Afidnes
Encyclopedia
Afidnes 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.
).
Attica
Attica is a historical region of Greece, containing Athens, the current capital of Greece. The historical region is centered on the Attic peninsula, which projects into the Aegean Sea...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
just about 28 km north of Athens. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Oropos
Oropos
Oropos is a small town and a municipality in East Attica, Greece.-Geography:It is situated on the southern Euboean Gulf, opposite Eretria. Oropos is located N of Avlona and Athens, E of Thebes and SE of Chalcis. Oropos is linked with the road linking Nea Palatia and Sikamino...
, of which it is a municipal unit.
From the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
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
Greek National Road 1
The Greek Motorway 1 is a motorway, partly under construction, and the 2nd longest in Greece. It is the principal north-south road connection in Greece, connecting the country's capital Athens with the regions of Thessaly and Macedonia, as well as the country's second largest city,...
/E75
European route E75
European route E 75 is part of the International E-road network, which is a series of main roads in Europe.The E 75 starts from Vardø, Norway in the Barents Sea and runs south through Finland, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Serbia and Republic of Macedonia to Sitia, Greece on...
(Athens - Lamia - Thessaloniki) and lies next to the northern part of the Parnitha
Parnitha
Mount Parnitha is a densely forested mountain range north of Athens, the highest on the peninsula of Attica, with an elevation of 1,413 m and a summit known as Karavola...
mountains which are mainly of grasslands and rocks to the west and is surrounded with other mountains to the north and east. The Cephissus
Cephissus (Athenian plain)
Cephissus , Kifissós) or Cephisus Kifisos), a river flowing through the Athenian plain.In his summary of Greek mythology Apollodorus declares that Erechtheus' wife Praxithea was daughter of Phrasimus by Diogenia daughter of Cephissus.This river is found in the western part of the...
River lies to the south. Afidnes is located SE of Thiva, S of Euboea
Euboea
Euboea is the second largest Greek island in area and population, after Crete. The narrow Euripus Strait separates it from Boeotia in mainland Greece. In general outline it is a long and narrow, seahorse-shaped island; it is about long, and varies in breadth from to...
and Oropos
Oropos
Oropos is a small town and a municipality in East Attica, Greece.-Geography:It is situated on the southern Euboean Gulf, opposite Eretria. Oropos is located N of Avlona and Athens, E of Thebes and SE of Chalcis. Oropos is linked with the road linking Nea Palatia and Sikamino...
, about 20 km W of Marathon
Marathon, Greece
Marathon is a town in Greece, the site of the battle of Marathon in 490 BC, in which the heavily outnumbered Athenian army defeated the Persians. The tumulus or burial mound for the 192 Athenian dead that was erected near the battlefield remains a feature of the coastal plain...
, about 15 km NE of Kifissia
Kifissia
Kifissia or Kifisia is one of the most expensive northern suburbs of Athens, 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 the major Greek political families...
and about 15 km NE of the Attiki Odos
Attiki Odos
Attiki Odos is a privately owned toll motorway in Greece. The Proastiakos high-speed suburban rail is set almost entirely in the median of the motorway, along its main section. The motorway's numbers are 6 for the main section, 64 for the Hymettus Beltway and 65 for the Aigaleo Beltway...
(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
Supermoto
Supermoto is motorcycle racing on a circuit that alternates between three types of track: flat track, motocross and road racing, using motorcycles designed for that purpose...
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 (plateiesPlateia
Plateia or platia is the Greek word for town square. Most Greek and Cypriot cities have several town squares which are a point of reference in travelling and guiding...
).
Historical population
| Year | Village population | Community population |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | - | 1,301 |
| 1991 | 1,079 | 1,504 |
| 2001 | 1,736 | 2,543 |
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 Malakasa Malakasa is a town and former community of Attica in Greece, it is also a suburb of Athens. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Oropos, of which it is a municipal unit.... |
North: Polydendri Polydendri Polydendri is a town and former community of East Attica, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Oropos, of which it is a municipal unit.It is located north of Athens... and Kapandriti Kapandriti Kapandriti is a town near Marathon in the north of Attica in Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Oropos, of which it is a municipal unit.Kapandriti is linked by road to Nea Makri, Afidnes, and Kalamos... |
|
| West: Acharnes | Afidnes | East: Marathonas Marathon, Greece Marathon is a town in Greece, the site of the battle of Marathon in 490 BC, in which the heavily outnumbered Athenian army defeated the Persians. The tumulus or burial mound for the 192 Athenian dead that was erected near the battlefield remains a feature of the coastal plain... |
| Southwest: Acharnes Acharnes Acharnes is a suburb of Athens, Greece. It is the most populous municipality in East Attica. Much of the area north of the area are the forested Parnitha ranges and the parkland. The municipality is north of the Greater Ring of Athens. It is located about 10 km due north of Athens.In... |
South: Acharnes and Agios Stefanos | Southeast: Stamata Stamata Stamata is a community of the Greek prefecture of East Attica. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Dionysos, of which it is a municipal unit.... |