Didymoteicho
Encyclopedia
Western Thrace
Western Thrace or simply Thrace is a geographic and historical region of Greece, located between the Nestos and Evros rivers in the northeast of the country. Together with the regions of Macedonia and Epirus, it is often referred to informally as northern Greece...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. It is the seat of the municipality of the same name. The town (pop. 8,799 in 2001) sits on a plain and located south east of Svilengrad
Svilengrad
Svilengrad is a town in Haskovo Province, South-central Bulgaria, situated at the border of Turkey and Greece. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Svilengrad Municipality. As of December 2009, the town has a population of 18,132 inhabitants....
, south of Edirne
Edirne
Edirne is a city in Eastern Thrace, the northwestern part of Turkey, close to the borders with Greece and Bulgaria. Edirne served as the capital city of the Ottoman Empire from 1365 to 1453, before Constantinople became the empire's new capital. At present, Edirne is the capital of the Edirne...
, Turkey and Orestiada
Orestiada
Orestiada is the northeasternmost and northernmost city of Greece and the second largest city of the Evros peripheral unit of Thrace. The population is around 25,000. Orestiada is only 2 km west of the banks of the Evros, which forms a natural border between Greece and Turkey...
, west of Uzunköprü
Uzunköprü
Uzunköprü is a small town and a district of Edirne Province in northwestern Turkey.It is on the railway line from Istanbul towards Sofia, Belgrade and western Europe, and a frontier post on the Greek border.- Long Bridge :...
, about 20 km north of Soufli
Soufli
Soufli is a city in the Evros peripheral unit, Greece, notable for the silk industry that flourished there in the 19th century. The town stands on the eastern slope of the twin hill of Prophet Elias, one of the easternmost spurs on the Rhodope Mountains...
and about 90 km north of Alexandroupoli
Alexandroupoli
Alexandroupoli , is a city of Greece and the capital of the Evros peripheral unit in Thrace. Named after King Alexander, it is an important port and commercial center of northeastern Greece.-Name:...
. The municipality of Didymóteicho has a land area of 569.5 km² and a population of 23,484 inhabitants.
Name
The city was formerly known in KatharevousaKatharevousa
Katharevousa , is a form of the Greek language conceived in the early 19th century as a compromise between Ancient Greek and the Modern Greek of the time, with a vocabulary largely based on ancient forms, but a much-simplified grammar. Originally, it was widely used both for literary and official...
as , Didymóteichon, from , dídymos, "twin" and , teîchos, "wall". Other names of Didymoteicho include: Dimotika
Geography
Forests dominate the banks and parts of the plain. Much of the area is used for farming. The main produce is cattle, fruits and vegetables and some flowers. The hills dominate further west. Near the area lies the great forest of Dadia. Didymoteicho is located around 12 km from TurkeyTurkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
and the western banks of the Evros
Maritsa
The Maritsa or Evros , ) is, with a length of 480 km, the longest river that runs solely in the interior of the Balkans. It has its origin in the Rila Mountains in Western Bulgaria, flowing southeast between the Balkan and Rhodope Mountains, past Plovdiv and Parvomay to Edirne, Turkey...
. It is the easternmost municipality on the mainland of Greece (in its town of Pythio
Pythio
Pythio is a town located in the eastern part of Didymoteicho municipality. It is 16 km ENE of the centre. Turkey is located south and east of the town. The settlement is connected south and east of GR-51 and a road linking to Keşan and south to the Dardanelles. The border crossing is to the...
). In the west, much of the land is mountainous and forested, while farmlands are located in the central and the northern part. It is on the railway line Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
-Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
and the Greek road 51 (Alexandroupoli - Orestiada - Edirne in Turkey and Svilengrad in Bulgaria).
Municipality
The municipality Didymoteicho was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following 2 former municipalities, that became municipal units:- Didymoteicho
- MetaxadesMetaxadesMetaxades is a town and a former municipality in the Evros peripheral unit, East Macedonia and Thrace, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Didymoteicho, of which it is a municipal unit. Its 2001 population was 874 for the village, 914 for the community and...
