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Komotini

Komotini (Greek: Κομοτηνή, Turkish: Gümülcine) is a city in the region of East Macedonia and Thrace, northeastern Greece and its capital. It is also the capital of the Rhodope. It was the administrative centre of the Rhodope-Evros super-prefecture until its abolition in 2010, by the Kallikratis Plan. The city is home to the Democritus University of Thrace, founded in 1973. Komotini is home to a sizeable Turkish speaking Muslim minority. They were excluded from the 1923 population exchange. According to the 2021 census, Komotini has population of 65,107 citizens.[1]

Komotini
Κομοτηνή
Yeni Mosque and its Clock TowerFolklore Museum of KomotiniDowntown of KomotiniByzantine Fortress of KomotiniChurch of the Assumption of Virgin MaryTsanakleion Hall, housing the Library of Komotini
Clockwise from top: Tsanakleion Hall which houses the Library of Komotini, Yeni Mosque Clock Tower in the Old Town of Komotini, Folklore Museum of Komotini, Downtown of Komotini, Byzantine Fortress of Komotini, Church of the Assumption of Virgin Mary.
Komotini
Location within the region
Coordinates: 41°6′N 25°25′E / 41.100°N 25.417°E / 41.100; 25.417
CountryGreece
Geographic regionThrace
Administrative regionEastern Macedonia and Thrace
Regional unitRhodope
Government
 • MayorIoannis Garanis (PASOK – Movement for Change)
Area
 • Municipality644.93 km2 (249.01 sq mi)
 • Municipal unit385.4 km2 (148.8 sq mi)
Elevation
45 m (148 ft)
Highest elevation
19 m (62 ft)
Population
 (2021)
 • Municipality
65,243
 • Municipality density100/km2 (260/sq mi)
 • Municipal unit
60,648
 • Municipal unit density160/km2 (410/sq mi)
Community
 • Population60,160 (2021)
Time zoneUTC+2 (EET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+3 (EEST)
Postal code
691 00
Area code(s)25310
Vehicle registrationΚΟ
Websitekomotini.gr

Built at the northern part of the plain bearing the same name, Komotini is one of the main administrative, financial and cultural centers of northeastern Greece and also a major agricultural and breeding center of the area.[2] It is also a significant transport interchange, located 795 km NE of Athens and 281 km NE of Thessaloniki. The presence of the Democritus University of Thrace makes Komotini the home of thousands of Greek and international students and this, combined with an eclectic mix of Western and Oriental elements in the city's daily life, have made it an increasingly attractive tourist destination.[2]

History edit

Antiquity edit

Komotini has existed as a settlement since the 2nd century AD. That is confirmed by archaeological finds of that era up until the 4th century. It is also confirmed by an inscription on the ruins of the 4th-century Byzantine wall, that are visible at various sites in the city, which reads "Theodosiou Ktisma" = Building of Theodosius. The inscription was discovered by the Komotini-born Prof. Stilponas Kyriakidis and the then mayor Sofoklis Komninos. It is said that the settlement originates from the 5th century and is linked to the daughter of the painter Parrasios from Maroneia. During the Roman age it was one of several fortresses along the Via Egnatia highway which existed in the Thrace area. Probably it is to be identified with the Roman station Breierophara (a Thracian toponym from bre (=fortress) + iero (= holy) + phara=para (=pass).[3] The most important city of that period was neighbouring Maximianopolis, former Thracian Porsulis or Paesoulae, which was renamed to Mosynopolis in the 9th century. Komotini was a Via Egnatia hub on its northern route through the Nymphaea Pass which led to the Ardas Valley, Philippopolis (modern Plovdiv) and Byzantine Berroe (modern Stara Zagora).

Byzantine era edit

 
Part of the Byzantine fortress of Komotini.
 
Fortress of Komotini, the remaining foundations of the 19th century Jewish synagogue Beth El demolished in 1994.
 
View of the clock tower.

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. During the Byzantine period, the city belonged to the Theme of Macedonia, whilst from the 11th century it could be found within the newly founded theme of Boleron. 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.

The current settlement dates to 1207, when, following the destruction of Mosynopolis by the Bulgarian tsar Kaloyan, the remnant population fled and established themselves within the walls of the abandoned fortress.[4] Since then the population had been increasing continuously until it became an important town within the area. In 1331 John Kantakouzenos referred to her as Koumoutzina in his account of the Byzantine civil war of 1321–1328.[5] In 1332 Andronikos III Palaiologos set camp in Komotini to face Umur Bey of Smyrna at the Panagia village close to the Panagia Vathirryakos (Fatirgiaka) monastery. However, Umur departed without a battle. In 1341 the historian Nikephoros Phokas referred to the town with its current name. In 1343, during the civil war between John VI Kantakouzenos and John V Palaiologos, Komotini along with the neighbouring forts of Asomatos, Paradimi, Kranovouni and Stylario joined Kantakouzenos' side. John VI Kantakouzenos escaped to Komotini to survive from a battle with the army of the Bulgarian brigand Momchil near the already ruined Mosynopolis.

Ottoman era edit

 
Old tobacco warehouses

The city was conquered by the Ottoman Empire between 1361 and 1362/3, apparently by Gazi Evrenos Bey. Its conquest is placed after the fall of Philippopolis and Stara Zagora, but before the Ottoman capture of Pegae.[4] Already before that, it was called in Turkish as Gümülcine, a version of the demotic Greek form of the city's name, Koumoutsinas. This remained the city's name throughout the Ottoman period (ca. 1361–1912) and continues as its modern Turkish-language name today.[6]

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. Many local Greek families fled at that time to Epirus and founded the Koumoutzades village (modern Ammotopos, Arta). Even there they were persecuted by the Ottomans and some of them found refuge in Tropaia of Gortynia. The bond between the inhabitants of Komotini, Ammotopos and Tropaia exists to this day.

In the first two decades after its conquest, until 1383, the city was the seat of a frontier march () under Evrenos, confronting the Serbian territories of Macedonia. The walled city continued to be inhabited by locals, Gazi Evrenos also brought in Turkish settlers to the countryside around the town to stop any riots. During the prevailingly Ottoman rule of the area, it appears that the region was largely supported, and subsequent Ottoman censuses show that Muslim Turks quickly became the dominant element in the rural districts around the city. Evrenos also invested in the city as building camiiye (small mosque), an imaret, bath, and shops outside the city walls, establishing a waqf that according to Machiel Kiel became the "nucleus of Islamic life in Western Thrace". The 16th-century geographer Mehmed-i Ashik also mentions a hostel (imaret) built by Evrenos.[4]

