Kifissia

Kifisia Κηφισιά
The Villa "Atlantis" the work of architect Ernst Ziller (1837-1923)
Kifisia
Location within the region
Coordinates:
Country	Greece
Administrative region	Attica
Regional unit	North Athens
Government
• Mayor	Georgios Thomakos (since 2014)
Area
• Municipality	34.03 km2 (13.14 sq mi)
• Municipal unit	25.937 km2 (10.014 sq mi)
Elevation	290 m (950 ft)
Population (2011)
• Municipality	70,600
• Municipality density	2,100/km2 (5,400/sq mi)
• Municipal unit	47,332
• Municipal unit density	1,800/km2 (4,700/sq mi)
Community
Time zone	EET (UTC+2)
• Summer (DST)	EEST (UTC+3)
Postal code	145 xx
Area code(s)	210
Vehicle registration	Z
Website	www.kifissia.gr

Kifissia or Kifisia (also Kephisia; Greek: Κηφισιά, pronounced [cifiˈsja]) is one of the most expensive northern suburbs of Athens, Greece, mainly accessed via Kifissias Avenue, running all the way from central Athens up to Theseos Avenue in the suburb of Nea Erythraia. It has traditionally been home to ultra rich Greek families and major Greek political families.

Municipality

The municipality Kifisia was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following 3 former municipalities, that became municipal units:

• Ekali
• Kifisia
• Nea Erythraia

Geography

Kifisia is situated in central Attica, at the western end of the forested Penteli mountain range. The small river Kifisos forms the western border of the municipality. Kifisia is situated 12 km northeast of Athens city centre. The built-up area of Kifisia is continuous with those of the neighbouring suburbs Lykovrysi, Nea Erythraia, Marousi and Pefki. Kifisia consists of the following neighbourhoods: Adames, Ano Kifisia, Kato Kifisia, Kefalari, Nea Kifisia and Politeia. It is a green suburb with many parks and tree-lined streets.

The main thoroughfare is Kifisias Avenue, which connects Kifisia with central Athens and the northern beltway Motorway 6. The Kifisia station is the north terminus of Athens Metro Line 1.

History

Antiquity

Further information: Ancient Greece

Cephisia was a deme of ancient Attica. It was the home of the famous dramatist Menander (circa 342-291 BC). Cephisia had become a famous retreat of philosophers during the reign of the Roman emperor Hadrian, when the wealthy Herodes Atticus of Marathon, Greece built the Villa Cephisia. In his Attic Nights, Aulus Gellius describes the unique ambiance of intellectual ferment and aristocratic leisure in an idyllic setting which he created there. It was also the practice of Herodes to provide free instruction in philosophy for selected youths from Athens. The remains of some of his family funeral monuments lie at the centre of the town in Platonas Square. He also beautified a sanctuary to the Nymphs in the ravine of Kokkinara, in the nearby district of Kefalari.

Medieval period

The history of Kifisia during the medieval period is obscure, but the remains of a monastery church dedicated to the Virgin of the Swallow (Panagia Chelidonas) is associated with a story about a battle fought there between local people and unspecified "invaders". This chapel is a rare example of a monastery church originally provided with a fireplace, for the chimney remains.

File:Monasterychapel.jpeg

The monastery chapel of the Virgin of the Swallow (Panagia Chelidonas).

Ottoman Era

Further information: Ottoman Greece

During Ottoman period, in 1667, Kifisia was visited by the Turkish traveler Evliya Çelebi. He described a small country town set in a fertile plain of paradisaic beauty, with three hundred tile-roofed houses. Half the inhabitants of the town were Muslims and half were Christians. He records that there was a single mosque, without a minaret, and many small Christian chapels - some of which survive today.

Post Greek Independence

Further information: Greek War of Independence

The temperature in Kifisia tends to be significantly lower than that of the city, so following the independence of Greece, it quickly became a summer resort of the ruling class of the new state.

Its popularity faded somewhat during the middle of the Nineteenth Century when the danger of raids by brigands who infested the nearby mountains was very real. However, the suppression of brigandage, and the arrival of the railway in 1885, led to the dramatic development of the area.

It became the fashion for wealthy Athenian families to build summer houses in Kifisia, and keen social competition led to the creation of a unique architectural ambiance, as villas in ever more exotic styles proliferated. For those unable to afford a summer house, many hotels were built, where the slightly less affluent could spend the holiday months rubbing shoulders with their social betters.

The heyday of Kifisia was probably during the inter-war period, when the leaders of the two main rival political parties frequented different hotels in the town together with their most important supporters.

World War II and Civil War

Further information: Axis occupation of Greece and Greek Civil War

Following the liberation of Greece from German occupation in 1944, the British Royal Air Force ill-advisedly made its headquarters in Kefalari, taking over several hotels. With the outbreak of the Greek Civil War, the RAF personnel were first besieged, then forced to surrender, and marched across the mountains into northern Greece; being released in Trikala only after a truce had been arranged.

Economy

Accenture, Aegean Airlines, Eurobank Ergasias, Eltrak and Metaxa have their head office in Kifisia.

Sports

Zirineio Sport Center in Kifissia

Kifissia has several sport clubs in different sports. From them, most notable are ZAON, club with many Panhellenic titles in Greek women volleyball, Kifissia AC that plays almost constantly in men volleyball first division (A1 Ethniki) and Nea Kifissia B.C. that plays in basketball first division (Greek Basket League). The football team of Kifissia is Kifissia F.C., and plays in Football League 2 (third division). Kifissia also is the seat of Athina 90 (most times winner in Futsal League), and AOH Hymettus (most times winner in Field Hockey League).

Sport clubs based in Kifissia
Club	Founded	Sports	Achievements
Kifissia AC	1932	Volleyball	Presence in A1 Ethniki
Kifissia F.C. (Former: AO Kifissia, Elpidoforos)	2012 (1932) (1971)	Football	Presence in Gamma Ethniki
ZAON Kifissia	1966	Volleyball, Basketball	Panhellenic titles in women volleyball
Athina 90	1990	Futsal	Panhellenic titles in Futsal
AOH Hymettus	1990	Field Hockey	Panhellenic titles in Field Hockey
Iraklis Kifissia	1992	Volleyball	Earlier presence in A1 Ethniki Women
Nea Kifissia B.C.	1996	Basketball	Presence in A1 Ethniki

Historical population

Year	Municipal unit	Municipality
1951	12,991	-
1981	31,876	-
1991	39,166	-
2001	43,929	-
2011	47,332	70,600

Persons

• Menander (circa 342-291 BC), dramatist, born in Kifisia
• Emmanuel Benakis, merchant and politician, died in Kifisia
• Andreas Empeirikos (1901 in Romania - August 3, 1975), poet, died in Kifisia
• Penelope Delta (1874 Alexandria – 27 April 1941)
• Theodoros Pangalos, general, died in Kifisia
• Themistoklis Sophoulis, politician, died in Kifisia
• Evgenios Spatharis (1924–2009), shadow theatre artist, born in Kifisia

External links

• Official website (Greek)