Communities
The municipal unit Didymoteicho is subdivided into the following communities (constituent settlements in brackets):- Didymoteicho (Didymoteicho, Zoodochos Pigi, Neoi Psathades)
- AsvestadesAsvestadesAsvestades is a village in the municipality of Didymoteicho in the northern part of the Evros Prefecture in Greece. It is 14 km west of the centre on the GR-51 and Mavrokklisi and connects a road also connecting Metaxades and Kyprinos...
- AsimenioAsimenioAsimenio is a village in the municipality of Didymoteicho in the northern part of the Evros Prefecture in Greece and is just 3 km east of the centre on the GR-51 and the road connecting Pythio and Petrades...
- EllinochoriEllinochori, EvrosEllinochori is a village in the northcentral part of the Evros Prefecture in Greece. Ellinochori is in the municipality of Didymoteicho...
(Ellinochori, Thyrea, LagosLagos, EvrosLagos is a village in the northeastern part of the Evros Prefecture in Greece located south of Orestiada, west of Turkey and Uzunköprü, north of Didymoteicho and NNE of Alexandroupoli. Lagos is part of the municipality of Didymoteicho. Its 2001 population was 1,403 for the settlement. A stream...
) - IsaakioIsaakioIsaakio is a town of Evros prefecture in Greece. It is located 2 kilometers north of Didymoteicho. Its population according to the 2001 census was about 800.-See also:*List of settlements in the Evros prefecture...
- KarotiKaroti, EvrosKaroti is a village in the municipality of Didymoteicho in the northern part of the Evros Prefecture in Greece and is connected with the road connecting the GR-51/E87 and Metaxades...
- KoufovounoKoufovounoKoufovouno is a Greek settlement in the municipality of Didymoteicho in the northern Evros prefecture, Greece 6 km west of town as well as the GR-51/E81 . Its 2001 population was 988...
- KyaniKyaniKyani is a Greek settlement in the municipality of Didymoteicho in the northern Evros prefecture, Greece 12 km west of town as well as the GR-51/E81...
- ManiMani, EvrosMani is a Greek village and a municipal district in the municipality of Didymoteicho in the eastcentral Evros prefecture, Greece 11 km west of town as well as the GR-51/E81 . Its 2001 population was 526 for the village and 757 for the municipal district. Its elevation is 50 m...
(Mani, EvgenikoEvgenikoEvgeniko is a village in the northeastern part of the Evros Prefecture in Greece, located south of Orestiada, 15 km west of Turkey and Uzunköprü, north of Didymoteicho and 16 km east of Bulgaria. Evgeniko is part of the community of Mani within the municipality of Didymoteicho. The village is...
, Sitaria) - PetradesPetradesPetrades is the easternmost point of mainland Greece. It is located south of the community of Pythio. The community was affected by the floods of Evros which lasted from February 17 to March 8, 2005. Turkey is to the south and to the east. Forests are along the riverbed and farmlands are along...
- PoimenikoPoimenikoPoimeniko or Pimeniko , older form: -on is a Greek village and a municipal district in the municipality of Didymoteicho in the eastcentral Evros prefecture, Greece 20 km northwest of the town as well as the GR-51/E81 . Its 2001 population was 551 for the village. Its elevation is 120 m...
- Prangio
- PythioPythioPythio is a town located in the eastern part of Didymoteicho municipality. It is 16 km ENE of the centre. Turkey is located south and east of the town. The settlement is connected south and east of GR-51 and a road linking to Keşan and south to the Dardanelles. The border crossing is to the...
(Pythio, Rigio, Stathmos) - SitochoriSitochori, EvrosSitochori is a village in the western part of the municipality of Didymoteicho in the northcentral Evros Prefecture. Sitochori is located southwest of Orestiada, about 10 km west of Didymoteicho and Turkey, north of Soufli, north-northeast of Alexandroupoli and east of Bulgaria...
