fought in the Greco-Turkish War of 1897, the Balkan Wars, World War I, and the Greco-Turkish War of 1919–1922, and leader of a failed coup attempt in 1923. Life H ...
command entered the city. That date is today celebrated in Xanthi as the anniversary of its liberation. Second lieutenant
Gavriel Ladas Gabriel is a messenger angel or an archangel in the Abrahamic religions. Gabriel may also refer to: People * Gabriel (given name), a given name * Gabriel (surname) * Saint Gabriel (disambiguation) * Gabriel, pen name of the Scottish cartooni ...
, who was from Xanthi, led the first Greek troops in the city. Ladas became the mayor of Xanthi from 1959 to 1964.


World War II

On 8 April 1941 the 164th Infantry Division captured Xanthi following the German invasion of Greece and the Germans passed the city to Bulgaria, who occupied the whole region east of
Strymonas Strymonas ( el, Στρυμώνας) is a former municipality in the Serres regional unit, Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the B ...
, except a small German zone near the border with Turkey. The city became the administrative center of the Bulgarian province of
Belomorie Belomorie ( bg, Беломорие, meaning Aegean Sea coastal lands), is the Bulgarian name for roughly the area of today's Greek province of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, including the eastern part of Central Macedonia. The name comes from the S ...
and served as headquarters for the
Bulgarian Second Army The Bulgarian Second Army was a Bulgarian field army during the Balkan Wars, World War I, and World War II. History After 1907, during times of peace, the territory of Bulgaria was divided in three army inspectorates, each one comprising th ...
. During the Bulgarian occupation, more than 2,000 men from Xanthi, both Christians and Muslims were sent for forced labor in Bulgaria. On 4 March 1943 the Jews of Xanthi were arrested by the Bulgarians and imprisoned in a tobacco warehouse. On 18 and 19 March, they were deported to Nazi concentration camps in Poland. From a community of 550 people, only six Jews survived the Holocaust. The synagogue of Xanthi built in 1926 at the corner of Hatzistavrou and Anatolikis Thrakis streets, was used by Christian Associations and later abandoned. It was sold and demolished in 1995. The city was liberated following the
9 September coup d'etat 9 (nine) is the natural number following and preceding . Evolution of the Arabic digit In the beginning, various Indians wrote a digit 9 similar in shape to the modern closing question mark without the bottom dot. The Kshatrapa, Andhra and ...
in Bulgaria when partisans of the Greek People's Liberation Army entered the city and took over control without a fight. However, the Bulgarian army remained in the region until the end of October 1944 and it withdrew under pressure from the Allies.


Today

Nowadays Xanthi is a modern city, rich in history, traditions and customs, and with many attractions for the visitors (including the surrounding areas). Xanthi is known as ''the city of a thousand colours'', and like Komotini (Gümülcine) and Didymoteicho (Dimetoka) has a large population of Turkish-speaking Muslims. The Muslim population of East Macedonia and Thrace dates to the Ottoman period, and unlike the Turkish Muslims and Greek Muslims of Greek Macedonia and Crete was exempted from the 1922–23 Greek-Turkish population exchange following the
Treaty of Lausanne The Treaty of Lausanne (french: Traité de Lausanne) was a peace treaty negotiated during the Lausanne Conference of 1922–23 and signed in the Palais de Rumine, Lausanne, Switzerland, on 24 July 1923. The treaty officially settled the conflic ...
. In 1972 the Greek authorities planned to demolish the landmark of the city, the clock tower, built by Pomak Hadji Emin Aga in 1870. This decision resulted in protests by the local Muslims and the plans were cancelled.


Transport


Road Transport

A few kilometers outside Xanthi, the Egnatia Motorway crosses Xanthi with
Macedonia Macedonia most commonly refers to: * North Macedonia, a country in southeastern Europe, known until 2019 as the Republic of Macedonia * Macedonia (ancient kingdom), a kingdom in Greek antiquity * Macedonia (Greece), a traditional geographic reg ...
, Epirus and the rest of Thrace. The Xanthi Bus Station runs daily services to several cities throughout Greece. Xanthi is 206 km from Thessaloniki, 704 km from Athens, 397 km from Istanbul and 236 km from Edirne. On January 15, 2010, the Agios Konstantinos border crossing point between Greece and Bulgaria was inaugurated, 51 km from Xanthi, linking the nearby village of Thermi with the town of Zlatograd. Under construction is the vertical cross-border axis of Egnatia Road, which will connect Xanthi with the Bulgarian town of Rudozem.


