Komotini

Komotini

Κομοτηνή
Komotini Κομοτηνή
Settlement
Country	Greece
Administrative region	East Macedonia and Thrace
Districts	7
Government
• Mayor	Dimitrios Kotsakis
Area
• Total	385.386 km2 (148.798 sq mi)
Elevation	45 m (148 ft)
Population (2001)
• Total	52,659
• Density	140/km2 (350/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+2 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+3 (EEST)
Postal code	691 00
Area code(s)	25310
Vehicle registration	ΚΟ
Website	www.komotini.gr

Komotini or Komotene Komotini or Komotene (Greek: Κομοτηνή; to 1912 Turkish: Gümülcine; from 1912-1918 and from 1941-1944 Bulgarian: Гюмюрджина or Комотини), is a city in north-eastern Greece. It is the capital of the periphery of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace and the Rhodope Prefecture. It is also the administrative center of the Rhodope-Evros super-prefecture. The city is home to the Democritus University of Thrace, founded in 1973.

Geography

The city stands at an altitude of 32-38m on the Thracian plain near the foothills of the Rhodope Mountains. There is little urban planning in the older parts of city, in contrast to more recently developed quarters. According to the 2001 census, the city's population amounts to 52,659, a number that does not include approximately 13,000 resident students, trainees and soldiers. Komotini is near two airports. The nearest is in Alexandroupoli (65km), and the other is in Kavala (110km). It has good rail and bus links to all continental Greek cities as well as Istanbul, and the good provincial road network has been supplemented by the new Egnatia Motorway.

History

Eastern Roman/Byzantine Era

The city's history is closely connected with that of Via Egnatia, the Roman trunk road which connected Dyrrhachium with Constantinople. The Roman emperor Theodosius I built a small rectilinear fortress on the road at a junction with a route leading north across the Rhodope Mountains toward Philippopolis. For most of its early existence the settlement was overshadowed by the larger town of Mosynopolis to the west, and by the end of the 12th century, the place had been completely abandoned. In 1207 following the destruction of Mosynopolis by the Bulgarian tsar Kaloyan, the remnant population fled and established themselves within the walls of the abandoned fortress. John Kantakouzenos mentions the place for the first time under the name Koumoutsinas in his account of the Byzantine civil war of the early 14th century.^[2]

Ottoman Era

In the Ottoman Era, Komotini was known as Gümülcine. Its historical population has included Greeks, Turks, Jews, Armenians, Bulgarians and Pomaks. The city continued to be an important hub connecting the capital city of Constantinople with the European part of the Empire, and grew accordingly. Many monuments in the city today date to this era.

First Balkan War

During the first Balkan War, Bulgarian forces captured the city, only to surrender it to the Greek army during the second Balkan War on July 14, 1913. The Treaty of Bucharest, however, handed the city back to Bulgaria. Despite various schemes by Greek inhabitants to avoid Bulgarian occupation, the city was part of Bulgaria until the end of World War I. In this period, a short-lived independent state, the Republic of Gumuljina, was established in Western Thrace. Komotini, was declared as capital city of that state. In 1919, in the Treaty of Neuilly, Komotini was handed back to Greece, along with the rest of Western Thrace.

Modern Komotini

At the heart of the city lie the evergreen Central Park of Agia Paraskevi and the 15 m-high WW2 Heroes' Memorial, locally known as 'The Sword'. The revamped Central square or Plateia Irinis (Square of Peace) is the focus of a vibrant nightlife boosted by the huge number of students living in the city. The Old commercial centre is very popular with tourists as it houses traditional shops and workshops that have long vanished from other Greek cities. In addition, in the northwestern outskirts of the city (Nea Mosinoupoli) locals and tourists alike flock into a modern shopping mall: Kosmopolis Park, which houses department stores, shops, supermarkets, a cinema complex, cafés and restaurants.

Southwest of the central square one can find the Open-air Municipal Theatre, which hosts many cultural shows and events such as the cultural summer (πολιτιστικό καλοκαίρι = politistiko kalokairi). There is a Regional Theatre (DIPETHE) whose company produces many plays all year round. Komotini has several museums including the Archaeological, Byzantine and Folklore museums. 6 km NE of Komotini is the Nymfaia forest. It has recreational facilities which comprise trails, courts, playgrounds and space for environmental studies. The forest is divided by a paved road which leads to the Byzantine fortress and the historical fort of Nymfaia.