- Sofiko
The largest settlements, other than Didymoteicho itself, are Lagós (pop. 1,403), Koufóvouno (958), Sofikó (926), Ellinochóri (756), and Karotí (723).
Ancient times
The area around the town was founded at neolithic times. It was an important Thracian and Hellenistic town. The town was sacked by the RomansAncient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
in 204 BC. In the early 2nd century, the Roman emperor Trajan
Trajan
Trajan , was Roman Emperor from 98 to 117 AD. Born into a non-patrician family in the province of Hispania Baetica, in Spain Trajan rose to prominence during the reign of emperor Domitian. Serving as a legatus legionis in Hispania Tarraconensis, in Spain, in 89 Trajan supported the emperor against...
created a new city between the two hills surrounding the town and named it Plotinopolis after his wife Pompeia Plotina
Pompeia Plotina
Pompeia Plotina Claudia Phoebe Piso or Pompeia Plotina was a Roman Empress and wife of Roman Emperor Trajan. She was renowned for her interest in philosophy, and her virtue, dignity and simplicity. She was particularly devoted to the Epicurean philosophical school in Athens, Greece...
. The city would later be one of the most important town in Thrace, having her own assembly. Its remains are now known as the Kale, after the Turkish for "castle". In the 1980s, a solid gold bust of Trajan was found on the site of Plotinopoulis and is now in the museum at Komotini
Komotini
Komotini is a city in Thrace, northeastern Greece. It is the capital of the region of East Macedonia and Thrace and of the Rhodope regional unit. It is also the administrative center of the Rhodope-Evros super-prefecture. The city is home to the Democritus University of Thrace, founded in 1973...
.
Medieval era
In medieval times, known as Demotika, it was an important market town and one of the finest hunting places for emperors and later sultans. It was well fortified by the ByzantineByzantine
Byzantine usually refers to the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages.Byzantine may also refer to:* A citizen of the Byzantine Empire, or native Greek during the Middle Ages...
s and after their reconquest of Constantinople in 1261, it became the most important city in Thrace and Byzantine Macedonia. The city was besieged several times by the Second Bulgarian Empire
Second Bulgarian Empire
The Second Bulgarian Empire was a medieval Bulgarian state which existed between 1185 and 1396 . A successor of the First Bulgarian Empire, it reached the peak of its power under Kaloyan and Ivan Asen II before gradually being conquered by the Ottomans in the late 14th-early 15th century...
, and during the Byzantine civil wars of the 14th century, it rose to prominence as the seat of Andronikos III Palaiologos
Andronikos III Palaiologos
Andronikos III Palaiologos, Latinized as Andronicus III Palaeologus was Byzantine emperor from 1328 to 1341, after being rival emperor since 1321. Andronikos III was the son of Michael IX Palaiologos and Rita of Armenia...
and John VI Kantakouzenos
John VI Kantakouzenos
John VI Kantakouzenos or Cantacuzenus was the Byzantine emperor from 1347 to 1354.-Early life:Born in Constantinople, John Kantakouzenos was the son of a Michael Kantakouzenos, governor of the Morea. Through his mother Theodora Palaiologina Angelina, he was a descendant of the reigning house of...
. The city was also the birthplace of emperors John III Vatatzes and John V Palaiologos
John V Palaiologos
John V Palaiologos was a Byzantine emperor, who succeeded his father in 1341, at age nine.-Biography:...
.
