Pylaia

Map of Pylaia, Thessaloniki

Pylaia (Greek: ) is a municipality of the Thessaloniki Prefecture, in the region of Central Macedonia. Pilea covers some 27.000 m2 with 4,5 km of coastline extending along the shores of the Thermaic Gulf and has a population of around 40.000 inhabitants. Pylaia is relatively sparsely populated and has a number of large green areas within its borders.

Areas of Pylaia

• Paradosiakos Oikismos Pylaias / Παραδοσιακός οικισμός Πυλαίας
  
• Malakopi / Μαλακοπή
  
• Konstantinoipolitika / Κωνσταντινουπολίτικα
  
• Elaiones / Ελαιώνες
  
• Pourani / Πουρνάρι
  
• Kato Pylaia / Κάτω Πυλαία
  
• Patriarchiko / Πατριαρχικό
  
• Nea Elvetia / Νέα Ελβετία
  
• Lygaria / Λυγαριά
  
• Villa Ritz / Βίλλα Ριτζ
  
• Oikismos Topografon / Οικισμός Τοπογράφων
  
  

History

Seal of Pylaia, St. Elias and a gate of a castle (Kapoutzides)

History

The first reference to Pylaia is found in a historian Thucydides, in 319 BC, under the ancient name Strepsa. It was later known as Kapoutzida, from the turkish word kapoutzides, or gatemen, deriving from the guards watching over the city walls of Byzantine Thessaloniki. The current name came into general use in 1927, and is derived from the word Pily, meaning gateway and referring to the Eastern Entrance of the city.

Links

• Official website of the municipality