Alexandroupoli
Encyclopedia
Alexandroupoli is a city of Greece
and the capital of the Evros peripheral unit in Thrace
. Named after King Alexander, it is an important port and commercial center of northeastern Greece.
.) The name was based on a local tradition of a wise dervish
who spent much of his time in the shade of a local tree and was eventually buried beside it.
Alexandroupoli is about 14.5 km (9 mi) west of the delta of the river Evros
, 40 km from the border with Turkey
, 346 km (215 mi) from Thessaloniki
on the newly constructed Egnatia highway, and 750 km (466 mi) from Athens
. Around the city one finds small fishing villages like Makri
and Dikella to the west, and suburbanm Maistros, Apalos, Antheia, Aristino, Nipsa, Loutra to the east, while north of the city are the ever closing Palagia, Abantas, Aissymi and Kirkas. At the 2001 census, the main city had a population of 48,885 and the municipal unit had a population of 52,720. The current metropolitan population is estimated at around 70,000 inhabitants, and its area covers the southern portion of the prefecture, and it runs from the Rhodope Prefecture
to the Evros Delta. The municipality has a land area of 1,220 km² (468.73 sq mi). Besides Alexandroúpolis, its other largest settlements are the villages of Mákri (pop. 820), Ávas (497), Sykorráchi (309), Aisými (289), and Díkella (288).
opposite, a hamlet developed in the area during the construction of a railway line connecting Istanbul
to the major cities of Macedonia
from Kuleliburgaz
. The work was part of an effort to modernise the Ottoman Empire
, and was assigned to engineers from Austria-Hungary
. The settlement soon grew into a fishing
village
known as Dedeagatch.
s. This was very unlike the narrow alleys, cobble
d streets, and dead-ends that were characteristic of Ottoman cities at the time. The city returned to Ottoman control by the end of the war, but the brief Russian presence had a lasting effect on the design of Alexandroúpolis's streets.
. Ottoman control of the town would last until the Balkan Wars
. On 8 November 1912, Dedeagatch and its station was captured by Bulgaria
n forces with the assistance of the Hellenic Navy
. Bulgaria and Greece were allies during the First Balkan War
, but opponents in the Second Balkan War
. Dedeagatch was captured by Greek forces
on 11 July 1913. The Treaty of Bucharest
(10 August 1913) however, determined that Dedeagatch would be returned to Bulgaria along with the rest of Western Thrace
.
in World War I
(1914–1918) ensured another change of hands for the town. Western Thrace was withdrawn from Bulgaria under the terms of the 1919 Treaty of Neuilly
. Alexandroupoli was under temporary management of the Entente
led by French General Sharpe. During French occupation the Western Thrace Turk Republic was revived for 1 year. In the second half of April 1920 in San Remo conference
of the prime ministers of the main allies of the Entente powers (except USA) Western Thrace was given to Greece. However, Bulgaria retained the right of transit to use the port of Dedeagatch to transport goods through the Aegean Sea
. The change of guard between Bulgarian and Greek officials occurred on May 14, 1920. The city was soon visited by Alexander I of Greece amidst great celebration. He was the first King of Greece to visit the town which was renamed in his honor.
(1919–1922), the Greek Army under General
Theodoros Pangalos
retreated from Eastern Thrace to the area of Alexandroupoli. Bulgaria used the opportunity of the Greek defeat to demand that Alexandroupoli either be returned to its control or declared a neutral zone under international control. Both demands were soundly rejected by the Greek leadership and found no support in the League of Nations
.
The Treaty of Lausanne
(24 July 1923) affirmed that Western Thrace and Alexandroupoli would continue to be controlled by Greece. A previous agreement allowing a Bulgarian presence in the town port had expired.
(see Axis Occupation of Greece during WWII), the Nazis gave Alexandroupoli to their lesser Bulgarian partners Alexandroupoli was subsequently under Bulgarian occupation between May 1941 and 1944. The city suffered some damage to buildings and loss of population during the war, but was largely spared the effects of the Greek Civil War
(1946–1949). Forces of the communist Democratic Army of Greece
in and around the town area were small and loosely organized, resulting in the absence of major battles in the area; the return of peace allowed for Alexandroupoli to grow from a town of 16,332 residents (1951) to a city of 35,999 residents by 1981.
