Drama, Greece
Drama
Δράμα | |
---|---|
UTC+3 (EEST) | |
Postal code | 661 00 |
Area code(s) | 2521 |
Vehicle registration | ΡΜ |
Website | dimos-dramas |
Drama (
Built at the foot of mount
During the Ottoman era, tobacco production and trade, the operation of the railway (1895) and improvement of the road network towards the port of Kavala, led to an increase in the population of the city and to the enhancement of commercial activity.[2]
Drama hosts the "Eleftheria", cultural events in commemoration of the city's liberation, at the end of June or beginning of July, and an annual film festival in September.
Name
Archaeological finds show that in the area of the modern city there used to be an ancient Greek settlement named Dyrama (Greek: Δύραμα) or alternatively Hydrama (Greek: Ύδραμα), both meaning "rich in water".[3] Some scholars associate Drama with the ancient Greek Drabescus (Greek: Δράβησκος).[4] Hydrama was notable as the place of worship for many gods of classical Greek mythology, especially Apollo and Artemis. With the passage of time Dyrama became Drama. In the South Slavic languages, the city is known as Драма which is itself a transliteration of the Greek name.[2]
History
The ancient Greeks knew the city as Hydrama or Dyrama (Ύδραμα, Δύραμα) owing to its abundant water. Later known as Drabescus, it became part of the Roman and Byzantine Empires along with the rest of Greece.
Ottoman Era
The Ottoman Empire conquered the region in 1371. In 1519 (Hijri 925) the town had 116 Muslim and 153 Christian households; it was in the jurisdiction of the beylerbey of Rumeli, Ferhad Pasha.[5] In the 19th century, the town became centre of the Sanjak of Drama. In 1912, during the First Balkan War, Bulgarian troops took Drama from the Ottomans. In 1913, as a result of the Treaty of Bucharest following the Second Balkan War, the area became part of Greece - along with the rest of eastern Macedonia.
World War II
During World War II, in the wake of the 1941 German invasion of Greece, Bulgarian troops occupied Drama from 1941 to 1944.
On 28 September 1941, the local communist party organized a
The massacres precipitated an exodus of Greeks from the Bulgarian to the German occupation zone in Central Macedonia. The terror and famine became so severe that the government in Athens considered plans for evacuating the entire Greek population to German-occupied Greece.[10]
On 4 March 1943, after midnight, the Bulgarian military authorities rounded up the Jewish population across their zone of occupation in eastern Macedonia and Thrace. The 4,000-strong community, including 589 Jews from Drama, was carried by train into Bulgarian territory and assembled in tobacco warehouses, which were empty at that time of year. From there they were taken by train to the
Geography
Climate
Drama has a Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers and chilly, wet winters.
Climate data for Drama, Greece | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 8.3 (46.9) |
11.7 (53.1) |
14.9 (58.8) |
20.2 (68.4) |
25.1 (77.2) |
29.5 (85.1) |
32.3 (90.1) |
33.1 (91.6) |
28.0 (82.4) |
20.8 (69.4) |
15.7 (60.3) |
10.1 (50.2) |
20.8 (69.4) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | 3.7 (38.7) |
6.6 (43.9) |
9.5 (49.1) |
13.7 (56.7) |
18.6 (65.5) |
22.8 (73.0) |
25.5 (77.9) |
25.9 (78.6) |
21.2 (70.2) |
14.8 (58.6) |
10.3 (50.5) |
5.0 (41.0) |
14.8 (58.6) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −0.2 (31.6) |
2.0 (35.6) |
4.3 (39.7) |
7.5 (45.5) |
12.0 (53.6) |
16.4 (61.5) |
18.5 (65.3) |
18.9 (66.0) |
14.8 (58.6) |
9.7 (49.5) |
5.6 (42.1) |
0.4 (32.7) |
9.2 (48.6) |
Average rainfall mm (inches) | 71 (2.8) |
63 (2.5) |
74 (2.9) |
38 (1.5) |
53 (2.1) |
74 (2.9) |
32 (1.3) |
22 (0.9) |
45 (1.8) |
75 (3.0) |
42 (1.7) |
71 (2.8) |
660 (26.2) |
Source: [13] |
Municipality
The municipality Drama was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following 2 former municipalities, that became municipal units (constituent communities in brackets):[14]
- Drama (Choristi, Drama, Kallifytos, Kalos Agros, Koudounia, Livadero, Makryplagio, Mavrovatos, Mikrochori, Monastiraki, Mylopotamos, Nikotsaras, Xiropotamos)
- Sidironero (Sidironero, Skaloti)
The municipality has an area of 840.103 km2, the municipal unit 488.830 km2.[15]
Population
Year | City | Municipal community | Municipality |
---|---|---|---|
1981 | 36,109 | 37,118 | 37,118 |
1991 | 37,604 | 38,546 | 47,925 |
2001 | 42,501 | 43,485 | 55,632 |
2011 | 44,823 | 45,828 | 58,944 |
2021 | 44,257 | 55,440 | 55,679 |
Economy
In the recent past, the economy of the Drama area relied heavily on the local paper and textile-clothing industries. However, these industries have either closed down or moved across the border to Bulgaria,[16] because of the low demands of the Bulgarian workforce,[17] with a negative impact on the local economy and employment. The situation worsened after 2007, when Bulgaria was admitted to the EU, and local Greek businessmen moved to expand their operations there. Other sources of revenue include agriculture, consisting mainly of tobacco plantations, small-scale mining (particularly of marble) and forestry. Recently, there have been efforts to exploit the rich local natural environment and to develop ecotourism.
There is a modern ski resort on Mount Falakro. Drama also hosts an annual short film festival.[18]
Transport
Rail transport
The town is served by
Culture
Since 1978, Drama has hosted the
Museums
Archaeological Museum
The Archaeological Museum of Drama covers human presence in the regional unit of Drama from the mid-Paleolithic Period (50,000 years before present) with traces of life from Paleolithic hunts in the caves of the source of the Angitis, up to modern times (1913).
The exhibition space consists of three main halls. In the first, archaeological finds from the cave of Maara give witness to the presence of nomadic hunters in the area from the mid-Palaeolithic period, while other finds demonstrate the life of settled farmers and animal rearers from Neolithic villages and the passage of the Copper Age in the city of Drama and the village of Sitagri. The reproduction of a Neolithic house with finds which describe the activities of Neolithic man and his daily activities is the main centre of interest for visitors of all ages.
Bust of Dionysius, found in the area of Kali Vrysi. The same hall continues the journey through time to the Iron Age and later years where the main element was the worship of Dionysius at the city of Drama itself and at Kali Vrysi and other areas of the regional unit. In the second hall architectural sculptures, pottery and coins confirm that life continued in the city and throughout the whole regional unit during early Christian, Byzantine and post-Byzantine years.
The visitor is taken through modern recent history by a photographic exhibition relating to the city of Drama, the towns of the regional unit and the mountain villages. The exhibition covers the period from the beginning of the
Ecclesiastical Museum
The history of the Christian Church in Drama began during the Byzantine period and underwent difficult and troubled times. From the 14th century when the city was captured by the Ottomans until the 20th century with successive foreign occupations, the Greek Orthodox Church in Drama struggled without end, fed by the blood of many faithful, martyrs to the faith and to the Hellenic ideal and provided succor to its followers through difficult periods.
The collection of icons dating from
Many of the exhibits are relics brought by refugees from
Other museums
- Folklore Museum (Drama)
Sport
Drama hosts many sport teams in various sports. The most famous and most popular is
Sport clubs based in Drama | |||
---|---|---|---|
Club | Founded | Sports | Achievements |
Doxa Dramas |
1918 | Football | Earlier long-time presence in A Ethniki |
Pandramaikos FC |
1969 | Football | Earlier presence in Beta Ethniki |
Drama 1986 | 1986 | Handball | Presence in A1 Ethniki |
KAOD | 1989 | Basketball | Presence in A1 Ethniki |
Titanes Dramas | 1990 | Basketball | Presence in A2 Ethniki women |
Amazones Dramas | 2005 | Football | Panhellenic title in Greek women football |
Notable people
- Kostas Apostolidis (1948–2024),[20][21][22][23] businessman
- Michael Athans (b. 1937), electrical engineer, retired MIT professor
- Grand Vizierof the Ottoman Empire, (died 1637)
- Mahmud Dramali Pasha (1780–1822), Ottoman General during the Greek Independence War
- Basilis C. Xanthopoulos (1951–1990), theoretical physicist
- Koulis Stoligkas (1910–1984), actor
- Nikos Sergianopoulos (1952–2008), television and stage actor
- Petros Gaitanos (b. 1967), singer
- Tania Tsanaklidou,(b. 1952) singer
- Natassa Theodoridou, (b. 1970), singer
- Apostolos Nikolaidis (1938–1999), singer
- Yesari Asım Arsoy (1900–1992), classical Turkish music composer - singer
- Dimitris Siovas(b. 1988), footballer
- Ioannis Fetfatzidis(b. 1990), footballer
- Paraskevas Antzas (b. 1977), footballer
- Charikleia Bouda (b. 1980), Olympic sprinter
- Stratos Perperoglou (b. 1984), basketball player
- Konstantinos Douvalidis (b. 1987), Olympic hurdler
- Athanassios Tsakiris (b. 1965), five-time Winter Olympian
- Panagiota Tsakiri (b. 1990), Olympic biathlete and cross-country skier
- Anna Korakaki (b. 1996), shooter, Gold medalist Women's 25m pistol, bronze medalist in the 10m air pistol at the 2016 Summer Olympics
Gallery
-
Grave stele of Tiberius Claudius Maximus, Archaeological Museum of Drama
-
Agia Sofia Byzantine church
-
Spierer tobacco warehouse in snow
-
Holocaust memorial
See also
Cooperation with other cities
References
- ^ a b "Αποτελέσματα Απογραφής Πληθυσμού - Κατοικιών 2021, Μόνιμος Πληθυσμός κατά οικισμό" [Results of the 2021 Population - Housing Census, Permanent population by settlement] (in Greek). Hellenic Statistical Authority. 29 March 2024.
- ^ a b c "Παρουσιάστηκε πρόβλημα" (PDF). Retrieved 15 May 2023.
- ^ a b "Visit Greece | Δράμα". Archived from the original on 2014-05-17. Retrieved 2014-05-15.
- ISBN 978-0-472-08779-2. Retrieved 3 March 2013.
- ISSN 0041-4255.
- ISBN 978-0-691-05842-9p. 273-292, also in the introduction, p. 4.
- OCLC 959881915.
- ^ Κουζινόπουλος (2011). p. 152-156.
- ^ ЦДИА, ф. 176, оп. 3. а.е. 1063, л.341
- ^ Miller (1975), p. 128.
- Yad Vashem Memorial. Retrieved 8 August 2011.
- ^ (in Hebrew): Bar-Zohar, Michael, The trains went out empty, Hed-Artzi, Or-Yhuda, Israel, 1999.
- ^ Drama (drm) Monthly Climate Average, Drama, World Weather Online, October 2019
- ^ "ΦΕΚ B 1292/2010, Kallikratis reform municipalities" (in Greek). Government Gazette.
- ^ "Population & housing census 2001 (incl. area and average elevation)" (PDF) (in Greek). National Statistical Service of Greece. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-09-21.
- ^ "Job Creation and Enterprise Development Department (EMP/ENTERPRISE)" (PDF). Ilo.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-03-27. Retrieved 2013-03-26.
- ^ Αγγελιοφόρος, September 24, 2006
- ^ "Διεθνές Φεστιβάλ Ταινιών Μικρού Μήκους Δράμας | Official website". Φεστιβάλ Ταινιών Μικρού Μήκους Δράμας.
- ^ "Short Film Festival in Drama - History". Archived from the original on 6 August 2011. Retrieved 8 August 2011.
- ^ "If Greece had more people like Costas Apostolidis". Kathimerini. 28 February 2024. Archived from the original on 29 February 2024.
- ^ "Businessman Kostas Apostolidis passed away - The "goodbye" of SEV (Hellenic Federation of Enterprises)". 28 February 2024. Archived from the original on 29 February 2024.
- ^ "Our Kostas Apostolidis, the Founder and Chairman of Raycap, among the fifty (50) protagonists of the recovery". xronikadramas.gr (in Greek). 3 July 2020. Archived from the original on 29 February 2024.
- ^ "Raycap: The "unknown" success story of the company from Drama that reached the world" (in Greek). 30 July 2023. Archived from the original on 31 July 2023.
Bibliography
- Gaydarska, B. "Prehistoric Drama and its regional context," in Stoyanov, T., Angelova, S. & Lozanov (eds), Stephanos Archaeologicos in honorem Professoris Ludmilli Getov, Vol. I (Sofia: Sofia University Press, 2005), 116 – 133.
External links
- Municipality of Drama
- Official website of Drama regional unit
- Drama travel guide from Wikivoyage