İskeçe
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Xanthi Ξάνθη |
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View of Xanthi
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 Xanthi
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Location within the region
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| Coordinates: 41°8′N 24°53′E / 41.133°N 24.883°ECoordinates: 41°8′N 24°53′E / 41.133°N 24.883°E | |
| Country | Greece |
| Administrative region | East Macedonia and Thrace |
| Regional unit | Xanthi |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Charalambos Dimarchopoulos |
| Area | |
| • Municipality | 495.1 km2 (191.2 sq mi) |
| • Municipal unit | 153.1 km2 (59.1 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 43 m (141 ft) |
| Population (2014) | |
| • Municipality | 70,873 |
| • Municipality density | 140/km2 (370/sq mi) |
| • Municipal unit | 63,083 |
| • Municipal unit density | 410/km2 (1,100/sq mi) |
| Community | |
| • Population | 56,151 (2014) |
| Time zone | EET (UTC+2) |
| • Summer (DST) | EEST (UTC+3) |
| Postal code | 671 00 |
| Area code(s) | 2541 |
| Vehicle registration | AH |
| Website | www.cityofxanthi.gr |
Xanthi (Greek: Ξάνθη, Xánthi, [ˈksanθi]; Turkish: İskeçe) is a city in Thrace, northeastern Greece. It is the capital of the Xanthi regional unit of the region of East Macedonia and Thrace.
Amphitheatrically built on the foot of Rhodope mountain chain, the city is divided by the Kosynthos River, into the west part, where the old and the modern town are located, and the east part that boasts a rich natural environment. The Old Town of Xanthi is known throughout Greece for its distinctive architecture, combining many Byzantine Greek churches with neoclassical mansions of Greek merchants from the 18th and 19th centuries and Ottoman-era mosques. Other landmarks in Xanthi include the Archaeological Museum of Abdera and the Greek Folk Art Museum.
Xanthi is famous throughout Greece (especially Macedonia and Thrace) for its annual spring carnival (Greek: καρναβάλι) which has a significant role in the city's economy. Over 40 cultural associations from around Greece participate in the carnival program. The festivities which take place during the period include concerts, theatre plays, music and dance nights, exhibitions, a cycling event, games on the streets, and re-enactments of old customs.
Xanthi is known as "İskeçe" in Turkish and "Скеча" (Skecha) or "Ксанти" (Ksanti) in Bulgarian.
Probably is identified with the ancient city of Xantheia mentioned in the 1st BC century by the geographer Strabo, but was not mentioned by any other ancient historian. It began as a small village and experienced all the tumultuous periods of the history of Thrace, such as raids, disasters, ethnic conflicts, civil wars. The population of the region of Xanthi had dwindled down to almost nothing, as the region was depopulated in the third century and almost everything had been destroyed when the Ottomans conquered the region in 1361AD. For this reason, the Ottomans brought settlers from within of Asia Minor, which is how Genisea (Γενισέα) was created, while Oraio (Ωραίο) and Xanthi remained mainly Greek and Christian centres.
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Wikipedia