Afidnes

Afidnes Αφίδνες
Location
Afidnes
Coordinates	38°12′N 23°50′E
Location within the regional unit
Government
Country:	Greece
Region:	Attica
Regional unit:	East Attica
Municipality:	Oropos
Population statistics (as of 2001)
Municipal unit
- Population:	2,543
- Area:	34.638 km2 (13 sq mi)
- Density:	73 /km2 (190 /sq mi)
Other
Time zone:	EET/EEST (UTC+2/3)
Elevation (center):	361 m (1,184 ft)
Postal:	190 14
Telephone:	22920
Auto:	Z

Afidnes (Greek: Αφιδνές, Ancient/Katharevoussa: Αφίδναι, Latin: Aphidnae) is a suburb in Attica, Greece just about 28 km north of Athens. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Oropos, of which it is a municipal unit.

From the Middle Ages to the late 20th century, the village was known as Kiourka. The name dates back to ancient times as Aphidnae. Afidnes is located west of the GR-1/E75 (Athens - Lamia - Thessaloniki) and lies next to the northern part of the Parnitha mountains which are mainly of grasslands and rocks to the west and is surrounded with other mountains to the north and east. The Cephissus River lies to the south. Afidnes is located SE of Thiva, S of Euboea and Oropos, about 20 km W of Marathon, about 15 km NE of Kifissia and about 15 km NE of the Attiki Odos (number 6).

The archaeological site of Aphidnae is small. The area was excavated in the 19th century. The area features about 13 Middle Helladic tumulus.

Until the 1990s, farmlands cover the area around Afidnes but housing developments didn't reach Afidnes until the 1990s but the population didn't boom in the 1990s and housing developments of Athens reached near Afidnes. Forests cover part of the community. The population is urban and rural. Businesses and factories are within the superhighway including the tire company Vega SPA.

The Afidnes Toll Booth/Toll Station is located southeast of the town and was first opened in the 1950s/1960s as the toll gate outside the Athens area. The three-lane superhighway began construction in the early 1990s within the toll area and later expanded from about 15 to 30 lanes in total. The superhighway extended after 1995 outside Afidnes and interchanges were partially renovated. Several protests occurred within the tolls. Several Supermoto events occurred in Afidnes including the 1st, 3rd and the 6th Supermoto Super Cups in 2001.

Settlements

• Afídnes (2001 census pop. 1,736)
• Agía Triáda (83)
• Drosopigi (153)
• Kokkinóvrachos (175)
• Kosmothéa (51)
• Stathmós Afidnón (345)

Other

Afidnes has a school, a lyceum, a gymnasium, banks, churches, a post office, a train station (Athens - Lamia - Larissa - Thessaloniki) and a few squares (plateies).

Historical population

Year	Village population	Community population
1981	-	1,301
1991	1,079	1,504
2001	1,736	2,543

Persons

• Callistratus of Aphidnae, an ancient Archon of Athens

See also

• List of municipalities of Attica

External links

• http://plato-dialogues.org/tools/loc/aphidnae.htm
• http://www.geocities.com/ts_john_2000/, in Greek (Archived 2009-10-24)

Northwest: Malakasa	North: Polydendri and Kapandriti
West: Acharnes	Afidnes	East: Marathonas
Southwest: Acharnes	South: Acharnes and Agios Stefanos	Southeast: Stamata