Pylaia

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Pylaia (Greek: Πυλαία) is a municipality of the Thessaloniki Prefecture, in the region of Central Macedonia. Pilea covers 24.379 km² with 4,5 km of coastline extending along the shores of the Thermaic Gulf and had a 2001 census population of 22,744 inhabitants. Pylaia is relatively sparsely populated for a municipality within the Thessaloniki Urban Area and has a number of large green areas within its borders.

[edit] History

The first reference to Pylaia is found in a historian Thucydides, in 319 BC, under the ancient name Strepsa. It was later known as Kapoutzida, from the Turkish word kapoutzides, or gatemen, 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 Pily, meaning gateway and referring to the Eastern Entrance of the city.

[edit] External links

Coordinates: 40°36′N, 22°59′E