Ekali
Encyclopedia
Ekali is an exclusive suburban community of Athens
-- just about 20 km to the north of the city. Ekali sits between the Athenian plain and the Penteli
mountains. The plain is to the west; the forests at the foot of the Penteli mountain range lie to the east. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Kifisia, of which it is a municipal unit.
Ekali is accessed via an interchange with GR-1
/E75
(Athens - Lamia - Thessaloniki) at the 18th km near Varybobi, to the southwest. The Penteli
mountains, mostly forested but now increasingly urbanized, lie to the east. The Cephissus
River lies to the west. Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou
lived in Ekali in his final years and the Greek media often used "Ekali" in the same way the British media use "Downing Street" or the American media use "the White House".
and Oropos
, NE of Kifissia
and N of the Attiki Odos
(number 6).
The main street is Thisseos (Theseus
) Avenue, which connects GR-83 with Dionyssou Avenue towards the communities of Dionysos and Rhea, as well as Leoforos Marathonos towards Drosia
north of Ekali, and with Kifissia
to the south. An automobile rest area is situated to the west in the service road of the superhighway.
Until the 1960s and the 1970s, farmlands covered the western part of Ekali. Urban development accelerated in the 1960s and the 1970s, with the establishment of luxury houses in the till-then mainly forested sections of Ekali. The construction of houses continued unabated in the 1980s and the 1990s, reaching all the way to the foot of the Penteli mountain. Housing construction continues to this day.
The street plan is mainly of mixed triangles and lines that run parallel, not as a grid. The streets lead to squares and circles and one main street connecting with GR-1/E75. In terms of urban planning, there are a couple of children's playgrounds, and a few squares (plateies
), including Kennedy Square.
Ekali is purely residential, which means retail shops or commercial and professional businesses are not permitted within the community. Despite that, there are three kiosks (newsstands), one taverna restaurant, one hotel and a members-only country club (Ecali Club) operating within the community's perimeter. Ekali has a primary school, a secondary school, several churches, a monastery, and a privately owned acquifer providing independent water supply to the residents of the suburban community.
In Ekali was Gianni's Spyropoulos home, one of the most popular Abstract
Greek painters. In 1990 after painter's death Spyropoulos Foundation was established there.
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...
-- just about 20 km to the north of the city. Ekali sits between the Athenian plain and the Penteli
Penteli
Pentéli or Pendeli, , and Vrilissos or Vrilittos , Mendeli in medieval times) is a tall mountain and mountain range situated northeast of Athens and southwest of Marathon. Its elevation is 1,109 m...
mountains. The plain is to the west; the forests at the foot of the Penteli mountain range lie to the east. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Kifisia, of which it is a municipal unit.
Ekali is accessed via an interchange with 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) at the 18th km near Varybobi, to the southwest. The Penteli
Penteli
Pentéli or Pendeli, , and Vrilissos or Vrilittos , Mendeli in medieval times) is a tall mountain and mountain range situated northeast of Athens and southwest of Marathon. Its elevation is 1,109 m...
mountains, mostly forested but now increasingly urbanized, lie to the 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 west. Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou
Andreas Papandreou
Andreas G. Papandreou ; 5 February 1919 – 23 June 1996) was a Greek economist, a socialist politician and a dominant figure in Greek politics. The son of Georgios Papandreou, Andreas was a Harvard-trained academic...
lived in Ekali in his final years and the Greek media often used "Ekali" in the same way the British media use "Downing Street" or the American media use "the White House".
About Ekali
Ekali is located SE of Thiva, S of EuboeaEuboea
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...
, 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 N 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 main street is Thisseos (Theseus
Theseus
For other uses, see Theseus Theseus was the mythical founder-king of Athens, son of Aethra, and fathered by Aegeus and Poseidon, both of whom Aethra had slept with in one night. Theseus was a founder-hero, like Perseus, Cadmus, or Heracles, all of whom battled and overcame foes that were...
) Avenue, which connects GR-83 with Dionyssou Avenue towards the communities of Dionysos and Rhea, as well as Leoforos Marathonos towards Drosia
Drosia
Drosia is a rather exclusive suburb in Attica, Greece -- just about 22 km north of Athens. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Dionysos, of which it is a municipal unit....
north of Ekali, and with 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...
to the south. An automobile rest area is situated to the west in the service road of the superhighway.
Until the 1960s and the 1970s, farmlands covered the western part of Ekali. Urban development accelerated in the 1960s and the 1970s, with the establishment of luxury houses in the till-then mainly forested sections of Ekali. The construction of houses continued unabated in the 1980s and the 1990s, reaching all the way to the foot of the Penteli mountain. Housing construction continues to this day.
The street plan is mainly of mixed triangles and lines that run parallel, not as a grid. The streets lead to squares and circles and one main street connecting with GR-1/E75. In terms of urban planning, there are a couple of children's playgrounds, and a few squares (plateies
Plateia
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...
), including Kennedy Square.
Ekali is purely residential, which means retail shops or commercial and professional businesses are not permitted within the community. Despite that, there are three kiosks (newsstands), one taverna restaurant, one hotel and a members-only country club (Ecali Club) operating within the community's perimeter. Ekali has a primary school, a secondary school, several churches, a monastery, and a privately owned acquifer providing independent water supply to the residents of the suburban community.
In Ekali was Gianni's Spyropoulos home, one of the most popular Abstract
Abstract art
Abstract art uses a visual language of form, color and line to create a composition which may exist with a degree of independence from visual references in the world. Western art had been, from the Renaissance up to the middle of the 19th century, underpinned by the logic of perspective and an...
Greek painters. In 1990 after painter's death Spyropoulos Foundation was established there.