In the 1519 census, the city numbered 393 Muslim households and 197 single (unmarried or widowed) Muslims, 42 Christian households and 14 single Christians, and 19 Jewish households and 5 single Jews, in total ca. 2,500 people. In the 1530 census, the 17 Turkish-named neighbourhoods (mahalle) are mentioned, as well as the existence of one Friday mosque, 16 masjids, 4 zawiyas, 4 schools, and a single church (in the walled city). Nevertheless, the French traveller Pierre Bellon du Mans, who visited the city in 1548, stated that "the city is inhabited by a few Greeks and majority Turks".[4] In the 1600s, the town was graced by new buildings—a small Friday mosque, a double bath, a mekteb, a madrasah, and an imaret—by the defterdar Ekmekcizade Ahmed Pasha, who sponsored numerous such works throughout Thrace. Ahmed's mosque, the Yeni Mosque, which survives to this day, is the only structure in Greece to feature Iznik tiles from the 1580s, the zenith of the Iznik potters' art.[4] When the traveller Evliya Çelebi visited the town in 1667/8, he found "4,000 prosperous, stone-built houses"—likely an exaggeration—in 16 mahalles, with 5 main mosques, 11 masjids, 2 imarets, 2 baths, 5 madrasahs (only one of which survives today), 7 mektebs, 17 caravanserais, and 400 shops.[4]

The town suffered greatly from repeated plague epidemics, which led to entire villages being abandoned, but recovered in the 19th century.[4] During the Greek War of Independence Komotini's inhabitants contributed substantially with Ioannikios (later bishop), Aggelis Kirzalis and Captain Stavros Kobenos (members of the Filiki Eteria organisation). During the following decades Komotini progressed financially due to the processing and trade of tobacco.

The 19th century saw the city expand and considerable architectural activity, with the renovation of old and the construction of new buildings. Both the Yeni Mosque and Evrenos' original masjid, the Eski Mosque, were enlarged by the addition of spacious prayer halls, while Sultan Abdulhamid II erected a clock tower and a madrasah. During his reign, the town became a station in the railway linking Constantinople with Salonica.[4] By the 1880s, the city, capital of the homonymous sanjak in the Edirne Vilayet, boasted 13,560 inhabitants, 10 Friday mosques, 15 masjids, 2 Greek and one Armenian church, a synagogue, 4 madrasahs, two higher schools, ten mektebs, and various other Christian and Jewish schools.[4]

Balkan Wars and World War I edit

 
The Greek mission in Komotini after the incorporation of the area (1920)

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.

In the aftermath of the Second Balkan War, it became briefly the capital of the short-lived Provisional Government of Western Thrace,[7] but the Treaty of Bucharest, however, handed the city back to Bulgaria. The city was part of Bulgaria until the end of World War I. During this period, the city had the Bulgarian name Гюмюрджина Gyumyurdžina. In 1919 after the end of WWI, with the Treaty of Neuilly, Komotini was handed to Greece, along with the rest of Western Thrace.

Demographics edit

The population is quite multilingual for a city of its size and it is made up of local Greeks, Greek refugees from Asia Minor and East Thrace, Muslim population of Turkish, Pomak, Greek and Roma origins, descendants of refugees who survived the Armenian genocide, and Pontic Greeks from north-eastern Anatolia and the regions of the former Soviet Union (mainly Georgia, Armenia, Russia and Kazakhstan).[citation needed]

The Muslim population of Western Thrace dates to the Ottoman period, and unlike the Muslim population in other regions of Greece were exempted from the 1922-23 Greek-Turkish population exchange following the Treaty of Lausanne.[8]

Komotini has the highest percentage of Muslims in any city of the European Union (54.77% - metro area)[9][better source needed]

Modern Komotini edit

 
View of a central street.
 
Komotini's centre with the Prefecture building.
 
Central square
 
Traditional street.

Komotini is, nowadays, a thriving commercial and administrative centre. It is heavily centralised with the majority of commerce and services based around the historical core of the city. Getting around on foot is therefore very practical. However, traffic can be remarkably heavy due to the daily commute. In the past, the Trelohimaros river used to flow through the city and divide it into two parts. In the 1970s, after repeated flooding episodes the river was eventually diverted and flows on the east of the city, while its former bed has been replaced by the main avenues of the city, such as the Orfeos Street.[citation needed]

Heart of the City edit

At the heart of the city lie the evergreen Municipal Central Park 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 plaza: Kosmopolis Park, which houses department stores, shops, supermarkets, a cinema complex, cafés and restaurants. The area stretching from Kosmopolis to Ifaistos is gradually becoming a retail destination in its own right.[citation needed]

Culture and Entertainment edit

Komotini began life as a Byzantine Fortress built by the Emperor Theodosius in the 4th century AD. The ruins of this quadrangular structure can still be found NW of the central square. Komotini has several museums including the Archaeological, Byzantine and Folklore museums. SW 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. 6 kilometres (4 miles) 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 ruins of yet another Byzantine fortress and the historical (WWII) fort of Nymfaia.[citation needed]

Jewish Community edit

 
The monument for the Holocaust.

Writings in the area of ancient Maroneia confirm the presence of Jews in the area. In the 16th century the Jewish community of Komotini consisted of Sephardite Jews who were textile and wool merchants. Many of the Jews had come to Komotini as immigrants from Edirne and Thessaloniki. The Jewish community was concentrated within the ancient walls of the city and was expanded after 1896 to the west, along Makavaion street (renamed Karaoli), where the Jewish school and Jewish club were located. The synagogue Beth El was built in the 19th century within the citadel and was enlarged in stages, as late as in 1914. The synagogue was used as a stable during WWII, and later stood abandoned for many years. After the roof collapsed in 1993, the synagogue was demolished in 1994.[10] In 1900 there were 1,200 Jews. In 1910 the Alliance Israelite Universelle School started functioning. Greek, French and Hebrew were taught in the school. In 1912–13 many Jews moved to larger cities such as Thessaloniki and Istanbul. After the liberation of Komotini (May 1920) the Israelite community of Komotini had a Cultural Club and Charity organisations. During the Bulgarian administration, the Bulgarians (Nazi allies) arrested 863[11] Jews and sent them to the concentration camp of Treblinka where they were exterminated (28 survived the Holocaust). In 1958 the Israelite community was dissolved due to lack of members. In 2004 the municipality of Komotini created a memorial (southern entrance of Central Park) for the victims of the Holocaust.[12][13][14][15]

Geography edit

The city stands at an altitude of 32-38m on the Thracian plain near the foothills of the Rhodope Mountains. It is situated between two rivers, Boklutzas on the west and Trelohimaros on the east (which form, alongside the Karidia stream, the river Bosbozis). There is little urban planning in the older parts of city, in contrast to more recently developed quarters. According to the 2011 census, the municipality's population amounts to 66,919, a number that does not include approximately 12,000 resident students, trainees and soldiers. There are two airports near Komotini. The nearest is in Alexandroupoli (65 km), and the other is in Kavala (80 km). It has 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 Odos motorway.

Climate edit

Climate data for Komotini, Greece
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 48
(9)
50
(10)
55
(13)
64
(18)
73
(23)
82
(28)
88
(31)
88
(31)
79
(26)
69
(21)
58
(14)
50
(10)
67
(19)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 33
(1)
34
(1)
38
(3)
45
(7)
53
(12)
61
(16)
65
(18)
65
(18)
58
(14)
51
(11)
42
(6)
36
(2)
48.416
(9.12)
Source: <World Weather Online= >"Komotini Monthly Climate Averages". Komotini Monthly Climate Average, Greece. World Weather Online. 2016. Retrieved 13 September 2016.