, since November 30, 2007.
2009 photos of Alexandroupolis
(based in Komotini). These Departments are the following: Department of Medicine, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Department of Primary Level Education and Department of Education Sciences in Pre-School Age. Some highly specialised medical operations are performed in the new Regional University Hospital - Research center, currently the largest one in the Balkans
.
The city has a network of public schools, from nurseries to high schools, under the responsibility of the city council (though the student are subjects under the responsibility of the Ministry of Education). There are also many private language schools, most of them offering European Languages courses. Languages spoken by the citizens include: Greek
, English
, Russian
, Bulgarian
, Armenian
, German
, and Turkish
. The city has a reputation of consistently exporting high number of students to attend national and international universities.
and a main hub for Olympic Airways and Aegean
; there are 6 daily flights to Athens
, and also flights to Crete
, while during the summer months some seasonal flights operate to\from Germany
and Russia
. The airport is connected to the city by highway, taxi services and scheduled bus services. The port of Alexandroupolis has been used principally by travellers. There are daily services to the Island of Samothraki and a weekly Trans-Aegean service to all the eastern islands of the Aegean, with the final destination of the island of Rhodes
.
Trains run frequently to Thessaloniki
and Athens
, Burgas
in Bulgaria and Edirne
or Istanbul
in Turkey. There is an extensive network of train and bus replacements services throughout the region of Evros.
The bus network is much more extensive and frequent. Hourly buses to the major municipalities within Macedonia
and Thrace
offered from the Regional Coaches KTEL as well as daily services to Bulgaria and Turkey. OSE
-Varan
and Ulusoy have daily services to Istanbul and Athens each and depart from Alexandroupolis Train Station in early mornings.
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
and the capital of the Evros peripheral unit in Thrace
Western Thrace
Western Thrace or simply Thrace is a geographic and historical region of Greece, located between the Nestos and Evros rivers in the northeast of the country. Together with the regions of Macedonia and Epirus, it is often referred to informally as northern Greece...
. Named after King Alexander, it is an important port and commercial center of northeastern Greece.
Name
In the 19th century and early 20th century, Alexandroupoli was known as Dedeagatch Dedeagatsh ), meaning "grandfather tree". (The word dede means "grandfather" and the word ağaç means "tree" in TurkishTurkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
.) The name was based on a local tradition of a wise dervish
Dervish
A Dervish or Darvesh is someone treading a Sufi Muslim ascetic path or "Tariqah", known for their extreme poverty and austerity, similar to mendicant friars in Christianity or Hindu/Buddhist/Jain sadhus.-Etymology:The Persian word darvīsh is of ancient origin and descends from a Proto-Iranian...
who spent much of his time in the shade of a local tree and was eventually buried beside it.
Geography
Maritsa
The Maritsa or Evros , ) is, with a length of 480 km, the longest river that runs solely in the interior of the Balkans. It has its origin in the Rila Mountains in Western Bulgaria, flowing southeast between the Balkan and Rhodope Mountains, past Plovdiv and Parvomay to Edirne, Turkey...
, 40 km from the border with Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, 346 km (215 mi) from Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
on the newly constructed Egnatia highway, and 750 km (466 mi) from Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
. Around the city one finds small fishing villages like Makri
Makri, Evros
Makri is a village and a municipal district of the city of Alexandroupoli, Greece, west of the metropolitan area and 15 km west of downtown. Its 2001 population was 805 for the village, and 1,642 for the district. Makri is located east-southeast of Komotini and southeast of...
