Pella (municipality)

Pella
Πέλλα

Fountain in the centre of Pella
Pella

Coordinates: 40°48′N 22°31′E / 40.800°N 22.517°E / 40.800; 22.517Coordinates: 40°48′N 22°31′E / 40.800°N 22.517°E / 40.800; 22.517
Country Greece
Administrative region Central Macedonia
Regional unit Pella
Government
 • Mayor Grigoris Stamkos
Area
 • Municipality 669.2 km2 (258.4 sq mi)
 • Municipal unit 113.8 km2 (43.9 sq mi)
Elevation 36 m (118 ft)
Population (2011)[1]
 • Municipality 63,122
 • Municipality density 94/km2 (240/sq mi)
 • Municipal unit 6,798
 • Municipal unit density 60/km2 (150/sq mi)
Community[1]
 • Population 2,398 (2011)
Time zone EET (UTC+2)
 • Summer (DST) EEST (UTC+3)
Postal code 580 05
Area code(s) 23820
Vehicle registration ΕΕ
Website www.giannitsa.gr

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 capital of the municipality is Giannitsa, the largest town of the regional unit.[2] On the site of the ancient city of Pella is the Archaeological Museum of Pella.

Municipality of Pella/ Giannitsa

History

A bust of Euripides.
Statue of Alexander the Great riding Bucephalus and carrying a winged statue of Nike (Alexander the Great Square).

Ancient Pella was a vast city. However, the city was ravaged by the Romans during the 1st 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.[3]

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.[4] 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.[5]

Name

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'.[3] Locals referred to the village as Postol, (South Slavic: Постол). The name Pella was revived in 1926.[6]

Municipality

The municipality Pella was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following 5 former municipalities, that became municipal units:[2]

The municipality has an area of 669.220 km2, the municipal unit 113.819 km2.[7] The municipality has a population of 63,122 (2011 census). The capital of the municipality of Pella is Giannitsa (population 29,789 at the 2011 census). Other towns are Krya Vrysi (pop. 6,535), Mylotopos (pop. 2,605), Pella (pop. 2,450), Galatades (pop. 2,339), Karyotissa (pop. 1,999), Aravissos (pop. 1,800), Ampeleíai (pop. 1,095), Melíssion (983), Pentaplátanon (956), and Paralímni (816).

Famous people

References

  1. 1 2 "Απογραφή Πληθυσμού - Κατοικιών 2011. ΜΟΝΙΜΟΣ Πληθυσμός" (in Greek). Hellenic Statistical Authority.
  2. 1 2 Kallikratis law Greece Ministry of Interior (in Greek)
  3. 1 2 Grande Encyclopedie, s.v. Pella
  4. ↑ Васил Кънчов. „Македония. Етнография и статистика“. София, 1900, стр.147
  5. ↑ D.M.Brancoff. "La Macédoine et sa Population Chrétienne". Paris, 1905, р.102-103.
  6. ↑ "Agioi Apostoloi -- Pella". Pandektis: Name Changes of Settlements in Greece, compiled by the Institute for Neohellenic Research
  7. ↑ "Population & housing census 2001 (incl. area and average elevation)" (PDF) (in Greek). National Statistical Service of Greece.
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