Ottoman era
The Battle of Demotika, the Ottomans' first victory in Europe, was fought before the city in 1352 during yet another Byzantine civil war. In 1361, and after several years of siege, the Ottomans succeeded in conquering the city. Unlike the neighbouring Adrianople which was burnt to the ground, they kept the town intact and made it the capital of the Ottoman EmpireOttoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
for a short time. It was then that they build the great mosque and the baths of the town, both of which were the first of their kind in the European continent. Under Turkish rule the town was known as Dimetoka or Demotika. The Ottoman sultan Bayezid II
Bayezid II
Bayezid II or Sultân Bayezid-î Velî was the oldest son and successor of Mehmed II, ruling as Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1481 to 1512...
was born there. After the Battle of Poltava, the exiled King Charles XII of Sweden
Charles XII of Sweden
Charles XII also Carl of Sweden, , Latinized to Carolus Rex, Turkish: Demirbaş Şarl, also known as Charles the Habitué was the King of the Swedish Empire from 1697 to 1718...
lived in the town (1713–1714). During the Ottoman period, it was a major center for the Bektashi
Bektashi
Bektashi Order or Bektashism is an Islamic Sufi order founded in the 13th century by the Persian saint Haji Bektash Veli. In addition to the spiritual teachings of Haji Bektash Veli the order was significantly influenced during its formative period by both the Hurufis as well as the...
Sufi order.
Modern era
In 1912 the town was briefly occupied by the Bulgarians during the First Balkan WarFirst Balkan War
The First Balkan War, which lasted from October 1912 to May 1913, pitted the Balkan League against the Ottoman Empire. The combined armies of the Balkan states overcame the numerically inferior and strategically disadvantaged Ottoman armies and achieved rapid success...
, only to return to the Ottomans a year later. The latter offered the city to Bulgaria in 1914, as a reward for entering World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
on the side of the Central Powers
Central Powers
The Central Powers were one of the two warring factions in World War I , composed of the German Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Bulgaria...
. The town was withdrawn from Bulgaria under the terms of the 1919 Treaty of Neuilly
Treaty of Neuilly
The Treaty of Neuilly-sur-Seine, dealing with Bulgaria for its role as one of the Central Powers in World War I, was signed on 27 November 1919 at Neuilly-sur-Seine, France....
. As other places in Western Thrace
Western Thrace
Western Thrace or simply Thrace is a geographic and historical region of Greece, located between the Nestos and Evros rivers in the northeast of the country. Together with the regions of Macedonia and Epirus, it is often referred to informally as northern Greece...
Didymoteicho was under temporary management of the Entente
Allies of World War I
The Entente Powers were the countries at war with the Central Powers during World War I. The members of the Triple Entente were the United Kingdom, France, and the Russian Empire; Italy entered the war on their side in 1915...
led by the French General Sharpe. In the second half of April 1920, at the San Remo conference
San Remo conference
The San Remo Conference was an international meeting of the post-World War I Allied Supreme Council, held in Sanremo, Italy, from 19 to 26 April 1920. It was attended by the four Principal Allied Powers of World War I who were represented by the prime ministers of Britain , France and Italy and...
of the prime ministers of the main allies of the Entente powers (except USA), Western Thrace was given to Greece. The Second World War devastated Didymoteicho.
The town was considerably affected by the Evros river flooding of February 17 to 22
February 2005
February 2005: ← – January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – December – →...
, 2005. Flood warnings were reported at that time. It devastated much of the town on Wednesday, March 2, 2005
March 2005
'March 2005': ← – January 2005 – February 2005 – March – April 2005 – May 2005 – June 2005 – July 2005 – August 2005 – September 2005 – October 2005 – November 2005 – December 2005 – →...
and continued for several days. On Friday, March 4, flood waters began to ebb slowly. Over 5,000 mm of rainfall caused the river to overflow its banks. Buildings, properties and stores were flooded, leaving people stranded. It was the worst flood in nearly 50 years. The railway line south of Didymoteicho and near the station was also flooded and was closed. Serious flooding was also experienced in March 2006 throughout the city and the general Evros area.
Landmarks
- A 14th-century mosque, situated by the city square. It was built in 1395 or 1397 under Sultan Bayezid IBayezid IBayezid I was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, from 1389 to 1402. He was the son of Murad I and Valide Sultan Gülçiçek Hatun.-Biography:Bayezid was born in Edirne and spent his youth in Bursa, where he received a high-level education...