and Dikella to the west, and suburbanm Maistros, Apalos, Antheia, Aristino, Nipsa, Loutra to the east, while north of the city are the ever closing Palagia, Abantas, Aissymi and Kirkas. At the 2001 census, the main city had a population of 48,885 and the municipal unit had a population of 52,720. The current metropolitan population is estimated at around 70,000 inhabitants, and its area covers the southern portion of the prefecture, and it runs from the Rhodope Prefecture
Rhodope Prefecture
Rhodope is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the region of East Macedonia and Thrace. Its name is derived from the Rhodope Mountains, which cover the northern part of its territory. Together with the regional units Evros and Xanthi, it forms the geographical region of Western...
to the Evros Delta. The municipality has a land area of 1,220 km² (468.73 sq mi). Besides Alexandroúpolis, its other largest settlements are the villages of Mákri (pop. 820), Ávas (497), Sykorráchi (309), Aisými (289), and Díkella (288).
Climate
Municipality
The municipality of Alexandroupolis was created in 2011 by the merger of the following 3 former municipalities, that became municipal units:- Alexandroupolis
- FeresFeres, EvrosFeres is a town and a former municipality in the Evros peripheral unit, East Macedonia and Thrace, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Alexandroupoli, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 9,839...
- TraianoupoliTraianoupoliTraianoupoli is a former municipality in the Evros peripheral unit, East Macedonia and Thrace, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Alexandroupoli, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 3,335...
Communities
The municipal unit Alexandroupoli is subdivided into the following communities (constituent settlements in brackets):- AlexandroupoliAlexandroupoliAlexandroupoli , is a city of Greece and the capital of the Evros peripheral unit in Thrace. Named after King Alexander, it is an important port and commercial center of northeastern Greece.-Name:...
(Alexandroupoli, Agnantia, Amfitriti) - Aisymi (Aisymi, Leptokarya)
- AvasAvas, GreeceAvas or Avantas is a village in the southwestern part of the Evros Prefecture in Greece. Avantas is located 10 km north of Alexandroupoli, east of Thessaloniki and northeast of the Greek capital Athens...
- Kirki
- MakriMakri, EvrosMakri is a village and a municipal district of the city of Alexandroupoli, Greece, west of the metropolitan area and 15 km west of downtown. Its 2001 population was 805 for the village, and 1,642 for the district. Makri is located east-southeast of Komotini and southeast of...
(Makri, Dikella, Ennato, Koimisi Theotokou, Mesimvria, Panorama, Paralia Dikellon, Plaka) - Sykorrachi (Sykorrachi, Atarni, Avra, Komaros, Mesti, Perama, Stathmos)
History
The settlement's history only goes back to the 19th century. Long used as a landing ground for fishermen from the coast of SamothraceSamothrace
Samothrace is a Greek island in the northern Aegean Sea. It is a self-governing municipality within the Evros peripheral unit of Thrace. The island is long and is in size and has a population of 2,723 . Its main industries are fishing and tourism. Resources on the island includes granite and...
opposite, a hamlet developed in the area during the construction of a railway line connecting Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
to the major cities of Macedonia
Macedonia (region)
Macedonia is a geographical and historical region of the Balkan peninsula in southeastern Europe. Its boundaries have changed considerably over time, but nowadays the region is considered to include parts of five Balkan countries: Greece, the Republic of Macedonia, Bulgaria, Albania, Serbia, as...
from Kuleliburgaz
Pythio
Pythio is a town located in the eastern part of Didymoteicho municipality. It is 16 km ENE of the centre. Turkey is located south and east of the town. The settlement is connected south and east of GR-51 and a road linking to Keşan and south to the Dardanelles. The border crossing is to the...
. The work was part of an effort to modernise the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
, and was assigned to engineers from Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
. The settlement soon grew into a fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
known as Dedeagatch.
Russo-Turkish War
Dedeagatch was captured by the Russians during the Russo–Turkish War of 1877–1878, and Russian forces settled in the village. The officers in charge saw that reconstruction incorporated wide streets running parallel to each other, allowing the quick advance of troops, and avoided cul-de-sacCul-de-sac
A cul-de-sac is a word of French origin referring to a dead end, close, no through road or court meaning dead-end street with only one inlet/outlet...
s. This was very unlike the narrow alleys, cobble
Cobblestone
Cobblestones are stones that were frequently used in the pavement of early streets. "Cobblestone" is derived from the very old English word "cob", which had a wide range of meanings, one of which was "rounded lump" with overtones of large size...
d streets, and dead-ends that were characteristic of Ottoman cities at the time. The city returned to Ottoman control by the end of the war, but the brief Russian presence had a lasting effect on the design of Alexandroúpolis's streets.