Municipality edit

 
Eski Mosque
 
Saint Gregory Illuminator Armenian church
 
Tsanaklis mansion

The municipality Komotini was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following 3 former municipalities, that became municipal units:[16]

The municipality has an area of 644.934 km2, the municipal unit 385.386 km2.[17]

Quarters edit

  • 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 edit

  • Komotini Industrial Zone (SE, 9 km (6 mi) from City centre), with dozens of factories and an environmentally friendly natural gas-fuelled power plant.
  • Panepistimioupoli/Democritus University Campus (NW,3 km (2 mi) from City Centre) home of D.U.TH.
  • Ifaistos (NW,adjacent to Nea Mosinoupoli), home of a large Roma community
  • Roditis (SE,5 km (3 mi) from City Centre), residential area with upmarket properties
  • Karidia (NE,4 km (2 mi) from City Centre), residential area with upmarket properties
  • Kosmio (S,3 km (2 mi) from City Centre), residential area
  • Thrilorio (SE,8 km (5 mi) from City Centre), residential area
  • Ampelokipoi (SE,2 km (1 mi) from City Centre), residential area
  • Kikidio (SE,2 km (1 mi) from City Centre), mixed residential-business area
  • Ifantes (W, 2 km (1 mi) from City Centre), mixed residential-business area

Province edit

 
The Golden Bust of Septimius Severus.

The province of Komotini (Greek: Επαρχία Κομοτηνής) was one of the provinces of the Rhodope Prefecture. Its territory corresponded with that of the current municipalities Komotini and Iasmos, and the municipal units Maroneia and Organi.[18] It was abolished in 2006.

Education edit

 
Building of the Democritus University of Thrace

There are more than adequate primary and secondary education facilities in the city. There are around 20 primary schools, 7 gymnasia (junior high schools) and 4 lykeia (high schools) as well as the Institute for Vocational Training (IEK Komotini). In addition there is 2 technical education institutes (TEE).

Komotini is an established 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 following:

  • Law School
  • Physical Education and Sport Sciences
  • History and Ethnology
  • Greek Literature
  • Social Administration
  • International Financial Relations and Development
  • Business Management (commencing in 2009)
  • Politics (commencing in 2009)
  • Languages, Literature and Civilization of Black Sea countries

The Komotini campus has a dynamic 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 positive influence on the entire urban area fuelling the city's expansion and growth.

The Police Academy is located 7 kilometres (4 miles) from Komotini on the road to Xanthi on extensive grounds and with modern facilities.

Media edit

Television edit

The main television station based in Komotini is R Channel although other stations broadcast from the city, namely Delta from neighbouring Alexandroupoli and ET3 (the northern branch of the Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation) from Thessaloniki.

Radio edit

The main Radio Stations broadcasting from Komotini are:

  • ERA Komotinis (part of the national ERA network, greatest coverage area in N. Greece)
  • Radio Paratiritis
  • Diavlos Rodopis
  • Hit FM
  • Joy FM
  • Radio Komotini
  • Isik FM
  • Radio City

Press edit

There has been increasing activity in this sector for the last 50 years. There are now 7 daily and 2 weekly active newspapers in the city.

  • Paratiritis tis Thrakis (Observer of Thrace): Multilingual (recognised with distinction by the President of The Hellenic Republic for its innovation) politics and culture.
  • To Elefthero Vima (Free Standpoint): Politics and culture.
  • Thrakiki Agora (Thracian Market): Weekly Politics and Financial news.
  • I Paremvasi (Intervention): Politics.
  • I Foni tis Rodopis (Voice of Rodopi): Politics.
  • Antifonitis (The Opposition): Reactionary Politics, satirical commentary.
  • Thrakiki Gi (Thracian Land): Politics and Agricultural News.
  • I Patrida (The Homeland): One of the oldest,Politics.

All of the above are paper based. However, there is an increasing volume of news and content that is on the newspapers' websites. The latter can be accessed from the news section of Komotini's commercial portal.[19]

Transportation edit

 
The railway station.

Komotini is a midland city and has no port. It is served by two airports. The nearest is in Alexandroupoli (65 km), and the other is in Kavala (80 km).

Highway network edit

European route E90 runs through the city and connects Komotini with the other Greek Continental cities. The Egnatia Motorway (A2) lies south of the city. One can enter the city from one of two Junctions; 'Komotini West' and 'Komotini East'.

Public transit edit

There are a number of municipal buses serving 3 main lines within the city. The Intercity Bus Company of Komotini connects it to many local villages, the coastal areas and major Greek cities.

Railway edit

The city is served by Hellenic Train, with services running regularly at least twice daily westwards to Thessaloniki and Athens and eastwards to Evros and occasionally Istanbul. The station is located outside the city Center.

Sports edit

 
Panthrakikos Sports Center

There is an impressive array of sports facilities available. They include the Komotini Municipal Stadium (Home of Panthrakikos FC), Panthrakiko Stadium (training grounds), Municipal Sports Complex (NE of the city), Municipal Swimming pool and Basketball Arena, Democritus University Sports Complex including an Arena and an Aquatic Centre as well as basketball courts in almost every school in the city. The mountainous area in the north of the city is ideal for mountain-biking and trekking as well as 4x4 racing both of which take place throughout the year.

Sport clubs based in Komotini
Club Founded Sports Achievements
AE Komotinis 1936 Football, Volleyball Earlier presence in A1 Ethniki volleyball
Panthrakikos F.C. 1963 Football Earlier presence in Alpha Ethniki
GAS Komotinis 1976 Basketball Earlier presence in A2 Ethniki basketball

Historical population edit

Year Town population Municipality population
1981 34,051 37,487
1991 37,036 39,927
2001 43,326 52,659
2011 50,990 66,919

