Nea Poteidaia

Nea Poteidaia (Greek: Νέα Ποτείδαια, also Νέα Ποτίδαια) is a small town in the Moudania municipal unit, in Chalkidiki, Greece. Built on the site of the ancient city of Potidaea, 33 kilometers south-west of Polygyros, it was founded in 1922 and today has a population of 1,559 (2011).

The history of Potidea, which existed on the spot, goes back to the early 7th century B.C. when it was a Corinthian colony. The place held a strategic position in ancient times. The village of Nea Poteidaia (New Potidea) as it exists was founded in 1922 by refugees from Eastern Thrace and Kololimnos.

In 1960, archeologists discovered the bones of a young girl believed to have died almost 700,000 years ago. These are the oldest skeletal remains ever found in Greece.

Nea Potidea is an important harbor, being the only point of access to the Kassandra Peninsula.

Notable locations in the area include the remains of the castle in which the rebellious Greeks barricaded themselves in 1821. Another important tourist destination is the church of the Taxiarches founded in 1591. The church is dependent on Mount Athos and the Dochiariou monastery. Others come to see the marble statue of Aristotle, built in memory of the philosopher born in the nearby town of Stageira.

Ancient Potidea was founded in 600 BC on the saddle of the Pallini Peninsula. As the name of the city denotes, its patron was Poseidon. During the expedition of Xerxes against Greece in 480 BC, the city was defeated following a siege. However, a year later it had gathered its forces and resisted the siege of Artavazos. In the same year, it was the only city of Macedonia which, along with other Greek cities, took part in the battle of Plataea.

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