Ekali

Ekali (Greek: Εκάλη) is an affluent suburb of Athens, Greece. Located to the north of the city centre, it is a green and lush area home to many of the country's most powerful business and shipping families.[2] Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality of Kifisia, as a municipal unit.[3] It was named after the ancient Greek deme of Hecale.

For other uses, see Ekali (disambiguation).
Ekali

Εκάλη
Ekali
Location within Athens
Coordinates: 38°6′N 23°50′E
CountryGreece
Administrative regionAttica
Regional unitNorth Athens
MunicipalityKifisia
 • Municipal unit4.332 km2 (1.673 sq mi)
Elevation
330 m (1,080 ft)
Population
 (2011)[1]
 • Municipal unit
5,889
 • Municipal unit density1,400/km2 (3,500/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+2 (EET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+3 (EEST)
Postal code
145 78
Area code(s)210
Vehicle registrationZ

Etymology

Ekali was an ancient municipality of Athens and belonged to the Leontida tribe. Its inhabitant was named Ekalios. According to tradition, the name is associated with the name of a woman named Ekali. As Plutarch says, as Theseus went to Marathon, to catch the famous bull that caused great damage to the area, the weather was really bad. Thus, the Athenian king sought refuge in the hut of an old woman, called Ekali. The old woman promised Theseus that she would sacrifice to Zeus for the success of his mission. When Theseus caught the bull, he returned to the hut, but found the old woman dead. Grateful for her sacrifice, he later created the sanctuary of Ekaliou Dios and named the region Ekali where he created the homonymous municipality.

Geography

Ekali is situated at the western end of the forested Penteli mountain range. The municipal unit has an area of 4.332 km2.[4] The small river Kifisos forms the western border of the municipal unit. Ekali is situated 4 km (2 mi) northeast of Kifisia, 5 km (3 mi) southwest of Agios Stefanos and 16 km (10 mi) northeast of Athens city centre.

The main thoroughfare is Thiseos Avenue (Greek National Road 83), which connects Ekali with Kifisia and central Athens. Motorway 1 (Athens - Thessaloniki) passes west of Ekali near Thrakomakedones. Ekali is a purely residential area, which means that retail, commercial shops and professional businesses are not permitted within the community.

Notable people
  • Giannis Spyropoulos (one of the most popular Abstract Greek painters) lived in Ekali. In 1990 after the painter's death the Spyropoulos Foundation was established there.
  • Former Socialist 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".
  • Shipping, oil and banking heir and billionaire Spiros Latsis.
  • Vardis Vardinogiannis, prominent billionaire businessman.
  • Andreas Vgenopoulos (businessman), financier, largest shareholder of Marfin Investment Group.
  • Anna Vissi, famous Greek singer and artist.
  • Adonis Georgiadis, Greek politician, Minister for Development and Investment (Cabinet of Kyriakos Mitsotakis 2019-)
  • Latsis family, billionaire business family.
  • Dimitris Giannakopoulos, owner of Vianex S.A. and Panathinaikos B.C.

Sites of interest
  • Giannis Spyropoulos Museum
  • Agia Marina Church

Ekali is synonymous with great wealth and privilege. Its residents are sometimes frowned upon for being cut off from problems facing ordinary Greek people. Dahlia Hatzialexandrou, a leading character in hit series Sto Para Pente, lived in Ekali. She played the role of a clueless heiress who has no conception of the value of money.

See also
  • List of municipalities of Attica

References
  1. "Απογραφή Πληθυσμού - Κατοικιών 2011. ΜΟΝΙΜΟΣ Πληθυσμός" (in Greek). Hellenic Statistical Authority.
  2. ekathimerini.com | Where do the richest and poorest Greeks live?
  3. Kallikratis law Greece Ministry of Interior (in Greek)
  4. "Population & 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.
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