25/04/2007
Municipality of Eleftheroupoli

Baira Clio Source: CETI/ Athena R.C. © Prefecture of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace

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The Municipality of Eleftheroupoli has 11,400 inhabitants. It is seated at Eleftheroupoli, which is situated 17 km from the northeast of Kavala and very close to the picturesque villages of Nikisiani, Paleochori, Mesoropi and Moustheni. The Municipality also includes the settlements of Akrovouni, Chartokopi and Exochi as well as the municipal districts of Kokkinochoma, Antiphilippi, Amisiana and Chrysokastro. Eleftheroupoli is famous for a traditional settlement that was one of the most ancient towns in Eastern Macedonia and it was known as "Pravi". The settlement was founded during the Turkish Occupation at the foot of Mount Pangaion and Mount Symbolon. It was mostly inhabited by Greeks, while the Ottomans congregated at the centre of the modern town of Eleftheroupoli and the gypsies settled at the quarter now known as ?Gyftika?. Beautiful buildings are preserved offering a picture of the architecture of the period. Among them, the 2nd Primary School and the building of Chatzinikolaou that serves as a cultural centre can be distinguished.
The finds bear witness to the continuous habitation of the area from the Neolithic Age (4000 BC) through the historic times. In the second half of the 7th century, the city was conquered by the Thasians and afterwards, in the 5th century BC, by the Athenians. Finds from the Macedonian times include mostly pottery sherds found at the hill, while rich grave goods from a Hellenistic tomb (2nd century BC) found under the Holy Church of St Nicolas and a vessel with two coins of the period of the late Macedonian Kings date to the Hellenistic times. The city was traversed by the ancient road that Xerxes had followed during his expedition against Greece.
Far from being a small town in the province, Eleftheroupoli now possesses all the comforts of a big city.
The bathhouses of Eleftheres are situated close as well as the gold-bearing Mount Pangaion, which accompanied by legends found even in Greek mythology. Several legends and stories from the mythology and the antiquity refer to Mount Pangaion as the gold-bearing mountain, where Orpheus lived as well as where the sanctuary of the Thracian- Phrygian god Dionysus lied.
To date, Mount Pangaion still preserves its natural beauty and is a bright-green paradise full of firs, pines and all kinds of forest trees, which makes it an ideal place for mountain lovers, who arrive here for a one-day or several-day excursion. Many historic monasteries are also scattered all through Mount Pangaion like the Monastery of Eikosiphinissa, which is considered as the cradle of Orthodoxy; the Monastery of St Demetrius in Nikisiani; the Monastery of Ypapanti, which is a monastery that followed the old calendar and was built by abbess Phaidronia; the monastery of Panaghia Pangaiotissa. Many Monasteries afford views to Mount Athos.