Aigaleo

Aigaleo (© Copyright: Photo Stella / Shutterstock)

Aigaleo

Aigaleo, located on the western side of Athens, was known also known as the ancient "Sacred Way". The suburb took its name from Mount Aigaleo, where the Persian King Xerxes oversaw the naval battle of Salamis and his fleet destroyed by the Greeks.

The area of the Municipality of Aigaleo is 6.45 km² and the population of the last census is 69,940 inhabitants. Aigaleo crosses the Kifissos River, which is now covered and used as a motorway. The suburb is part of the Attica Eleonas, which was the renowned place of the meetings and discussions between Socrates and Plato. This is is also the only place that olive groves have survived throughout the years.

Aigaleo was massively inhabited after 1924 by refugees from Asia Minor who brought with them their culture, their traditions, and their music - making it the seat of many important folk artists. In 1934, after a decree was issued, all settlements joined the "Neon Kydonion" community and, in 1949, it formally became a municipality. During the occupation by the Germans in WWII, the residents actively contributed to the Resistance Struggle. On September 29th, 1944, the city mourned hundreds of victims from the Nazis and their collaborators. Their memory and sacrifice remained forever etched in the hearts of the inhabitants. This is a suburb with a great history and is also famous for many things in present time.