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Agia Paraskevi

Statistics
Prefecture: Attica
Metropolitan Area: Athens
Location:
Latitude:
Longitude:

38.0015 (38°0'9') N lat.
23.82 (23°49'15') E long.
Area:
-Total

7 km²
Population: (2001)
 - Total
 - Density

 56,836
 8,119.43/km²
Elevation:
 -lowest:
 -centre:
 -highest:

about 200 m
230 m(centre)
around 1,100 m
Postal code: 153, 154
Area/distance code: 11-30-210 (030-210)
-600 through 609
Statistical code: 0102
Car designation: Y (prev.)
Z pres.
3-letter abbreviation: APR
Address of administration: 463 Mesogeion Ave.
Agia Paraskevi 155 43
Website: www.agiaparaskevi.gr (in Greek)

Agia Paraskevi (Greek: Αγία Παρασκευή) is a suburb in Athens, Greece. It is bounded northeast by Athens, where ERT studios are located. Its distance from Athens is about 10 km. Its total size is about 600 m by 600 m. Its location is in the southeast. It includes some satellites. Its rest are residential. Its main street is Mesogeion. Agriculture used to dominate before the 1930s or 1940s by the booming of Athens. The highest elevation is around 800 m in the northern slopes of the Hymettus.

Agia Paraskevi consists of 5 districts which are: Kontopefko (Greek Κοντόπευκο for short pine tree, Ancient/Katharevousa Kontopefkon), Nea Zoi (Νέα Ζωή Greek for new life), Tsakos (Τσακός), Agios Ioannis (Greek: Άγιος Ιωάννης mean. Saint John) and Stavros (Σταυρός mean. cross). In the town center is the central Agia Paraskevi Square with the beautiful church dedicated to the Orthodox Saint, Agia Paraskevi, after whom the suburb is named.

Since 2004, it is bypassed along with Mesogeion Avenue and the historic Marathonos Avenue the Hymettus Ring (route 65) in the southeast which is part of the Attiki Odos privately-owned superhighway network. It has an interchange in the southeast which is the last interchange before Katechaki Avenue. The junction for the westbound lanes of Attiki Odos (route 6) is east of the boundary.

It has to be remarked that in Agia Paraskevi operates the Nuclear Research Center Demokritos which hosts the sole nuclear reactor in Greece. In the suberb is also situated the headquarters of the Greek Ministry of Agriculture.

The climate conditions in the area around Agia Paraskevi are very nice: not too cold in winter, not too hot in summer, with a medium level of humidity, and all this combined with the world-known greek sun. Due to this fact, people suffering from serious illnesses used to be brought here, as part of their treatment or in order to recover, in the years before the great urban development. In this time Agia Paraskevi was only fields and forests.

Built at the foot of Hymettus mountain, Agia Paraskevi offers a great opportunity for leisure activities such as trekking, jogging and cycling. A beautiful route on the mountain leads, through the pine-trees, to the small nun monastery of Saint John who is known as "The hunter" in this area. There is a great view from this height to all Athens as far as Piraeus. The town is constantly developing and every evening it attracts people from all over Attica as it is full of cafes, bars, small clubs and restaurants. There are also cinemas and shopping centers.

During the Olympic games in 2004, a part of the historical Marathon passed through Agia Paraskevi, in Mesogeion avenue.


Agia Paraskevi has schools, lyceums, gymnasia, churches, a post office, a municipal library and squares including Agia Paraskevi Square.

Historical population

Year Municipal population Change Density
1981 32,904 - 4,700.57/km²
1991 47,463 14,559/44.25% 6,780.43/km²
2001 56,836 9,373/19.75% 8,119.43/km²

External links





Northwest: Chalandri North: Cholargos
West: Cholargos and Neo Psychiko Agia Paraskevi East: Glyka Nera
South: Neo Psychiko

See also

A portion of content for this article is credited to Wikipedia. Content under GNU Free Documentation License(GFDL)