Notable people edit

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Census 2021 GR" (PDF) (Press release). Hellenic Statistical Authority. 2022-07-19. Retrieved 2023-01-09.
  2. ^ a b "Visit Greece - ΚΟΜΟΤΗΝΗ". www.visitgreece.gr.
  3. ^ D. C. Samsaris, Historical Geography of Western Thrace during the Roman Antiquity (in Greek), Thessaloniki 2005, p. 102
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Kiel 2004, p. 330.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ Kiel 2004, pp. 329–330.
  7. ^ Kiel 2004, p. 331.
  8. ^ (PDF). RE-Block: Baseline Study. European Regional Development Fund. p. 44. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 October 2013. Retrieved 24 October 2013.
  9. ^ "ΜΟΥΣΟΥΛΜΑΝΙΚΗ ΜΕΙΟΝΟΤΗΤΑ ΘΡΑΚΗΣ". hri.org. from the original on 18 May 2019. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  10. ^ Messinas, Elias. (2022). The Synagogues of Greece: A Study of Synagogues in Macedonia and Thrace: With Architectural Drawings of all Synagogues of Greece. Seattle ISBN 979-8-8069-0288-8, pp. 121-131.
  11. ^ Book (in Hebrew):Bar-Zohar, Michael, The trains went out empty, Hed-Artzi, Or-Yhuda, Israel, 1999, page 86.
  12. ^ Book (in Greek): "Το Ολοκαύτωμα των Ελλήνων Εβραίων – Μνημεία και Μνήμες", Κεντρικό Ισραηλίτικο Συμβούλιο Ελλάδος, 1st Edition: January 2007, ISBN 978-960-86029-4-6, pages 51–56.
  13. ^ 15 March 2010 article in the Greek newspaper Παρατηρητής της Θράκης: "Το ζήτημα της ιστορίας των εβραίων της Κομοτηνής ξανά στην επικαιρότητα- Με το βιβλίο του Θρασύβουλου Ορ. Παπαστρατή «Από τη Γκιουμουλτζίνα στην Τρεμπλίνκα. Ιστορία των Εβραίων της Κομοτηνής»" 21 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine.
  14. ^ 3 April 2002 article in Greek newspaper ο Χρόνος: "Οι Εβραίοι της Κομοτηνής: Σημειώματα Θρασύβουλου Ορ. Παπαστρατή". 10 June 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  15. ^ 09 April 2010 article in Greek newspaper Παρατηρητής της Θράκης: "Η ιστορία του Σαμπετάι και της Νταίζη από την Κομοτηνή" του Βασίλη Ριτζαλέου 21 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine.
  16. ^ "ΦΕΚ A 87/2010, Kallikratis reform law text" (in Greek). Government Gazette.
  17. ^ (PDF) (in Greek). National Statistical Service of Greece. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-09-21.
  18. ^ (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 3, 2016.  (39 MB) (in Greek and French)
  19. ^ "Komotini Online : Ειδήσεις και Νέα από τη Ροδόπη". www.kom.gr.
  20. ^ Γιαννακίδη, Πολιτών Γραφές Του Στάθη (2019-06-11). ""Ας μιλήσουμε ρεαλιστικά για το ΚΙΕΦ"". Παρατηρητής της Θράκης (in Greek). Retrieved 2021-03-22.
  21. ^ Θράκης, Παρατηρητής της (2016-03-20). "Πέμπτος στον κόσμο ο Κώστας Μπανιώτης". Παρατηρητής της Θράκης (in Greek). Retrieved 2021-03-24.
  22. ^ Θράκης, Παρατηρητής της (2019-03-05). "Δεύτερος στην Ευρώπη ο Κώστας Μπανιώτης". Παρατηρητής της Θράκης (in Greek). Retrieved 2021-03-24.
  23. ^ Θράκης, Παρατηρητής της (2012-09-27). "Επίτιμος δημότης Ορεστιάδας θα ανακυρηχθεί ο Φράγκος Φραγκούλης". Παρατηρητής της Θράκης (in Greek). Retrieved 2021-03-23.
  24. ^ https://en.armradio.am/2022/04/11/akis-dagazian-appointed-honorary-consul-of-the-republic-of-armenia-to-thessaloniki/
  25. ^ Θράκης, Παρατηρητής της (2017-05-15). "Κεφάλαιο για τη Θράκη και την Ελλάδα ο Στίλπων Κυριακίδης". Παρατηρητής της Θράκης (in Greek). Retrieved 2021-03-24.
  26. ^ Θράκης, Παρατηρητής της (2015-01-11). "Αντιπελάργηση Στίλπων Κυριακίδης (1887-1964) - Ο ακάματος "διάκονος" στον "αμπελώνα" της επιστήμης". Παρατηρητής της Θράκης (in Greek). Retrieved 2021-03-24.
  27. ^ Θράκης, Παρατηρητής της (2020-03-04). "Η παρακαταθήκη του σοφού Κομοτηναίου". Παρατηρητής της Θράκης (in Greek). Retrieved 2021-03-24.
  28. ^ Θράκης, Παρατηρητής της (2021-01-09). "Ένα πρωτοποριακό βιβλίο για τον Καραγκιόζη πριν 100 χρόνια: Louis Roussel και Στίλπων Κυριακίδης". Παρατηρητής της Θράκης (in Greek). Retrieved 2021-03-24.
  29. ^ Θράκης, Παρατηρητής της (2013-05-02). "Γιώργος Πεταλωτής, πρ. υφ. Δικαιοσύνης, Διαφάνειας και Ανθρωπίνων Δικαιωμάτων Όλες οι πολιτικές δυνάμεις θα έπρεπε να συζητούν την πρόταση για την επόμενη μέρα της κρίσης". Παρατηρητής της Θράκης (in Greek). Retrieved 2021-03-23.
  30. ^ Θράκης, Παρατηρητής της (2020-10-17). "Ο Ευριπίδης Στυλιανίδης μιλά για το 12%, τις προτάσεις στη Διακομματική, τις τουρκικές προκλήσεις, τη δίκη της ΧΑ". Παρατηρητής της Θράκης (in Greek). Retrieved 2021-03-24.
  31. ^ Θράκης, Παρατηρητής της (2020-06-04). "Ευριπίδης Στυλιανίδης: «Είναι σημαντικό πρώτα να ξέρουμε εμείς την ιστορία μας, και σε δεύτερο χρόνο να ζητήσουμε αυτή η ιστορία να αρχίσει να αναδεικνύεται»". Παρατηρητής της Θράκης (in Greek). Retrieved 2021-03-24.
  32. ^ Βαφειάδου, Νατάσσα (2021-03-24). "Τη δέσμευση του Χ.Θεοχάρη για το «άνοιγμα» της Νυμφαίας εξασφάλισε ο Ευριπίδης Στυλιανίδης". Παρατηρητής της Θράκης (in Greek). Retrieved 2021-03-24.
  33. ^ Θράκης, Παρατηρητής της (2020-05-23). "Λιμενικούς Σταθμούς σε Φανάρι και Μαρώνεια διεκδίκησε ο Ευριπίδης Στυλιανίδης". Παρατηρητής της Θράκης (in Greek). Retrieved 2021-03-24.

Sources edit

  • Kiel, M. (2004). "Gümüld̲j̲ine". The Encyclopedia of Islam, New Edition, Volume XII: Supplement. Leiden and New York: BRILL. pp. 329–331. ISBN 978-90-04-13974-9.
  • Messinas, E. (2022). The Synagogues of Greece: A Study of Synagogues in Macedonia and Thrace: With Architectural Drawings of all Synagogues of Greece. Seattle: KDP. pp. 121-131 and 167-170. ISBN 979-8-8069-0288-8
  • Μεσσίνας, Η. (2022). H Συναγωγή, Αθήνα: Εκδόσεις Ινφογνώμων. pp. 37-46. ISBN 978-618-5590-21-5
  • Μεσσίνας, Η. (1999). Oι Συναγωγές στην Ελλάδα, η αρχιτεκτονική τους και η σχέση τους με τον ιστό της πόλης και την εβραϊκή συνοικία: Συγκριτική μελέτη της ιστορίας και αρχιτεκτονικής των συναγωγών της Βορείου Ελλάδος, η θέση τους στην εβραϊκή συνοικία και η παρουσία τους στον πολεοδομικό ιστό από τον 15ο στον 20ο αιώνα. Διδακτορική διατριβή στο Τμήμα Αρχιτεκτόνων Μηχανικών Τομέα Πολεοδομίας και Χωροταξίας του ΕΜΠ, pp. 217-238.