Balkan Wars
The building of a railway station in Dedeagatch led to the development of the village into a town, and a minor trade centre by the end of the century. The town became the seat of a PashaPasha
Pasha or pascha, formerly bashaw, was a high rank in the Ottoman Empire political system, typically granted to governors, generals and dignitaries. As an honorary title, Pasha, in one of its various ranks, is equivalent to the British title of Lord, and was also one of the highest titles in...
. Ottoman control of the town would last until the Balkan Wars
Balkan Wars
The Balkan Wars were two conflicts that took place in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe in 1912 and 1913.By the early 20th century, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia, the countries of the Balkan League, had achieved their independence from the Ottoman Empire, but large parts of their ethnic...
. On 8 November 1912, Dedeagatch and its station was captured by Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
n forces with the assistance of the Hellenic Navy
Hellenic Navy
The Hellenic Navy is the naval force of Greece, part of the Greek Armed Forces. The modern Greek navy has its roots in the naval forces of various Aegean Islands, which fought in the Greek War of Independence...
. Bulgaria and Greece were allies during the First Balkan War
First Balkan War
The First Balkan War, which lasted from October 1912 to May 1913, pitted the Balkan League against the Ottoman Empire. The combined armies of the Balkan states overcame the numerically inferior and strategically disadvantaged Ottoman armies and achieved rapid success...
, but opponents in the Second Balkan War
Second Balkan War
The Second Balkan War was a conflict which broke out when Bulgaria, dissatisfied with its share of the spoils of the First Balkan War, attacked its former allies, Serbia and Greece, on 29 June 1913. Bulgaria had a prewar agreement about the division of region of Macedonia...
. Dedeagatch was captured by Greek forces
Hellenic Army
The Hellenic Army , formed in 1828, is the land force of Greece.The motto of the Hellenic Army is , "Freedom Stems from Valor", from Thucydides's History of the Peloponnesian War...
on 11 July 1913. The Treaty of Bucharest
Treaty of Bucharest, 1913
The Treaty of Bucharest was concluded on 10 August 1913, by the delegates of Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, Montenegro and Greece.As Bulgaria had been completely isolated in the Second Balkan War , and as it was closely invested on its northern boundary by Romania and on its western frontier by the...
(10 August 1913) however, determined that Dedeagatch would be returned to Bulgaria along with the rest of Western Thrace
Western Thrace
Western Thrace or simply Thrace is a geographic and historical region of Greece, located between the Nestos and Evros rivers in the northeast of the country. Together with the regions of Macedonia and Epirus, it is often referred to informally as northern Greece...
.
World War I
The defeat of Bulgaria by the AlliesAllies
In everyday English usage, allies are people, groups, or nations that have joined together in an association for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out between them...
in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
(1914–1918) ensured another change of hands for the town. Western Thrace was withdrawn from Bulgaria under the terms of the 1919 Treaty of Neuilly
Treaty of Neuilly
The Treaty of Neuilly-sur-Seine, dealing with Bulgaria for its role as one of the Central Powers in World War I, was signed on 27 November 1919 at Neuilly-sur-Seine, France....