The population is quite multilingual for a city of this size and it is made up of local Greeks, Greek refugees from Asia Minor and eastern Thrace, Greek Muslims, Turks, Pomaks, Roma, descendants of Armenian refugees, and recent refugees, including Greeks, from the countries of the former USSR (mainly Georgia, Armenia, Russia and Kazakhstan). Komotini is notable for its Turkish-speaking minority which constitutes 50% of the city's population^[3]

Municipal Districts

Central: Historic Commercial Centre, Plaka, Armenio
West: Nea Mosinoupoli, Remvi
South-West: Kavakliotika, Stathmos, Ergatika Stathmou, Ergatika DEI
South: Zimvrakaki
South-East: Agios Stylianos
East: Neoktista
North: Agia Varvara/Stratones

Suburbs

Komotini Industrial Zone (SE, 9km from City centre), with dozens of factories and an environmentally friendly natural gas-fuelled power plant.
Panepistimioupoli/Democritus University Campus (NW,3km from City Centre) home of D.U.TH.
Ifaistos (NW,adjacent to Nea Mosinoupoli), home of a large Roma community
Roditis (SE,5km from City Centre), residential area with upmarket properties
Karidia (NE,4km from City Centre), residential area with upmarket properties
Kosmio (S,3km from City Centre), residential area
Thrilorio (SE,8km from City Centre), residential area
Ampelokipoi (SE,2km from City Centre), residential area
Kikidio (SE,2km from City Centre), mixed residential-business area
Ifantes (W, 2km from City Centre), mixed residential-business area

Other

Komotini is the administrative seat of the Eastern Macedonia and Thrace region, the Democritus University (third biggest in the country) and numerous governmental organisations. It has primary schools, gymnasia, lyceums, a Police Academy, Army bases, 7 University departments, banks, a post office, 3 Sports centres, a train station (Thessaloniki - Drama - Alexandroupoli) an Intercity Bus Station and several squares (plateies). Komotini also has one of the biggest and better organised Industrial Areas in Greece.

Education

Komotini is a well known university city in the North of Greece. It is home to the central administration and several departments of the Democritus University of Thrace including the Law School, the Sports Academy, and the International Economic Relations and Development Department. The Komotini campus has a population of approximately 5-10.000 students and a major part of social life evolves around it. The founding of the University of Thrace in 1973 has had a significant influence in the whole area.

Sports teams

Panthrakikos - B' Division Football team, promoted to Alpha Ethniki in the 2007-2008 season.
G.A.S. Komotini - Basketball, Football and Swimming teams
A.E.Komotini - Basketball, Volleyball and Football teams
Olympiada - Track and Field

Historical population

Year	Population	Change	Municipal population	Change
1981	37,487	-	40,141	-
1991	37,036	461/-1.20%	45,934	5,793/14.432%
2001	40,141	3,105/+9%	52,659	6,725/16%

Notable people

Katerina Stikoudi (1985) fashion model

References

^ De Facto Population of Greece Population and Housing Census of March 18th, 2001 (PDF 39 MB). National Statistical Service of Greece. 2003.
^ Kiel, Machiel (1971). "Observations on the History of Northern Greece during the Turkish Rule: Historical and Architectural Description of the Turkish Monuments of Komotini and Serres, their place in the Development of Ottoman Turkish Architecture and their Present Condition". Balkan Studies. 12: 417.
^ Demetriou, Olga (2006). "Streets Not Named: Discursive Dead Ends and the Politics of Orientation in Intercommunal Spatial Relations in Northern Greece". Cultural Anthropoplogy. 21 (2): 295–321. doi:10.1525/can.2006.21.2.295. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help); line feed character in |title= at position 57 (help)

External links

Template:Rhodope Prefecture

[census01-1] De Facto Population of Greece Population and Housing Census of March 18th, 2001 (PDF 39 MB). National Statistical Service of Greece. 2003.

[2] Kiel, Machiel (1971). "Observations on the History of Northern Greece during the Turkish Rule: Historical and Architectural Description of the Turkish Monuments of Komotini and Serres, their place in the Development of Ottoman Turkish Architecture and their Present Condition". Balkan Studies. 12: 417.

[3] Demetriou, Olga (2006). "Streets Not Named: Discursive Dead Ends and the Politics of Orientation in Intercommunal Spatial Relations in Northern Greece". Cultural Anthropoplogy. 21 (2): 295–321. doi:10.1525/can.2006.21.2.295. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help); line feed character in |title= at position 57 (help)

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