Rail Transport

Outside Xanthi is the Xanthi railway station on the Thessaloniki-Alexandroupoli line, with daily services to Thessaloniki and Alexandroupolis.


Air Transport

Xanthi does not have an airport. It is mainly served by
Kavala Airport Kavala International Airport "Alexander the Great" (Greek: Κρατικός Αερολιμένας Καβάλας «Μέγας Αλέξανδρος», ''Kratikós Aeroliménas Kaválas "Mégas Aléxandros"'') is an airport located in the munic ...
, 42 km away, and secondarily by Alexandroupolis Airport, 112 km away.


Municipality

The municipality Xanthi was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following 2 former municipalities, that became municipal units: * Stavroupoli *Xanthi The municipality has an area of 495.118 km2, the municipal unit 153.116 km2.


Communities

The municipal unit Xanthi is subdivided into the communities Evmoiro, Kimmeria and Xanthi. These communities contain the following settlements: *
Evmoiro Evmoiro ( el, Εύμοιρο) is a community in the municipality of Xanthi, northern Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, ...
**Kallithea **Lamprino **Lefki **Nea Morsini **Palaia Morsini **Petrochori *
Kimmeria Kimmeria ( el, Κιμμέρια, previously known as Kiougioukki, tr, Koyunköy) is a community in the municipality Xanthi in the Xanthi regional unit of Greece. It is located 740 kilometers from Athens, 233 kilometers from Thessalonica, and 5 k ...
**Gialisteri **Livadi **Pelekito **the abandoned villages Alikochori, Anthiro, Askyra, Eranos, Ketiki, Porta, Prioni and Ydrochori *Xanthi


Economy

Traditionally, the tobacco business, commerce, and farming have been the primary occupation of the residents of the area. During the last decades, tourism has also increased, especially during the period of the "festivals of the old town".


Population


Education

* Democritus University of Thrace School of Engineering *Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering *Department of Civil Engineering *Department of Environmental Engineering *Department of Architectural Engineering *Department of Production Management Engineering


Cultural events


Carnival and old town's festivals

The city has a rich history, tradition, and customs and it is the cultural center in the area. It is also considered a multi-cultural city and it has been characterized as "the city of the thousand colours". Xanthi's Carnival is very popular (every February) and is one of the most popular in Greece, while the "old town festival" (early September) is equally famous. Furthermore, the bazaar of Xanthi is famous and takes place at Emboriou Square every Saturday. In addition, the Manos Hatzidakis' festival attracts worldwide interest.


Museums

*Folklore and Historical Museum of Xanthi *Εcclesiastical Museum Metropolis of Xanthi *Municipal Gallery of Xanthi *Museum of Natural History *Foundation of Thracian Art and Tradition *Museum of the History of the Greek Costume *Tobacco Museum *Manos Hadjidakis House


Sports

* Xanthi FC, plays in the
Super League Greece 2 The Super League Greece 2 ( el, Ελληνική Σούπερ Λίγκα 2) is the 28 team two-group second division of professional football in Greece, being a feeder-league to the top-level Super League usually played from September to May. His ...
*
Xanthi BC Xanthi B.C. ( el, Αθλητικός Σύλλογος Ξάνθη) was a Greek professional basketball club that is located in Western Thrace, Xanthi, Greece. Xanthi competed in the Greek 2nd Division. History Xanthi competed in the 2nd-tier le ...
, played in the Greek A2 League * Aspida Xanthi, football (one appearance in the First League) and basketball * Orfeas Xanthi FC, football *Orion Xanthi, basketball


Famous people from Xanthi

* Manos Hadjidakis (1925–1994): Major Greek composer. Winner of the Academy Award for Best Original Song for his song Never on Sunday from the film of the same name. * Şerif Gören: Turkish film director. Winner of 1982 Palme d'Or in Cannes Film Festival * Yanaki Paskalev (1863–1933): Bulgarian revolutionary, member of IMORO *
Archbishop Christodoulos Christodoulos (17 January 1939 – 28 January 2008) ( el, Χριστόδουλος, born Christos Paraskevaidis, ''Χρήστος Παρασκευαΐδης'') was List of Archbishops of Athens, Archbishop of Athens and All Greece and as such the ...
(1939–2008): former Archbishop of the Greek Orthodox Church * Vasilis Torosidis: football player for Olympiacos F.C. and the Greece national football team *
Lambros Papantoniou Lambros, also spelled Lampros (Λάμπρος) is Greek masculine first ("Christian") name and surname or family name. Lambros means "shining, bright, radiant". It is related to the nominalized adjective ''Lambri'' (Λαμπρή), meaning the East ...
(Mandra, Xanthi 1945-Washington, USA 2009): journalist, political analyst. * Zafeiris Melas, contemporary Greek laïko singer. *
Çiğdem Asafoğlu Tsidem Asafoglou ( el, Τσιγδέμ Ασάφογλου ''Tsigdém Asáfoglou'', tr, Çiğdem Asafoğlu) is a Greek politician, currently president of the Party of Friendship, Equality and Peace, representing part of the Muslim Minority of Wes ...
, The Party of Friendship, Equality and Peace General President