. - Castle, situated in the northwestern part of town
- Didymoteicho Folklore Museum
- The 'Silent Baths', the oldest hamamHamamHamam may refer to:* Turkish bath in Turkish* Hamam , a 1997 European film directed by Ferzan Özpetek* Hamam , brand of soap in India* Sam Hammam , Lebanese businessman and football club owner...
in Europe. They are still in use today. - International Centre of Young Artists of Eastern Europe, Website
- Central Square , next to the town hall
- Military Museum, http://www.army.gr/html/EN_Army/istoria/mouseia/didimoteixou/index_en.html,
- Municipal Theatre, on Georgios Street
- The ruins of the ancient city of Plotinopolis.
- The Byzantine town wall and it's fortifications, situated around the town.
Bayzeid - Mehmed I Mosque - 14th-century
The construction of the Mosque Bayzeid (Mehmed IMehmed I
Mehmed I Çelebi was a Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1413 to 1421. He was one of the sons of Bayezid I and Valide Sultan Devlet Hatun Mehmed I Çelebi (Ottoman: چلبی محمد, Mehmed I or Mehmed Çelebi) (1382, Bursa – May 26, 1421, Edirne, Ottoman Empire) was a Sultan of the Ottoman Empire...
) was commissioned by the Sultan Mehmed, son of Bayzeid and it was inaugurated in March 1420. The Mosque nowadays is ruined but a maintenance - renovation project is running by the Greek Ministry of culture.
Historical population
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1991 | 19,450 |
| 2001 | 18,998 |
Notable people
- John III Doukas VatatzesJohn III Doukas VatatzesJohn III Doukas Vatatzes, Latinized as Ducas Vatatzes |Nymphaion]]) was emperor of Nicaea 1221–1254.-Life:John Doukas Vatatzes was probably the son of the general Basileios Vatatzes, Duke of Thrace, who died in 1193, and his wife, an unnamed daughter of Isaakios Angelos and cousin of the Emperors...
(c. 1192-1254), emperor of NicaeaEmpire of NicaeaThe Empire of Nicaea was the largest of the three Byzantine Greek successor states founded by the aristocracy of the Byzantine Empire that fled after Constantinople was occupied by Western European and Venetian forces during the Fourth Crusade... - John V PalaiologosJohn V PalaiologosJohn V Palaiologos was a Byzantine emperor, who succeeded his father in 1341, at age nine.-Biography:...
(1332–1391), Byzantine Emperor - Bayezid IIBayezid IIBayezid II or Sultân Bayezid-î Velî was the oldest son and successor of Mehmed II, ruling as Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1481 to 1512...
(1481–1512) Sultan of the Ottoman Empire - Eugenios EugenidisEugenios EugenidisEugenios Eugenidis was a prominent Greek shipping magnate of the 20th century.- Early life :Eugenios Eugenidis was born in Didymoteicho on 22 December 1882, the son of Agapios Eugenidis, a senior judge in the Ottoman Empire, and of Charikleia Afentaki...
(1882–1954), shipping magnate - Silahdar Seyyid Mehmed Pasha 18th century OttomanOttoman EmpireThe Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
Grand Vizier
External links
| North: Orestiada Orestiada Orestiada is the northeasternmost and northernmost city of Greece and the second largest city of the Evros peripheral unit of Thrace. The population is around 25,000. Orestiada is only 2 km west of the banks of the Evros, which forms a natural border between Greece and Turkey... | |||
| West: Metaxades Metaxades Metaxades is a town and a former municipality in the Evros peripheral unit, East Macedonia and Thrace, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Didymoteicho, of which it is a municipal unit. Its 2001 population was 874 for the village, 914 for the community and... | Didymoteicho | East: Turkey Turkey Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe... | |
| Southwest: Lavara Lavara Lavara is a town located in the eastern part of Evros. It was the seat of the municipality of Orfeas . It is located only 2 km from Turkey and the western banks of the Evros.... | Southeast: Turkey Turkey Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe... |
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