External links edit

  • Komotini's City Portal 2006-07-19 at the Wayback Machine
  • Komotini's Commercial Portal
  • Umbrella organisation of Western Thrace Turks and UN-ECOSOC member: Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe

komotini, greek, Κομοτηνή, turkish, gümülcine, city, region, east, macedonia, thrace, northeastern, greece, capital, also, capital, rhodope, administrative, centre, rhodope, evros, super, prefecture, until, abolition, 2010, kallikratis, plan, city, home, democ. Komotini Greek Komothnh Turkish Gumulcine is a city in the region of East Macedonia and Thrace northeastern Greece and its capital It is also the capital of the Rhodope It was the administrative centre of the Rhodope Evros super prefecture until its abolition in 2010 by the Kallikratis Plan The city is home to the Democritus University of Thrace founded in 1973 Komotini is home to a sizeable Turkish speaking Muslim minority They were excluded from the 1923 population exchange According to the 2021 census Komotini has population of 65 107 citizens 1 Komotini KomothnhClockwise from top Tsanakleion Hall which houses the Library of Komotini Yeni Mosque Clock Tower in the Old Town of Komotini Folklore Museum of Komotini Downtown of Komotini Byzantine Fortress of Komotini Church of the Assumption of Virgin Mary SealKomotiniLocation within the regionCoordinates 41 6 N 25 25 E 41 100 N 25 417 E 41 100 25 417CountryGreeceGeographic regionThraceAdministrative regionEastern Macedonia and ThraceRegional unitRhodopeGovernment MayorIoannis Garanis PASOK Movement for Change Area Municipality644 93 km2 249 01 sq mi Municipal unit385 4 km2 148 8 sq mi Elevation45 m 148 ft Highest elevation19 m 62 ft Population 2021 Municipality65 243 Municipality density100 km2 260 sq mi Municipal unit60 648 Municipal unit density160 km2 410 sq mi Community Population60 160 2021 Time zoneUTC 2 EET Summer DST UTC 3 EEST Postal code691 00Area code s 25310Vehicle registrationKOWebsitekomotini grBuilt at the northern part of the plain bearing the same name Komotini is one of the main administrative financial and cultural centers of northeastern Greece and also a major agricultural and breeding center of the area 2 It is also a significant transport interchange located 795 km NE of Athens and 281 km NE of Thessaloniki The presence of the Democritus University of Thrace makes Komotini the home of thousands of Greek and international students and this combined with an eclectic mix of Western and Oriental elements in the city s daily life have made it an increasingly attractive tourist destination 2 Contents 1 History 1 1 Antiquity 1 2 Byzantine era 1 3 Ottoman era 1 4 Balkan Wars and World War I 2 Demographics 3 Modern Komotini 3 1 Heart of the City 3 2 Culture and Entertainment 3 3 Jewish Community 4 Geography 4 1 Climate 5 Municipality 5 1 Quarters 5 2 Suburbs 6 Province 7 Education 8 Media 8 1 Television 8 2 Radio 8 3 Press 9 Transportation 9 1 Highway network 9 2 Public transit 9 3 Railway 10 Sports 11 Historical population 12 Notable people 13 See also 14 References 15 Sources 16 External linksHistory editAntiquity edit Komotini has existed as a settlement since the 2nd century AD That is confirmed by archaeological finds of that era up until the 4th century It is also confirmed by an inscription on the ruins of the 4th century Byzantine wall that are visible at various sites in the city which reads Theodosiou Ktisma Building of Theodosius The inscription was discovered by the Komotini born Prof Stilponas Kyriakidis and the then mayor Sofoklis Komninos It is said that the settlement originates from the 5th century and is linked to the daughter of the painter Parrasios from Maroneia During the Roman age it was one of several fortresses along the Via Egnatia highway which existed in the Thrace area Probably it is to be identified with the Roman station Breierophara a Thracian toponym from bre fortress iero holy phara para pass 3 The most important city of that period was neighbouring Maximianopolis former Thracian Porsulis or Paesoulae which was renamed to Mosynopolis in the 9th century Komotini was a Via Egnatia hub on its northern route through the Nymphaea Pass which led to the Ardas Valley Philippopolis modern Plovdiv and Byzantine Berroe modern Stara Zagora Byzantine era edit nbsp Part of the Byzantine fortress of Komotini nbsp Fortress of Komotini the remaining foundations of the 19th century Jewish synagogue Beth El demolished in 1994 nbsp View of the clock tower 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 During the Byzantine period the city belonged to the Theme of Macedonia whilst from the 11th century it could be found within the newly founded theme of Boleron 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 The current settlement dates to 1207 when following the destruction of Mosynopolis by the Bulgarian tsar Kaloyan the remnant population fled and established themselves within the walls of the abandoned fortress 4 Since then the population had been increasing continuously until it became an important town within the area In 1331 John Kantakouzenos referred to her as Koumoutzina in his account of the Byzantine civil war of 1321 1328 5 In 1332 Andronikos III Palaiologos set camp in Komotini to face Umur Bey of Smyrna at the Panagia village close to the Panagia Vathirryakos Fatirgiaka monastery However Umur departed without a battle In 1341 the historian Nikephoros Phokas referred to the town with its current name In 1343 during the civil war between John VI Kantakouzenos and John V Palaiologos Komotini along with the neighbouring forts of Asomatos Paradimi Kranovouni and Stylario joined Kantakouzenos side John VI Kantakouzenos escaped to Komotini to survive from a battle with the army of the Bulgarian brigand Momchil near the already ruined Mosynopolis Ottoman era edit nbsp Old tobacco warehousesThe city was conquered by the Ottoman Empire between 1361 and 1362 3 apparently by Gazi Evrenos Bey Its conquest is placed after the fall of Philippopolis and Stara Zagora but before the Ottoman capture of Pegae 4 Already before that it was called in Turkish as Gumulcine a version of the demotic Greek form of the city s name Koumoutsinas This remained the city s name throughout the Ottoman period ca 1361 1912 and continues as its modern Turkish language name today 6 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 Many local Greek families fled at that time to Epirus and founded the Koumoutzades village modern Ammotopos Arta Even there they were persecuted by the Ottomans and some of them found refuge in Tropaia of Gortynia The bond between the inhabitants of Komotini Ammotopos and Tropaia exists to this day In the first two decades after its conquest until 1383 the city was the seat of a frontier march uc under Evrenos confronting the Serbian territories of Macedonia The walled city continued to be inhabited by locals Gazi Evrenos also brought in Turkish settlers to the countryside around the town to stop any riots During the prevailingly Ottoman rule of the area it appears that the region was largely supported and subsequent Ottoman censuses show that Muslim Turks quickly became the dominant element in the rural districts around the city Evrenos also invested in the city as building camiiye small mosque an imaret bath and shops outside the city walls establishing a waqf that according to Machiel