Kaisariani

Kaisariani
Καισαριανή

Kaisariani Monastery
Kaisariani

Coordinates: 37°58.1′N 23°45.5′E / 37.9683°N 23.7583°ECoordinates: 37°58.1′N 23°45.5′E / 37.9683°N 23.7583°E
Country Greece
Administrative region Attica
Regional unit Central Athens
Government
  Mayor Antonis Kambakas
Area
  Municipality 7.841 km2 (3.027 sq mi)
Elevation 130 m (430 ft)
Population (2011)[1]
  Municipality 26,458
  Municipality density 3,400/km2 (8,700/sq mi)
Time zone EET (UTC+2)
  Summer (DST) EEST (UTC+3)
Postal code 161 21
Area code(s) 210
Vehicle registration Z
Website www.kessariani.gr

Kaisariani (Greek: Καισαριανή) is a suburban town and a municipality in the eastern part of the Athens agglomeration, Greece.

Geography

Kaisariani is located about 3 km southeast of Athens city centre, and 3 km east of the Acropolis of Athens. Towards the east the municipality extends to the forested Hymettus mountain, where the 11th century Kaisariani Monastery is situated.[2] The built-up area of Kaisariani is continuous with that of Athens and the suburb Vyronas to the southwest. The main thoroughfare is Ethnikis Antistasis Avenue, which connects Kaisariani with central Athens and the eastern beltway Motorway 64.

History

The town was founded in 1922 as a refugee camp for refugees driven from Asia Minor, most of whom coming from Smyrna. Formerly part of the city of Athens, Kaisariani was created as a municipality in 1933.[3] The name was derived from Kaisareia, the historical capital city of Cappadocia, Asia Minor (now Kayseri, Turkey).

The Kaisariani rifle range is notable as the site of the execution of 200 communists on 1 May 1944 by the Nazi occupiers as a revenge for the death of German general Franz Krech, who had been killed in a guerrilla ambush near Molaoi a few days before.

In the early hours of June 17, 1944, 10 men of the United Panhellenic Organization of Youth and guerillas of the National Liberation Front were killed, when trapped by the Nazi forces at the Monastery of Kaisariani, where they had been hiding.

Church ruins on the Kaisariani hill

Historical population

Year Population
1981 28,972
1991 26,803
2001 26,419
2011 26,458

Sports

Kaisariani has its own Greek A2 League basketball team, named Near East Kaisariani, which was founded in 1927. The team plays in the Near East Indoor Arena.

Sport clubs based in Kaisariani
Club Founded Sports Achievements
Near East1927Basketball Panhellenic title in basketball, earlier presence in A Ethniki basketball
Ethnikos Asteras F.C.1927Football Earlier presence in A Ethniki

Notable people

See also

References

External links