Giannitsa
| Giannitsa Γιαννιτσά | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
  Giannitsa | |
| Coordinates | 40°47′N 22°24′E / 40.783°N 22.400°ECoordinates: 40°47′N 22°24′E / 40.783°N 22.400°E |
Location within the regional unit  | |
| Government | |
| Country: | Greece |
| Administrative region: | Central Macedonia |
| Regional unit: | Pella |
| Municipality: | Pella |
| Mayor: | Gr. Stamkos |
| Population statistics (as of 2011)[1] | |
| Municipality | |
| - Population: | 63,122 |
| Municipal unit | |
| - Population: | 33,775 |
| Community | |
| - Population: | 29,789 |
| Other | |
| Time zone: | EET/EEST (UTC+2/3) |
| Elevation (center): | 42 m (138 ft) |
| Postal code: | 581 00 |
| Telephone: | 23820-2 |
| Auto: | EE |
| Website | |
| www.giannitsa.gr/ | |
Giannitsa (Greek: Γιαννιτσά, in English also Yannitsa, Yenitsa) is the largest city in the regional unit of Pella and the capital of the Pella municipality, in the region of Central Macedonia in northern Greece.[2]
Its population is 31,983 people (2011 census). The community of Giannitsa includes a few outlying villages (Mesiano, Melissi, Pentaplatanos, Archontiko, Ampelies and Damiano). The municipality as a whole includes many villages and has 63,122 inhabitants. The city is located in the center of Macedonia between the Mount Paiko and the plain of Giannitsà, and is economic, commercial and industrial center of the prefecture of Pella. European route E86 (Greek National Road 2) runs along the south of the city.
The former shallow, swampy, and variable-sized Giannitsa Lake or Loudias Lake, south of the city, was drained in 1928-1932 by the New York Foundation Company.
About 7 km (4 mi) from Giannitsa are the ruins of ancient Pella, birthplace of Alexander the Great and capital of ancient Macedonia. The city is 48 km (30 mi) from Thessaloniki.
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Name
The city was founded as Yenice-i Vardar 'new (town) of Vardar' in around 1372. It was sometimes called Evrenos Beg yöresi 'Evrenos Bey's town'.[3]
The Turkish name, in the form Γενιτσά, was used until February 1926 when its name was Hellenized as Yannitsa/Γιαννιτσά.[4] In other languages, the city is called: Ottoman Turkish Yenice-i Vardar ('new-town of Vardar', as opposed to Yenice-i Karasu, modern Genisea, near Xanthi and known for tobacco), Turkish: Yenice or Vardar Yenicesi,and Bulgarian: Енидже Вардар, Enidže Vardar or Пазар Pazar 'market'.
Population
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2011 | 31.983 |
| 2001 | 29.364 |
| 1991 | 22.504 |
| 1981 | 23.966 |
| 1971 | 21.188 |
| 1961 | 23.555 |
| 1951 | 20.187 |
| 1940 | 16.401 |
| 1928 | 12.785 |
| 1913 | 7.167 |
History
Prehistoric
In the area of "Old Market", on the southern hill of the city, there was an Early Neolithic settlement (late 7th early 6th millennium BC).
Ottoman
Though there was probably a pre-existing Byzantine castle in the vicinity, the importance of the city of Yenije begins with its foundation by Gazi Evrenos in around 1372. Yenije became the base of the ghazi followers of Evrenos who took Macedonia and later Albania. The city was an important Ottoman cultural center in the 15th and 16th centuries.[6] In the early 20th century, Yenije was a battleground between Bulgarian and Greek-Macedonian partisans in the Struggle for Macedonia. Penelope Delta's novel Secrets of the Swamp (referring to the shores of Giannitsa Lake) is a romanticised account of this from the Greek point of view.
Balkan wars
Yenidje "retained its emphatically Turkish character up to 1912" and members of the Evrenos family lived in the city in a large palace in the center of town until then.[6] In the First Balkan War, the Battle of Yenidje (20 October 1912) was one of the most important battles the Greek army fought.
German occupation
On 14 September 1944, during the German occupation of Greece, about 120 residents of Giannitsa were executed by forces of the Jagdkommando Schubert and collaboration Greek units under the command of G. Poulos. Part of the city was also had burned.