Kiel became the nucleus of Islamic life in Western Thrace The 16th century geographer Mehmed i Ashik also mentions a hostel imaret built by Evrenos 4 In the 1519 census the city numbered 393 Muslim households and 197 single unmarried or widowed Muslims 42 Christian households and 14 single Christians and 19 Jewish households and 5 single Jews in total ca 2 500 people In the 1530 census the 17 Turkish named neighbourhoods mahalle are mentioned as well as the existence of one Friday mosque 16 masjids 4 zawiyas 4 schools and a single church in the walled city Nevertheless the French traveller Pierre Bellon du Mans who visited the city in 1548 stated that the city is inhabited by a few Greeks and majority Turks 4 In the 1600s the town was graced by new buildings a small Friday mosque a double bath a mekteb a madrasah and an imaret by the defterdar Ekmekcizade Ahmed Pasha who sponsored numerous such works throughout Thrace Ahmed s mosque the Yeni Mosque which survives to this day is the only structure in Greece to feature Iznik tiles from the 1580s the zenith of the Iznik potters art 4 When the traveller Evliya Celebi visited the town in 1667 8 he found 4 000 prosperous stone built houses likely an exaggeration in 16 mahalles with 5 main mosques 11 masjids 2 imarets 2 baths 5 madrasahs only one of which survives today 7 mektebs 17 caravanserais and 400 shops 4 The town suffered greatly from repeated plague epidemics which led to entire villages being abandoned but recovered in the 19th century 4 During the Greek War of Independence Komotini s inhabitants contributed substantially with Ioannikios later bishop Aggelis Kirzalis and Captain Stavros Kobenos members of the Filiki Eteria organisation During the following decades Komotini progressed financially due to the processing and trade of tobacco The 19th century saw the city expand and considerable architectural activity with the renovation of old and the construction of new buildings Both the Yeni Mosque and Evrenos original masjid the Eski Mosque were enlarged by the addition of spacious prayer halls while Sultan Abdulhamid II erected a clock tower and a madrasah During his reign the town became a station in the railway linking Constantinople with Salonica 4 By the 1880s the city capital of the homonymous sanjak in the Edirne Vilayet boasted 13 560 inhabitants 10 Friday mosques 15 masjids 2 Greek and one Armenian church a synagogue 4 madrasahs two higher schools ten mektebs and various other Christian and Jewish schools 4 Balkan Wars and World War I edit nbsp The Greek mission in Komotini after the incorporation of the area 1920 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 In the aftermath of the Second Balkan War it became briefly the capital of the short lived Provisional Government of Western Thrace 7 but the Treaty of Bucharest however handed the city back to Bulgaria The city was part of Bulgaria until the end of World War I During this period the city had the Bulgarian name Gyumyurdzhina Gyumyurdzina In 1919 after the end of WWI with the Treaty of Neuilly Komotini was handed to Greece along with the rest of Western Thrace Demographics editSee also List of cities in the European Union by Muslim population The population is quite multilingual for a city of its size and it is made up of local Greeks Greek refugees from Asia Minor and East Thrace Muslim population of Turkish Pomak Greek and Roma origins descendants of refugees who survived the Armenian genocide and Pontic Greeks from north eastern Anatolia and the regions of the former Soviet Union mainly Georgia Armenia Russia and Kazakhstan citation needed The Muslim population of Western Thrace dates to the Ottoman period and unlike the Muslim population in other regions of Greece were exempted from the 1922 23 Greek Turkish population exchange following the Treaty of Lausanne 8 Komotini has the highest percentage of Muslims in any city of the European Union 54 77 metro area 9 better source needed Modern Komotini edit nbsp View of a central street nbsp Komotini s centre with the Prefecture building nbsp Central square nbsp Traditional street Komotini is nowadays a thriving commercial and administrative centre It is heavily centralised with the majority of commerce and services based around the historical core of the city Getting around on foot is therefore very practical However traffic can be remarkably heavy due to the daily commute In the past the Trelohimaros river used to flow through the city and divide it into two parts In the 1970s after repeated flooding episodes the river was eventually diverted and flows on the east of the city while its former bed has been replaced by the main avenues of the city such as the Orfeos Street citation needed Heart of the City edit At the heart of the city lie the evergreen Municipal Central Park 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 plaza Kosmopolis Park which houses department stores shops supermarkets a cinema complex cafes and restaurants The area stretching from Kosmopolis to Ifaistos is gradually becoming a retail destination in its own right citation needed Culture and Entertainment edit Komotini began life as a Byzantine Fortress built by the Emperor Theodosius in the 4th century AD The ruins of this quadrangular structure can still be found NW of the central square Komotini has several museums including the Archaeological Byzantine and Folklore museums SW of the central square one can find the Open air Municipal Theatre which hosts many cultural shows and events such as the cultural summer politistiko kalokairi politistiko kalokairi There is a Regional Theatre DIPETHE whose company produces many plays all year round 6 kilometres 4 miles 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 ruins of yet another Byzantine fortress and the historical WWII fort of Nymfaia citation needed Jewish Community edit nbsp The monument for the Holocaust Writings in the area of ancient Maroneia confirm the presence of Jews in the area In the 16th century the Jewish community of Komotini consisted of Sephardite Jews who were textile and wool merchants Many of the Jews had come to Komotini as immigrants from Edirne and Thessaloniki The Jewish community was concentrated within the ancient walls of the city and was expanded after 1896 to the west along Makavaion street renamed Karaoli where the Jewish school and Jewish club were located The synagogue Beth El was built in the 19th century within the citadel and was enlarged in stages as late as in 1914 The synagogue was used as a stable during WWII and later stood abandoned for many years After the roof collapsed in 1993 the synagogue was demolished in 1994 10 In 1900 there were 1 200 Jews In 1910 the Alliance Israelite Universelle School started functioning Greek French and Hebrew were taught in the school In 1912 13 many Jews moved to larger cities such as Thessaloniki and Istanbul After the liberation of Komotini May 1920 the Israelite community of Komotini had a Cultural Club and Charity organisations During the Bulgarian administration the Bulgarians Nazi allies arrested 863 11 Jews and sent them to the concentration camp of Treblinka where they were exterminated 28 survived the Holocaust In 1958 the Israelite community was dissolved due to lack of members In 2004 the municipality of Komotini created a memorial southern entrance of Central Park for the victims of