International relations

Xanthi is
twinned Twinning (making a twin of) may refer to: * In biology and agriculture, producing two offspring (i.e., twins) at a time, or having a tendency to do so; * Twin towns and sister cities, towns and cities involved in town twinning * Twinning inst ...
with: *
Smolyan Smolyan ( bg, Смолян) List of cities and towns in Bulgaria, is a town and ski resort in the south of Bulgaria near the border with Greece. It is the administrative and industrial centre of the homonymous Smolyan Province. The town is built ...
, Bulgaria * Novi Beograd, Serbia * Gifhorn, Lower Saxony, Germany * Biga, Turkey ''(since 2000)'' *
Bursa ( grc-gre, Προῦσα, Proûsa, Latin: Prusa, ota, بورسه, Arabic:بورصة) is a city in northwestern Turkey and the administrative center of Bursa Province. The fourth-most populous city in Turkey and second-most populous in the ...
, Turkey * Adra, Spain


Gallery

File:XANTHI-NESTOS RIVER - panoramio (1).jpg, Nestos river outside the city File:Metropolis in Xanthi.jpg, Greek Orthodox Metropolis File:Kapnapothiki p NEW montarismeni.jpg, Old tobacco warehouses, today a restored museum File:ΠΑΛΙΑ ΠΟΛΗ ΞΑΝΘΗ.jpg, Old mansions File:Old town, Ksanthi.jpg, Old town streetΞάνθη: Μία πόλη, χίλια χρώματα
File:20130421 Ottoman Bridge 4km Xanthi Stavroupolh Thrace Greece.jpg, Ottoman era bridge File:Xanti clock tower.jpg, Xanthi clock tower File:National Bank of Greece building, Xanthi.jpg, National Bank of Greece building File:Xanthi2.jpg, Old town File:Μνημειο Πεσωντων - panoramio.jpg, War memorial


See also

* Xanthi (regional unit) * Eastern Macedonia and Thrace * Thrace *
Western Thrace Western Thrace or West Thrace ( el, �υτικήΘράκη, '' ytikíThráki'' ; tr, Batı Trakya; bg, Западна/Беломорска Тракия, ''Zapadna/Belomorska Trakiya''), also known as Greek Thrace, is a Geography, geograp ...
* Xanthi Carnival


References

* Messinas, E. (2022). ''The Synagogues of Greece: A Study of Synagogues in Macedonia and Thrace: With Architectural Drawings of all Synagogues of Greece''. Seattle: KDP, pp. 133-144 and 197-199. . * Μεσσίνας, Η. (2022). ''H Συναγωγή'', Αθήνα: Εκδόσεις Ινφογνώμων, pp. 19-36. * Μεσσίνας, Η. (1999)
''Oι Συναγωγές στην Ελλάδα, η αρχιτεκτονική τους και η σχέση τους με τον ιστό της πόλης και την εβραϊκή συνοικία: Συγκριτική μελέτη της ιστορίας και αρχιτεκτονικής των συναγωγών της Βορείου Ελλάδος, η θέση τους στην εβραϊκή συνοικία και η παρουσία τους στον πολεοδομικό ιστό από τον 15ο στον 20ο αιώνα.''
Διδακτορική διατριβή στο Τμήμα Αρχιτεκτόνων Μηχανικών Τομέα Πολεοδομίας και Χωροταξίας του ΕΜΠ, pp. 239-254.


External links


The old town of Xanthi – 3D ReconstructionDemocritus University of ThraceMunicipality of XanthiThrace the land of Orpheus – Democritus University of ThraceCultural and Educational Technology Institute
{{Authority control Populated places in Xanthi (regional unit) Greek prefectural capitals Municipalities of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace