Kifisia Κηφισιά | |
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 The Villa "Atlantis" the work of architectErnst Ziller (1837-1923) | |
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  Kifisia | |
| Coordinates:38°5′N23°49′E / 38.083°N 23.817°E /38.083; 23.817 | |
| Country | Greece |
| Administrative region | Attica |
| Regional unit | North Athens |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Vasileios Xypolytas[1] (since 2023) |
| Area | |
• Municipality | 35.10 km2 (13.55 sq mi) |
| • Municipal unit | 25.937 km2 (10.014 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 290 m (950 ft) |
| Population (2021)[2] | |
• Municipality | 72,878 |
| • Density | 2,076/km2 (5,378/sq mi) |
| • Municipal unit | 48,700 |
| • Municipal unit density | 1,880/km2 (4,860/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
| Postal code | 145 xx |
| Area code | 210 |
| Vehicle registration | Z |
| Website | www.kifissia.gr |
Kifisia orKifissia (alsoKephisia orCephissia;Greek:Κηφισιά,pronounced[cifiˈsça]) is a municipality and one of the most affluent northern suburbs in theAthens agglomeration,Attica,Greece, mainly accessed via Kifissias Avenue, running all the way from central Athens up to Theseos Avenue in the suburb ofNea Erythraia. It has traditionally been home to rich Greek families and majorGreek political families.
The municipality Kifisia was formed during the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following 3 former municipalities, that became municipal units:[3]
The municipality has an area of 35.100 km2, the municipal unit 25.937 km2.[4]
Kifisia is situated in centralAttica, at the western end of the forestedPenteli mountain range. The small riverKifisos forms the western border of the municipality. Kifisia is situated 12 km northeast of Athens city centre. The built-up area of Kifisia is continuous with those of the neighbouring suburbsLykovrysi,Nea Erythraia,Marousi andPefki. Kifisia consists of the following neighbourhoods: Adames, Ano Kifisia, Kato Kifisia, Kefalari, Nea Kifisia and Politeia (or Politia[5]). It is a green suburb with many parks and tree-lined streets.
The main thoroughfare isKifisias Avenue, which connects Kifisia with central Athens and theA6 toll motorway. TheKifisia station is the north terminus ofAthens Metro Line 1.
Kifisia has a hot-summerMediterranean climate (Csa) with hot, dry summers and cool, rainy winters. Owing to its higher elevation, Kifisia, like most of the northern part ofAthens, has a significantly lower mean annual temperature than the center and the coastal parts of the city (16.1 °C) according to the 1956-2010 annual average of the adjacent weather station ofTatoi, though this has slightly increased in recent years.
Yearly precipitation totals around 450 mm, one of the highest values for the whole Athens basin, mostly due to the higher amounts of precipitation received caused byLake-effect rain or snow from theAegean Sea to the north-east in the winter months[6] and the somewhat more frequent occasional summer thunderstorms, when compared to the rest of the city. Snow in particular, though not excessively common, can cause heavy disruption to daily life as it occasionally falls in large amounts during short periods. Notably, snow accumulation had reached 80 cm during a severe snowstorm on 4–6 January 2002.[7]
| Climate data for Tatoi, 235 m asl (1956-2010) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 11.7 (53.1) | 12.5 (54.5) | 14.9 (58.8) | 19.4 (66.9) | 25.0 (77.0) | 29.9 (85.8) | 32.1 (89.8) | 31.9 (89.4) | 27.9 (82.2) | 22.4 (72.3) | 17.5 (63.5) | 13.2 (55.8) | 21.5 (70.8) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 3.4 (38.1) | 3.6 (38.5) | 5.1 (41.2) | 7.9 (46.2) | 12.1 (53.8) | 16.5 (61.7) | 19.5 (67.1) | 19.6 (67.3) | 15.8 (60.4) | 12.0 (53.6) | 8.0 (46.4) | 5.1 (41.2) | 10.7 (51.3) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 67.5 (2.66) | 50.9 (2.00) | 49.7 (1.96) | 24.6 (0.97) | 23.2 (0.91) | 10.3 (0.41) | 10.9 (0.43) | 5.5 (0.22) | 19.2 (0.76) | 51.3 (2.02) | 59.2 (2.33) | 79.7 (3.14) | 452 (17.81) |
| Source: Hellenic National Meteorological Service[8] | |||||||||||||
Cephisia was ademe of ancientAthens. It was the home of the famous dramatistMenander (circa 342-291 BC).[9] Cephisia had become a famous retreat of philosophers during the reign of the Roman emperorHadrian, when the wealthyHerodes Atticus ofMarathon, Greece built the Villa Cephisia. In hisAttic Nights,Aulus Gellius describes the unique ambiance of intellectual ferment and aristocratic leisure in an idyllic setting which he created there. It was also the practice of Herodes to provide free instruction in philosophy for selected youths fromAthens. The remains of some of his family funeral monuments lie at the centre of the town in Platonas Square. He also beautified a sanctuary to theNymphs in the ravine of Kokkinara, in the nearby district of Kefalari.[10]
The history of Kifisia during the medieval period is obscure, but the remains of a monastery church dedicated to the Virgin of theSwallow (Panagia Chelidonas) is associated with a story about a battle fought there between local people and unspecified "invaders". This chapel is a rare example of a monastery church originally provided with a fireplace, for the chimney remains.[10]
During the Ottoman period, in 1667, Kifisia was visited by the Turkish travelerEvliya Çelebi. He described a small country town set in a fertile plain of paradisaic beauty, with three hundred tile-roofed houses. Half the inhabitants of the town were Muslims and half were Christians. He records that there was a single mosque, without a minaret, and many small Christian chapels - some of which survive today.[10]
The temperature in Kifisia tends to be significantly lower than that of the city,[11] so following the independence of Greece, it quickly became a summer resort of the ruling class of the new state.
The village was home to anArvanitika speaking community, however due to its proximity toAthens, it has undergone a language shift.[12] The popularity of Kifissia faded somewhat during the middle of the nineteenth century when the danger of raids bybrigands who infested the nearby mountains was very real. However, the suppression of brigandage, and the arrival of the railway in 1885, led to the dramatic development of the area.
It became the fashion for wealthy Athenian families to build summer houses in Kifisia, and keen social competition led to the creation of a unique architectural ambiance, as villas in ever more exotic styles proliferated. For those unable to afford a summer house, many hotels were built, where the slightly less affluent could spend the holiday months rubbing shoulders with their social betters.
The heyday of Kifisia was probably during the inter-war period, when the leaders of the two main rival political parties frequented different hotels in the town together with their most important supporters.[10]
Following the liberation of Greece from German occupation in 1944, the BritishRoyal Air Force ill-advisedly made its headquarters in Kefalari, taking over several hotels. With the outbreak of theGreek Civil War, the RAF personnel were first besieged, then forced to surrender, and marched across the mountains into northern Greece; being released inTrikala only after a truce had been arranged.[10]
TheGoulandris Museum of Natural History is situated in the heart of Kifissia and has collections from the natural wildlife of the Greek territory.
Accenture,Aegean Airlines,Barcleys,BP,Eurobank Ergasias,Eltrak,Ellaktor,Kioleides,FerrariMetaxa,Metro S.A.,Volvo and others have their head office in Kifisia.[13]
Kifissia has several sport clubs in different sports.[14] From them, most notable areZAON, club with many Panhellenic titles inGreek women volleyball,Kifissia AC that plays almost constantly in men volleyball first division (A1 Ethniki) andNea Kifissia B.C. that plays in basketball first division (Greek Basket League). The football team of Kifissia isKifissia F.C., and plays inSuper League Greece (top division). Kifissia also is the seat ofAthina 90 (most times winner inFutsal League),AOH Hymettus (most times winner inField Hockey League), and Iraklis Kifissias Presence in A1 Womans Category, with more than 200 athletes in Iraklis Kifissias Volleyball Academy.
| Sport clubs based in Kifissia | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Club | Founded | Sports | Achievements |
| Kifissia AC | 1932 | Volleyball | Presence in A1 Ethniki |
| A.E. Kifisia F.C. (Former: AO Kifissia, Elpidoforos) | 2012 (1932) (1971) | Football | Presence in theSuper League Greece |
| Iraklis Kifissias | 1992 | Volleyball | Presence in A1 Womans Category, with more than 200 athletes in Iraklis Kifissias Academy |
| ZAON Kifissia | 1966 | Volleyball,Basketball | Panhellenic titles in women volleyball |
| Athina 90 | 1990 | Futsal | Panhellenic titles in Futsal |
| AOH Hymettus | 1990 | Field Hockey | Panhellenic titles in Field Hockey |
| Nea Kifissia B.C. | 1996 | Basketball | Presence in A1 Ethniki |
The population grew fast between 1991-2001 by 18.3% while in 2001-2011 the percentage was lower, 7.13%[15]
| Year | Municipal unit | Municipality |
|---|---|---|
| 1951 | 12,991 | - |
| 1981 | 31,876 | - |
| 1991 | 39,166 | - |
| 2001 | 43,929 | - |
| 2011 | 47,332 | 70,600 |
| 2021 | 48,700 | 72,878 |
Places adjacent to Kifissia | |
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Administrative divisions of theAttica Region | ||
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| Regional unit ofCentral Athens |  | |
| Regional unit ofNorth Athens | ||
| Regional unit ofWest Athens | ||
| Regional unit ofSouth Athens | ||
| Regional unit ofPiraeus | ||
| Regional unit ofEast Attica | ||
| Regional unit ofWest Attica | ||
| Regional unit ofIslands | ||
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| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