the Holocaust 12 13 14 15 Geography editThe city stands at an altitude of 32 38m on the Thracian plain near the foothills of the Rhodope Mountains It is situated between two rivers Boklutzas on the west and Trelohimaros on the east which form alongside the Karidia stream the river Bosbozis There is little urban planning in the older parts of city in contrast to more recently developed quarters According to the 2011 census the municipality s population amounts to 66 919 a number that does not include approximately 12 000 resident students trainees and soldiers There are two airports near Komotini The nearest is in Alexandroupoli 65 km and the other is in Kavala 80 km It has 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 Odos motorway Climate edit Climate data for Komotini GreeceMonth Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec YearMean daily maximum F C 48 9 50 10 55 13 64 18 73 23 82 28 88 31 88 31 79 26 69 21 58 14 50 10 67 19 Mean daily minimum F C 33 1 34 1 38 3 45 7 53 12 61 16 65 18 65 18 58 14 51 11 42 6 36 2 48 416 9 12 Source lt World Weather Online gt Komotini Monthly Climate Averages Komotini Monthly Climate Average Greece World Weather Online 2016 Retrieved 13 September 2016 Municipality edit nbsp Eski Mosque nbsp Saint Gregory Illuminator Armenian church nbsp Tsanaklis mansionThe municipality Komotini was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following 3 former municipalities that became municipal units 16 Aigeiros Komotini Neo SidirochoriThe municipality has an area of 644 934 km2 the municipal unit 385 386 km2 17 Quarters edit 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 StratonesSuburbs edit Komotini Industrial Zone SE 9 km 6 mi from City centre with dozens of factories and an environmentally friendly natural gas fuelled power plant Panepistimioupoli Democritus University Campus NW 3 km 2 mi from City Centre home of D U TH Ifaistos NW adjacent to Nea Mosinoupoli home of a large Roma community Roditis SE 5 km 3 mi from City Centre residential area with upmarket properties Karidia NE 4 km 2 mi from City Centre residential area with upmarket properties Kosmio S 3 km 2 mi from City Centre residential area Thrilorio SE 8 km 5 mi from City Centre residential area Ampelokipoi SE 2 km 1 mi from City Centre residential area Kikidio SE 2 km 1 mi from City Centre mixed residential business area Ifantes W 2 km 1 mi from City Centre mixed residential business areaProvince edit nbsp The Golden Bust of Septimius Severus The province of Komotini Greek Eparxia Komothnhs was one of the provinces of the Rhodope Prefecture Its territory corresponded with that of the current municipalities Komotini and Iasmos and the municipal units Maroneia and Organi 18 It was abolished in 2006 Education edit nbsp Building of the Democritus University of ThraceThere are more than adequate primary and secondary education facilities in the city There are around 20 primary schools 7 gymnasia junior high schools and 4 lykeia high schools as well as the Institute for Vocational Training IEK Komotini In addition there is 2 technical education institutes TEE Komotini is an established 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 following Law School Physical Education and Sport Sciences History and Ethnology Greek Literature Social Administration International Financial Relations and Development Business Management commencing in 2009 Politics commencing in 2009 Languages Literature and Civilization of Black Sea countriesThe Komotini campus has a dynamic 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 positive influence on the entire urban area fuelling the city s expansion and growth The Police Academy is located 7 kilometres 4 miles from Komotini on the road to Xanthi on extensive grounds and with modern facilities Media editTelevision edit The main television station based in Komotini is R Channel although other stations broadcast from the city namely Delta from neighbouring Alexandroupoli and ET3 the northern branch of the Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation from Thessaloniki Radio edit The main Radio Stations broadcasting from Komotini are ERA Komotinis part of the national ERA network greatest coverage area in N Greece Radio Paratiritis Diavlos Rodopis Hit FM Joy FM Radio Komotini Isik FM Radio CityPress edit There has been increasing activity in this sector for the last 50 years There are now 7 daily and 2 weekly active newspapers in the city Paratiritis tis Thrakis Observer of Thrace Multilingual recognised with distinction by the President of The Hellenic Republic for its innovation politics and culture To Elefthero Vima Free Standpoint Politics and culture Thrakiki Agora Thracian Market Weekly Politics and Financial news I Paremvasi Intervention Politics I Foni tis Rodopis Voice of Rodopi Politics Antifonitis The Opposition Reactionary Politics satirical commentary Thrakiki Gi Thracian Land Politics and Agricultural News I Patrida The Homeland One of the oldest Politics All of the above are paper based However there is an increasing volume of news and content that is on the newspapers websites The latter can be accessed from the news section of Komotini s commercial portal 19 Transportation edit nbsp The railway station Komotini is a midland city and has no port It is served by two airports The nearest is in Alexandroupoli 65 km and the other is in Kavala 80 km Highway network edit European route E90 runs through the city and connects Komotini with the other Greek Continental cities The Egnatia Motorway A2 lies south of the city One can enter the city from one of two Junctions Komotini West and Komotini East Public transit edit There are a number of municipal buses serving 3 main lines within the city The Intercity Bus Company of Komotini connects it to many local villages the coastal areas and major Greek cities Railway edit The city is served by Hellenic Train with services running regularly at least twice daily westwards to Thessaloniki and Athens and eastwards to Evros and occasionally Istanbul The station is located outside the city Center Sports edit nbsp Panthrakikos Sports CenterThere is an impressive array of sports facilities available They include the Komotini Municipal Stadium Home of Panthrakikos FC Panthrakiko Stadium training grounds Municipal Sports Complex NE of the city Municipal Swimming pool and Basketball Arena Democritus University Sports Complex including an Arena and an Aquatic Centre as well as basketball courts in almost every school in the city The mountainous area in the north of the city is ideal for mountain biking and trekking as well as 4x4 racing both of which take place throughout the year Sport clubs based in KomotiniClub Founded Sports AchievementsAE Komotinis 1936 Football Volleyball Earlier presence in A1 Ethniki volleyballPanthrakikos F C 1963 Football Earlier presence in Alpha EthnikiGAS Komotinis 1976 Basketball Earlier presence in A2 Ethniki basketballHistorical population editYear Town population Municipality population1981 34 051 37 4871991 37 036 39 9272001 43 326 52 6592011 50 990 66 919Notable people editSee also Category People from Komotini Sadik Achmet 20 Komotini 1947 Komotini 1995 Turkish politician Konstantinos Baniotis b 1986 high jumper 21 22 Archbishop Chrysanthus of Athens Gratini 1881 Athens 1949 Paschalis Draganidis b 1992 footballer Frangoulis Frangos b Komotini 