Ekali

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For other uses, see Ekali (disambiguation).

Ekali Εκάλη

Location

Coordinates	38°6′N 23°50′E / 38.1, 23.833Coordinates: 38°6′N 23°50′E / 38.1, 23.833
Time zone:	EET/EEST (UTC+2/3)
Elevation (center):	330 m (1,083 ft)
Government
Country:	Greece
Periphery:	Attica
Prefecture:	Athens
Districts:	1
Mayor:	Váso Spiliotopoúlou
Population statistics (as of 2001^[1])
City Proper
- Population:	5,190
- Area:^[2]	4.332 km² (2 sq mi)
- Density:	1,198 /km² (3,103 /sq mi)
Codes
Postal:	145 78
Area:	210
Auto:	Z
Website
www.ekali.gr

Ekali (Greek: Εκάλη, Latin: Hecale) is an exclusive suburban community of Athens -- just about 20 km to the north of the city. Ekali sits between the Athenian plain and the Penteli mountains. The plain is to the west; the forests at the foot of the Pentelic mountain range lie to the east. It is the northernmost municipality in Athens Prefecture.

Ekali is accessed via an interchange with GR-1/E75 (Athens - Lamia - Thessaloniki) at the 18th km near Varybobi, to the southwest. The Penteli mountains, mostly forested but now increasingly urbanized, lie to the east. The Cephissus River lies to the west.

1 About Ekali
2 History
3 Sites of interests
4 See also
5 External links

[edit] About Ekali

Ekali is located SE of Thiva, S of Euboea and Oropos, NE of Kifissia and N of the Attiki Odos (number 6).

The main street is Thisseos (Theseus) Avenue, which connects GR-83 with Dionyssou Avenue towards the communities of Dionysos and Rhea, as well as Leoforos Marathonos towards Drosia north of Ekali, and with Kifissia to the south. An automobile rest area is situated to the west in the service road of the superhighway.

Until the 1960s and the 1970s, farmlands covered the western part of Ekali. Urban development accelerated in the 1960s and the 1970s, with the establishment of luxury houses in the till-then mainly forested sections of Ekali. The construction of houses continued unabated in the 1980s and the 1990s, reaching all the way to the foot of the Penteli mountain. Housing construction continues to this day.

The street plan is mainly of mixed triangles and lines that run parallel, not as a grid. The streets lead to squares and circles and one main street connecting with GR-1/E75. In terms of urban planning, there are a couple of children's playgrounds, and a few squares (plateies), including Kennedy Square.

Ekali is purely residential, which means retail shops or commercial and professional businesses are not permitted within the community. Despite that, there are three kiosks (newsstands), one taverna restaurant, one hotel and a members-only country club (Ecali Club) operating within the community's perimeter. Ekali has a primary school, a secondary school, several churches, a monastery, and a privately owned acquifer providing independent water supply to the residents of the suburban community.

[edit] History

On September 7, 1999, an earthquake shook Ekali but caused no damage to properties.

Most of the population are urban, and in 2005, Ekali was home to the Ekali Adventure Trophy, an off-road rally. Some of the area was partly devastated by a fire on Thursday August 16, 2007, ruining several forests to the east of the suburban town, although the fire was not as major as that in Penteli, Iasting during the evening hours. Firefighters , along with helicopters, battled the blaze.

On July 27, 2006 the former Community of Ekáli became the Municipality of Ekáli. [1]