. Alexandroupoli was under temporary management of the Entente
Allies of World War I
The Entente Powers were the countries at war with the Central Powers during World War I. The members of the Triple Entente were the United Kingdom, France, and the Russian Empire; Italy entered the war on their side in 1915...
led by French General Sharpe. During French occupation the Western Thrace Turk Republic was revived for 1 year. In the second half of April 1920 in San Remo conference
San Remo conference
The San Remo Conference was an international meeting of the post-World War I Allied Supreme Council, held in Sanremo, Italy, from 19 to 26 April 1920. It was attended by the four Principal Allied Powers of World War I who were represented by the prime ministers of Britain , France and Italy and...
of the prime ministers of the main allies of the Entente powers (except USA) Western Thrace was given to Greece. However, Bulgaria retained the right of transit to use the port of Dedeagatch to transport goods through the Aegean Sea
Aegean Sea
The Aegean Sea[p] is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea located between the southern Balkan and Anatolian peninsulas, i.e., between the mainlands of Greece and Turkey. In the north, it is connected to the Marmara Sea and Black Sea by the Dardanelles and Bosporus...
. The change of guard between Bulgarian and Greek officials occurred on May 14, 1920. The city was soon visited by Alexander I of Greece amidst great celebration. He was the first King of Greece to visit the town which was renamed in his honor.
Greco-Turkish War
Following the defeat of Greece in the Greco-Turkish WarGreco-Turkish War (1919-1922)
The Greco–Turkish War of 1919–1922, known as the Western Front of the Turkish War of Independence in Turkey and the Asia Minor Campaign or the Asia Minor Catastrophe in Greece, was a series of military events occurring during the partitioning of the Ottoman Empire after World War I between May...
(1919–1922), the Greek Army under General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Theodoros Pangalos
Theodoros Pangalos (general)
Major General Theodoros Pangalos was a Greek soldier and politician. A distinguished staff officer and an ardent Venizelist and anti-royalist, Pangalos played a leading role in the September 1922 revolt that deposed King Constantine I and in the establishment of the Second Hellenic Republic...
retreated from Eastern Thrace to the area of Alexandroupoli. Bulgaria used the opportunity of the Greek defeat to demand that Alexandroupoli either be returned to its control or declared a neutral zone under international control. Both demands were soundly rejected by the Greek leadership and found no support in the League of Nations
League of Nations
The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...
.
The Treaty of Lausanne
Treaty of Lausanne
The Treaty of Lausanne was a peace treaty signed in Lausanne, Switzerland on 24 July 1923, that settled the Anatolian and East Thracian parts of the partitioning of the Ottoman Empire. The treaty of Lausanne was ratified by the Greek government on 11 February 1924, by the Turkish government on 31...
(24 July 1923) affirmed that Western Thrace and Alexandroupoli would continue to be controlled by Greece. A previous agreement allowing a Bulgarian presence in the town port had expired.
World War II
During World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
(see Axis Occupation of Greece during WWII), the Nazis gave Alexandroupoli to their lesser Bulgarian partners Alexandroupoli was subsequently under Bulgarian occupation between May 1941 and 1944. The city suffered some damage to buildings and loss of population during the war, but was largely spared the effects of the Greek Civil War
Greek Civil War
The Greek Civil War was fought from 1946 to 1949 between the Greek governmental army, backed by the United Kingdom and United States, and the Democratic Army of Greece , the military branch of the Greek Communist Party , backed by Bulgaria, Yugoslavia and Albania...
(1946–1949). Forces of the communist Democratic Army of Greece
Democratic Army of Greece
This article is based on a translation of an article from the Greek Wikipedia.The Democratic Army of Greece , often simply abbreviated to its initials DSE , was the army founded by the Communist Party of Greece during the Greek Civil War, 1946–1949...
in and around the town area were small and loosely organized, resulting in the absence of major battles in the area; the return of peace allowed for Alexandroupoli to grow from a town of 16,332 residents (1951) to a city of 35,999 residents by 1981.
Recently in Alexandroupoli
It has a sister city, EdirneEdirne
Edirne is a city in Eastern Thrace, the northwestern part of Turkey, close to the borders with Greece and Bulgaria. Edirne served as the capital city of the Ottoman Empire from 1365 to 1453, before Constantinople became the empire's new capital. At present, Edirne is the capital of the Edirne...
, since November 30, 2007.
2009 photos of Alexandroupolis
Education
Alexandroupoli houses four Departments of the Democritus University of ThraceDemocritus University of Thrace
Democritus University of Thrace was established in July 1973. It is based in Komotini, Greece and has campuses in the Thracian cities of Xanthi, Alexandroupoli and Orestiada. The university accepted the first students in the academic year 1974–1975...