1951 general chief of the Hellenic Army General Staff former Minister for National Defence 23 Apostolos Grozos Komotini 1892 Bucharest 1981 politician leader of the Communist Party of Greece Akis Dagazian b Komotini 1975 international relations specialist economist businessman diplomat Chairman of the Hellenic Armenian Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Greece 2017 Consul ad Honorem of the Republic of Armenia in Thessaloniki 2022 24 Hamza Hamzaoglou b Komotini 1970 Turkish footballer Hassan Hatipoglou tr Komotini 1923 Komotini 2010 Turkish journalist and politician Yanko Hristov bg Komotini 1919 Bulgaria 1994 Bulgarian partisan and diplomat Nikolaos Kaltsas b Dialambi el near Iasmos in Rhodope archaeologist director of the National Archaeological Museum Athens member of the German Archaeological Institute Stilpon Kyriakidis el Komotini 1887 Thessaloniki 1964 professor of history and folklore culture 25 26 27 28 Petros Mantalos b 1991 Greek footballer Ioannikios of Maroneia el d 1838 cleric fighter of the Greek War of Independence Nasuh Pasha d 1614 Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire George Petalotis b Komotini 1964 Greek politician 29 Paul Soulikias b Komotini 1926 Larissa 2023 Greek Canadian painter Evripidis Stylianidis b Maroneia 1966 Greek politician Minister of the Interior in 2012 13 30 31 32 33 Tzavit Tsaglar b Komotini 1944 Turkish businessman and politicianSee also editGreek Muslim minority Turks of Western Thrace PomaksReferences edit Census 2021 GR PDF Press release Hellenic Statistical Authority 2022 07 19 Retrieved 2023 01 09 a b Visit Greece KOMOTHNH www visitgreece gr D C Samsaris Historical Geography of Western Thrace during the Roman Antiquity in Greek Thessaloniki 2005 p 102 a b c d e f g h i Kiel 2004 p 330 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 Kiel 2004 pp 329 330 Kiel 2004 p 331 Reviving high rise blocks for cohesive and green neighbourhoods PDF RE Block Baseline Study European Regional Development Fund p 44 Archived from the original PDF on 22 October 2013 Retrieved 24 October 2013 MOYSOYLMANIKH MEIONOTHTA 8RAKHS hri org Archived from the original on 18 May 2019 Retrieved 24 March 2018 Messinas Elias 2022 The Synagogues of Greece A Study of Synagogues in Macedonia and Thrace With Architectural Drawings of all Synagogues of Greece Seattle ISBN 979 8 8069 0288 8 pp 121 131 Book in Hebrew Bar Zohar Michael The trains went out empty Hed Artzi Or Yhuda Israel 1999 page 86 Book in Greek To Olokaytwma twn Ellhnwn Ebraiwn Mnhmeia kai Mnhmes Kentriko Israhlitiko Symboylio Ellados 1st Edition January 2007 ISBN 978 960 86029 4 6 pages 51 56 15 March 2010 article in the Greek newspaper Parathrhths ths 8rakhs To zhthma ths istorias twn ebraiwn ths Komothnhs 3ana sthn epikairothta Me to biblio toy 8rasyboyloy Or Papastrath Apo th Gkioymoyltzina sthn Tremplinka Istoria twn Ebraiwn ths Komothnhs Archived 21 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine 3 April 2002 article in Greek newspaper o Xronos Oi Ebraioi ths Komothnhs Shmeiwmata 8rasyboyloy Or Papastrath Archived 10 June 2010 at the Wayback Machine 09 April 2010 article in Greek newspaper Parathrhths ths 8rakhs H istoria toy Sampetai kai ths Ntaizh apo thn Komothnh toy Basilh Ritzaleoy Archived 21 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine FEK A 87 2010 Kallikratis reform law text in Greek Government Gazette Population amp housing census 2001 incl area and average elevation PDF in Greek National Statistical Service of Greece Archived from the original PDF on 2015 09 21 Detailed census results 1991 PDF Archived from the original PDF on March 3 2016 39 MB in Greek and French Komotini Online Eidhseis kai Nea apo th Rodoph www kom gr Giannakidh Politwn Grafes Toy Sta8h 2019 06 11 As milhsoyme realistika gia to KIEF Parathrhths ths 8rakhs in Greek Retrieved 2021 03 22 8rakhs Parathrhths ths 2016 03 20 Pemptos ston kosmo o Kwstas Mpaniwths Parathrhths ths 8rakhs in Greek Retrieved 2021 03 24 8rakhs Parathrhths ths 2019 03 05 Deyteros sthn Eyrwph o Kwstas Mpaniwths Parathrhths ths 8rakhs in Greek Retrieved 2021 03 24 8rakhs Parathrhths ths 2012 09 27 Epitimos dhmoths Orestiadas 8a anakyrhx8ei o Fragkos Fragkoylhs Parathrhths ths 8rakhs in Greek Retrieved 2021 03 23 https en armradio am 2022 04 11 akis dagazian appointed honorary consul of the republic of armenia to thessaloniki 8rakhs Parathrhths ths 2017 05 15 Kefalaio gia th 8rakh kai thn Ellada o Stilpwn Kyriakidhs Parathrhths ths 8rakhs in Greek Retrieved 2021 03 24 8rakhs Parathrhths ths 2015 01 11 Antipelarghsh Stilpwn Kyriakidhs 1887 1964 O akamatos diakonos ston ampelwna ths episthmhs Parathrhths ths 8rakhs in Greek Retrieved 2021 03 24 8rakhs Parathrhths ths 2020 03 04 H parakata8hkh toy sofoy Komothnaioy Parathrhths ths 8rakhs in Greek Retrieved 2021 03 24 8rakhs Parathrhths ths 2021 01 09 Ena prwtoporiako biblio gia ton Karagkiozh prin 100 xronia Louis Roussel kai Stilpwn Kyriakidhs Parathrhths ths 8rakhs in Greek Retrieved 2021 03 24 8rakhs Parathrhths ths 2013 05 02 Giwrgos Petalwths pr yf Dikaiosynhs Diafaneias kai An8rwpinwn Dikaiwmatwn Oles oi politikes dynameis 8a eprepe na syzhtoyn thn protash gia thn epomenh mera ths krishs Parathrhths ths 8rakhs in Greek Retrieved 2021 03 23 8rakhs Parathrhths ths 2020 10 17 O Eyripidhs Stylianidhs mila gia to 12 tis protaseis sth Diakommatikh tis toyrkikes proklhseis th dikh ths XA Parathrhths ths 8rakhs in Greek Retrieved 2021 03 24 8rakhs Parathrhths ths 2020 06 04 Eyripidhs Stylianidhs Einai shmantiko prwta na 3eroyme emeis thn istoria mas kai se deytero xrono na zhthsoyme ayth h istoria na arxisei na anadeiknyetai Parathrhths ths 8rakhs in Greek Retrieved 2021 03 24 Bafeiadoy Natassa 2021 03 24 Th desmeysh toy X 8eoxarh gia to anoigma ths Nymfaias e3asfalise o Eyripidhs Stylianidhs Parathrhths ths 8rakhs in Greek Retrieved 2021 03 24 8rakhs Parathrhths ths 2020 05 23 Limenikoys Sta8moys se Fanari kai Marwneia diekdikhse o Eyripidhs Stylianidhs Parathrhths ths 8rakhs in Greek Retrieved 2021 03 24 Sources editKiel M 2004 Gumuld j ine The Encyclopedia of Islam New Edition Volume XII Supplement Leiden and New York BRILL pp 329 331 ISBN 978 90 04 13974 9 Messinas E 2022 The Synagogues of Greece A Study of Synagogues in Macedonia and Thrace With Architectural Drawings of all Synagogues of Greece Seattle KDP pp 121 131 and 167 170 ISBN 979 8 8069 0288 8 Messinas H 2022 H Synagwgh A8hna Ekdoseis Infognwmwn pp 37 46 ISBN 978 618 5590 21 5 Messinas H 1999 Oi Synagwges sthn Ellada h arxitektonikh toys kai h sxesh toys me ton isto ths polhs kai thn ebraikh synoikia Sygkritikh meleth ths istorias kai arxitektonikhs twn synagwgwn ths Boreioy Ellados h 8esh toys sthn ebraikh synoikia kai h paroysia toys ston poleodomiko isto apo ton 15o ston 20o aiwna Didaktorikh diatribh sto Tmhma Arxitektonwn Mhxanikwn Tomea Poleodomias kai Xwrota3ias toy EMP pp 217 238 External links edit nbsp Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Komotini nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Komotini Komotini s City Portal Archived 2006 07 19 at the Wayback Machine Komotini s Commercial Portal Umbrella organisation of Western Thrace Turks and UN ECOSOC member Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Komotini amp oldid 1188125335, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, 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