| Pella Πέλλα |
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Fountain in the centre of Pella |
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| Location | |
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Pella
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| Coordinates | |
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Location within the region
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| Government | |
| Country: | Greece |
| Region: | Central Macedonia |
| Regional unit: | Pella |
| Mayor: | Vasilios Xiros |
| Population statistics (as of 2001) | |
| Municipality | |
| - Population: | 65,497 |
| - Area: | 668.6 km2 (258 sq mi) |
| - Density: | 98 /km2 (254 /sq mi) |
| Municipal unit | |
| - Population: | 7,295 |
| Community | |
| - Population: | 2,450 |
| Other | |
| Time zone: | EET/EEST (UTC+2/3) |
| Elevation (center): | 36 m (118 ft) |
| Postal: | 580 05 |
| Telephone: | 23820 |
| Auto: | ΕΕ |
Pella (Greek: Πέλλα) is a village and a municipality in the Pella regional unit of Macedonia, Greece. It is located on the site of ancient Pella, the capital of the Kingdom of Macedonia and birthplace of Alexander The Great. The seat of the municipality is Giannitsa, the largest town of the municipality.[1]
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Ancient Pella was a vast city. However, the city was ravaged by the Gauls during the 2nd Century BC and lost its significance. By the 19th century, Agii Apostoli occupied a site near the upper city, and the lower city extended down to the wetlands of Mavroneri.[2]
During the time of the Macedonian struggle, it was contested between Greek and Bulgarian nationalists. A survey by Vasil Kanchov in 1900 revealed that the population of Pella was 520 Bulgarian exarchists.[3] The village however, was taken by the Greek army during the Second Balkan War.
The village fell under the jurisdiction of the Bulgarian exarchate and another survey conducted by Dimitar Mishev in 1905 claimed that in the village there were 720 Bulgarian excharchists.[4]
During the Byzantine and Ottoman periods, the town was known in Greek as Άγιοι Απόστολοι (Agii Apostoli) 'Holy Apostles' and in Ottoman Turkish as Allah Kilise 'God's Church'.[2] Locals referred to the village as Postol, (Macedonian Slavic: Постол). The name Pella was revived in 1926.[5]
The municipality Pella was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following 5 former municipalities, that became municipal units:[1]
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