Landmarks
Monuments
Yenidje was an important center in the Ottoman period, and several important monuments survive: the tombs of Gazi Evrenos (a 19th-century substitute for the original) and Gazi Ahmed Bey, Kaifoun Baths,the Great Mosque, the Army Mosque, the hammam of Evrenos, and the clock tower, which have been declared historical monuments by the Greek Archaeological Service.[6] Points of interest include also the Cathedral church of Giannitsa (1860), the neoclassical Multicenter and the open theater (3,000 seats).
Museums
- The Military museum of Giannitsa, (opened 24/2/2012) displays photographs, texts, weapons, uniforms, medals and other materials, with a particular emphasis on the Battle of the Swamp and the Balkan Wars 1912-1913.
- The Folklore Museum of Giannitsa (opened 10/1977) by the "Philippos" History and Folklore Association to promote local history and traditions.
Statues
- Alexander the Great, near the Cultural Center, unveiled on 20 October 2009, the anniversary of the liberation of the city and the Day of the Macedonian Struggle. [7]
- Philip II of Macedon, located in the park of the "Filippio" tourist center. Near the statue, there is a relief depicting the Macedonian phalanx.
- Black Statue - The Memorial of Giannitsà, erected at the eastern entrance to the town in 1926 in honor and remembrance of the battle of Giannitsà. (Sculptor: Gregory Zevgolis).
- Mass Grave, a list of the residents who were executed at the 1st Primary School on 14 September 1944 by German troops.
Economy
Giannitsa is predominantly a rural area. The draining of the Lake Giannitsà left fertile soil for agriculture, leading to population growth in the region.
Notable people
- Gazi Evrenos (died 1417), founder of the Ottoman city, whose mausoleum is in the center of town
- K̲h̲ayālī (died 1556), Ottoman poet
- Āgehī (died 1577/8), Ottoman poet and historian
- Georgios Gonos Giotas (1880 - 1911), revolutionary in the Macedonian Struggle
- Ahmet Derviş (1883-1932), military officer in the Ottoman and Turkish armies
Entertainment
The focus of the social life of the city is at the central pedestrian street, where people gather to eat and drink or to take a walk.
Loudias river
Seven kilometers (4.3 miles) south of the center is the Loudias River, which has a sailing center. The Nautical Club of Giannitsa (NOG) teaches canoeing, kayaking, and rowing.
Districts
- Center
- St.George
- St.Paraskevi
- Sfageia
- Sinoikismos
- Mitropoli
- St.Konstantinos
- Tsali (Nea Trapezounta)
- Filippeio
- Kapsali
- Palaia agora
Sports
The most popular team is the Anagennisi Giannitsa football team which plays at the Municipal Stadium.
There is a motocross track northwest of the city, in the foothills of Mount Paiko, where local, Greek, and European races are run.
At the river Loudias, there are rowing races in which the Nautical Club participates.
International relations
Twin towns – Sister cities
Giannitsa is twinned with:
-
Crotone, Italy since 2010[8] -
New Britain, Connecticut, USA since 2010[9]
References
- ↑ Detailed census results 2011 (Greek)
- ↑ Kallikratis law Greece Ministry of Interior (Greek)
- ↑ Encyclopedia of Islam, 2nd edition, s.v. Ewrenos
- ↑ Institute for Neohellenic Research, "Name Changes of Settlements in Greece" Genitsa/Giannitsa
- ↑ Εργαστήριο Δημογραφικών και Κοινωνικών Αναλύσεων Πανεπιστημίου Θεσσαλίας - Εργο e-Demography - Εκδόσεις ΕΛΣΤΑΤ - Απογραφές - 1928
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Vasilis Demetriades, "The Tomb of Ghāzī Evrenos Bey at Yenitsa and Its Inscription", Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies (University of London) 39:2:328-332 (1976); Eleni Kanetaki, "The Still Existing Ottoman Hamams in the Greek Territory", Middle East Technical University Journal of the Faculty of Architecture 21:1-2:81-110 (2005); citing M. Kiel, "Yenice-i Vardar. A forgotten Turkish cultural center in Macedonia of the 15th and 16th century", Studia Byzantina et Neohellenica Neerlandica 3:300-329 (1971)
- ↑ Macedonian News M-N Μακεδονικά Νέα: Statue of Alexander the Great in Giannitsa
- ↑ Grecia e Magna Grecia: incontro Giannitsa e Crotone(Italian)
- ↑ New Britain Sister City Announces A Trip to Northern Greece
External links
- Δήμος Πέλλας, Official site-municipality of pella.
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