(based in Komotini). These Departments are the following: Department of Medicine, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Department of Primary Level Education and Department of Education Sciences in Pre-School Age. Some highly specialised medical operations are performed in the new Regional University Hospital - Research center, currently the largest one in the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
.
The city has a network of public schools, from nurseries to high schools, under the responsibility of the city council (though the student are subjects under the responsibility of the Ministry of Education). There are also many private language schools, most of them offering European Languages courses. Languages spoken by the citizens include: Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
, English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
, Bulgarian
Bulgarian language
Bulgarian is an Indo-European language, a member of the Slavic linguistic group.Bulgarian, along with the closely related Macedonian language, demonstrates several linguistic characteristics that set it apart from all other Slavic languages such as the elimination of case declension, the...
, Armenian
Armenian language
The Armenian language is an Indo-European language spoken by the Armenian people. It is the official language of the Republic of Armenia as well as in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The language is also widely spoken by Armenian communities in the Armenian diaspora...
, German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, and Turkish
Turkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
. The city has a reputation of consistently exporting high number of students to attend national and international universities.
Transportation
Alexandroupoli is served by Dimokritos International Airport (IATA:AXD) in the suburbs of Apalos, about 6 km from Alexandroupoli city center. It is one of the busiest airports in GreeceGreece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
and a main hub for Olympic Airways and Aegean
Aegean Airlines
Aegean Airlines S.A. is the largest Greek airline by total number of passengers carried. A Star Alliance member since June 2010, it operates scheduled and charter services from Athens and Thessaloniki to other major Greek destinations as well as to a number of European destinations...
; there are 6 daily flights to Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, and also flights to Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
, while during the summer months some seasonal flights operate to\from Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. The airport is connected to the city by highway, taxi services and scheduled bus services. The port of Alexandroupolis has been used principally by travellers. There are daily services to the Island of Samothraki and a weekly Trans-Aegean service to all the eastern islands of the Aegean, with the final destination of the island of Rhodes
Rhodes
Rhodes is an island in Greece, located in the eastern Aegean Sea. It is the largest of the Dodecanese islands in terms of both land area and population, with a population of 117,007, and also the island group's historical capital. Administratively the island forms a separate municipality within...
.
Trains run frequently to Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
and Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, Burgas
Burgas
-History:During the rule of the Ancient Romans, near Burgas, Debeltum was established as a military colony for veterans by Vespasian. In the Middle Ages, a small fortress called Pyrgos was erected where Burgas is today and was most probably used as a watchtower...
in Bulgaria and Edirne
Edirne
Edirne is a city in Eastern Thrace, the northwestern part of Turkey, close to the borders with Greece and Bulgaria. Edirne served as the capital city of the Ottoman Empire from 1365 to 1453, before Constantinople became the empire's new capital. At present, Edirne is the capital of the Edirne...
or Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
in Turkey. There is an extensive network of train and bus replacements services throughout the region of Evros.
The bus network is much more extensive and frequent. Hourly buses to the major municipalities within Macedonia
Macedonia (Greece)
Macedonia is a geographical and historical region of Greece in Southern Europe. Macedonia is the largest and second most populous Greek region...
and Thrace
Western Thrace
Western Thrace or simply Thrace is a geographic and historical region of Greece, located between the Nestos and Evros rivers in the northeast of the country. Together with the regions of Macedonia and Epirus, it is often referred to informally as northern Greece...
offered from the Regional Coaches KTEL as well as daily services to Bulgaria and Turkey. OSE
OSE
Ose may refer to:*Ose *Ose, , King of the Ashanti Empire*Ose, Poland*Ose, Skye, a settlement in Scotland*Ōse, Ehime, a former village in Japan*Ose, Nigeria, a Local Government Area of Ondo State...
