Exarcheia
Encyclopedia
Exarcheia, alternatively spelled as Exarchia, Exarheia and Exarhia , is the name of a neighborhood in downtown Athens
, Greece
close to the historical building of the National Technical University of Athens
. The Exarcheia region is famous as a stomping ground for Greek anarchists
. It took the name from a merchant
named Exarchos (Greek: Έξαρχος) who opened a large general store
there. Exarcheia is bordered on the east by Kolonaki
and is framed by Patission Street
, Panepistimiou Street
and Alexandras Avenue
.
, the National Technical University of Athens
and Strefi Hill
. The central square features many cafes and bars with numerous retail computer shops located mainly on Stournari street, also called the Greek Silicon Valley. Located on Exarcheia square is one of the oldest summer cinema
s of Athens, called "Vox", as well as the Antonopoulos apartment building, known as the "Blue Building", because of its initial color, which is a typical example of the modernist movement of Greek architecture in the inter war period. Due to the political and intellectual character of the region, many bookstores, fair trade shops and organic food stores are also located in Exarcheia.
Exarcheia is also known for having comic book
shops.
The district of Exarcheia was created between 1870 and 1880 at the confines of the city and has played a significant role in the social and political life of Greece. It is there the Athens Polytechnic uprising
of November 1973 took place. Exarcheia is a place where many intellectuals and artists live and an area where many socialist, anarchist
, and antifascist groups are accommodated. Police stations and other symbols of authority (and capitalism
) such as bank
s are often targets of far-leftist groups. Exarcheia is also an art hub where theatrical shows and concerts take place around the central square. In December 2008, the shooting of 15-year-old Alexandros Grigoropoulos in Exarcheia caused rioting throughout Greece.
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...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
close to the historical building of the National Technical University of Athens
National Technical University of Athens
The National Technical University of Athens , sometimes simply known as Athens Polytechnic, is among the oldest and most prestigious higher education institutions of Greece....
. The Exarcheia region is famous as a stomping ground for Greek anarchists
Anarchism in Greece
Anarchists in Greece have emerged from occasionally overlapping but mostly diverse inclinations. It is often difficult to trace the connections of the various anarchist leagues and affinity groups, as they remained mostly underground.-History:-1860-1875:...
. It took the name from a merchant
Merchant
A merchant is a businessperson who trades in commodities that were produced by others, in order to earn a profit.Merchants can be one of two types:# A wholesale merchant operates in the chain between producer and retail merchant...
named Exarchos (Greek: Έξαρχος) who opened a large general store
General store
A general store, general merchandise store, or village shop is a rural or small town store that carries a general line of merchandise. It carries a broad selection of merchandise, sometimes in a small space, where people from the town and surrounding rural areas come to purchase all their general...
there. Exarcheia is bordered on the east by Kolonaki
Kolonaki
Kolonaki , literally "Little Column" is a neighborhood in central Athens, Greece. It is located on the southwestern slopes of Lycabettus hill.Kolonaki is a wealthy, chic and upmarket district, and a fashionable meeting area...
and is framed by Patission Street
Patission Avenue
Patission Street is one of the major streets in central Athens, Greece. Though it is known as Patission, its name was changed to 28 October Street, commemorating the day in 1940 that the Greek dictator Ioannis Metaxas refused the Italian dictator Benito Mussolini's ultimatum that Greece submit to...
, Panepistimiou Street
Panepistimiou Street
Panepistimiou Street is a major street in Athens that runs one way for non-transit vehicles since 2002 from Amalias Avenue, Syntagma Square and Vassilissis Sofias Avenue to Omonoia Square in which is now a pedestrian crossing and before an intersection...
and Alexandras Avenue
Alexandras Avenue
Alexandra's Avenue is a main east-west thoroughfare running from Patission Street/28th of October Street and Kifissias Avenue in the northern part of the city of Athens, Greece. It is named after Princess Alexandra of Greece and Denmark, later Grand Duchess Alexandra Georgievna of Russia...
.
Features
Located in Exarcheia is the National Archaeological Museum of AthensNational Archaeological Museum of Athens
The National Archaeological Museum in Athens houses some of the most important artifacts from a variety of archaeological locations around Greece from prehistory to late antiquity. It is considered one of the great museums in the world and contains the richest collection of artifacts from Greek...
, the National Technical University of Athens
National Technical University of Athens
The National Technical University of Athens , sometimes simply known as Athens Polytechnic, is among the oldest and most prestigious higher education institutions of Greece....
and Strefi Hill
Strefi Hill
Strefi Hill is located in the neighborhood of Exarcheia in Athens, Greece northwest of mount Lykavittos.The older name of the hill was Anchesmos , and it belonged to the Strefis family. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, a stone quarry operated there, but in the 1920s its operation was...
. The central square features many cafes and bars with numerous retail computer shops located mainly on Stournari street, also called the Greek Silicon Valley. Located on Exarcheia square is one of the oldest summer cinema
Movie theater
A movie theater, cinema, movie house, picture theater, film theater is a venue, usually a building, for viewing motion pictures ....
s of Athens, called "Vox", as well as the Antonopoulos apartment building, known as the "Blue Building", because of its initial color, which is a typical example of the modernist movement of Greek architecture in the inter war period. Due to the political and intellectual character of the region, many bookstores, fair trade shops and organic food stores are also located in Exarcheia.
Exarcheia is also known for having comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
shops.
History and political significance
Athens Polytechnic uprising
The Athens Polytechnic uprising in 1973 was a massive demonstration of popular rejection of the Greek military junta of 1967-1974. The uprising began on November 14, 1973, escalated to an open anti-junta, anti-US and anti-imperialist revolt and ended in bloodshed in the early morning of November...
of November 1973 took place. Exarcheia is a place where many intellectuals and artists live and an area where many socialist, anarchist
Anarchism in Greece
Anarchists in Greece have emerged from occasionally overlapping but mostly diverse inclinations. It is often difficult to trace the connections of the various anarchist leagues and affinity groups, as they remained mostly underground.-History:-1860-1875:...
, and antifascist groups are accommodated. Police stations and other symbols of authority (and capitalism
Capitalism
Capitalism is an economic system that became dominant in the Western world following the demise of feudalism. There is no consensus on the precise definition nor on how the term should be used as a historical category...
) such as bank
Bank
A bank is a financial institution that serves as a financial intermediary. The term "bank" may refer to one of several related types of entities:...
s are often targets of far-leftist groups. Exarcheia is also an art hub where theatrical shows and concerts take place around the central square. In December 2008, the shooting of 15-year-old Alexandros Grigoropoulos in Exarcheia caused rioting throughout Greece.
Notable people
- Betty ArvanitiBetty ArvanitiBetty Arvaniti is a Greek actress. She appeared in 40 films and television shows between 1965 and 2002.-Selected filmography:* Istoria mias zois * Anthropos yia oles tis doulies * Imperiale...
, actress - Eleni Kastani, actress
- Sophia Philippidou, actress