-Varan
Varan
is a kaiju that first appeared in Varan the Unbelievable . Physically, Varan resembles a giant reptile with skin membranes between his arms and legs, allowing him to glide much like a flying dragon or flying squirrel; he also has a horned head....
and Ulusoy have daily services to Istanbul and Athens each and depart from Alexandroupolis Train Station in early mornings.
Notable people
- Duke Ter Hachatrjan AleksandrTer HachatrjanTer Hachatrjan is the name of a Russian noble family, from 18 century. Duke Aleksandr Ter Hachatrjan . Duke Aleksandr was born as an Armenian aristocrat, who belonged to the Russian nobility. He was married to Greek duchess Sofia...
- Todor DinovTodor DinovTodor Dinov is informally known as the Father of Bulgarian Animation. During his lifetime he wrote and directed more than 40 short animated films and several live-action feature films, and was also a popular illustrator, painter, graphic artist and caricaturist.Dinov was born to a Bulgarian...
(1919–2004), Bulgarian graphic artist and animator - Hrysopiyi DevetziHrysopiyí DevetzíHrysopiyi "Pigi" Devetzi in Alexandroupoli is a former Greek athlete competing in the triple jump and long jump.She won the triple jump silver medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics with 15.25 and the triple jump bronze medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics with 15.23. At the 2004 Summer Olympics...
(1976), Greek athlete - Demis NikolaidisDemis NikolaidisThemistoklis "Demis" Nikolaidis was the forty second president of AEK Athens F.C., and is considered one of the finest footballers Greece has ever produced. In his early childhood and teenage years he lived in the city of Alexandroupoli, in the north-east part of Greece...
(1973), Greek footballer - Athanasios TsigasAthanasios TsigasThanasis Tsigas is a Greek footballer who plays for Kerkyra FC.He is a professional since 2001 and he played for Paniliakos, Kallithea, PAOK, Panathinaikos and Atromitos. He was the first striker that Larissa signed in for 2008-2009 season...
(1982), Greek footballer - Lefteris HapsiadisLefteris HapsiadisLefteris Hapsiadis is a distinguished contemporary Greek lyrics author, a poet and a writer of novels. In the last thirty years he has written various poems, three novels and also lyrics for 525 songs in the contemporary Greek rebetika, laïka and elafra genres...
(1953), Greek Lyrics Creator and Writer
Historical population
| Year | Town | Municipality |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 35,999 | - |
| 1991 | 37,904 | 41,860 |
| 2001 | 48,885 | 52,720 |
External links
- Official website
- Ethnological Museum of Thrace, webpage: EMThrace-English.
- http://www.psed.duth.gr/Department of Education Sciences in Pre-School Age, Democritus University of ThraceDemocritus University of ThraceDemocritus University of Thrace was established in July 1973. It is based in Komotini, Greece and has campuses in the Thracian cities of Xanthi, Alexandroupoli and Orestiada. The university accepted the first students in the academic year 1974–1975...
] - http://www.med.duth.gr/Department of Medicine, Democritus University of ThraceDemocritus University of ThraceDemocritus University of Thrace was established in July 1973. It is based in Komotini, Greece and has campuses in the Thracian cities of Xanthi, Alexandroupoli and Orestiada. The university accepted the first students in the academic year 1974–1975...
] - http://www.mbg.duth.gr/Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Democritus University of ThraceDemocritus University of ThraceDemocritus University of Thrace was established in July 1973. It is based in Komotini, Greece and has campuses in the Thracian cities of Xanthi, Alexandroupoli and Orestiada. The university accepted the first students in the academic year 1974–1975...
] - http://www.eled.duth.gr/Department of Primary Level Education, Democritus University of ThraceDemocritus University of ThraceDemocritus University of Thrace was established in July 1973. It is based in Komotini, Greece and has campuses in the Thracian cities of Xanthi, Alexandroupoli and Orestiada. The university accepted the first students in the academic year 1974–1975...
] - Αλεξανδρούπολη. Η σύγχρονη πόλη που δημιουργεί την ιστορία της.
- Alexandroupolis Live WeatherCAM
- Alexandroupolis LIVE Webcam at the Port
- MSN Map