Aigaleo

Aigaleo or Egaleo (Greek: Αιγάλεω pronounced [eˈɣaleo]) is a municipality in the western part of the Athens aglomeration, Greece. It takes its name from Mount Aigaleo. Its population was 69,946 at the 2011 census.

Geography

Aigaleo is situated 4 km west of Athens city centre. It is southeast of Mount Aigaleo. The Cephissus river flows through the industrialized eastern part of the municipality; about 1/4 of its area is taken up by factory developments. The town is served by a Athens Metro station: Egaleo metro station. The Motorway 1 (Athens-Thessaloniki) passes through the town.

Aigaleo consists of the quarters Kato Aigaleo, Neo Aigaleo, Damarakia, Lioumi, Rosika, Agios Spyridonas and Agios Georgios.

History

Aigaleo was part of the municipality of Athens until 1934, when it became a separate community. It was raised to municipality status in 1943.

The city's present mayor is Dimitris Birbas.

Historical population

Sports

Aigaleo hosts many sport teams. The most successful is the Athletic Club Egaleo with successful departments in football (Egaleo FC) and basketball (Egaleo BC). Other amateur clubs are A.P.O. Orfeas, A.E. Egaleo City, A.S. Diagoras Dryopideon, A.P.O. Ierapolis, A.O. Cronos

Mount Aigaleo

Aigaleo or Egaleo (Greek: Αιγάλεω), and known in antiquity as Poikilon Oros (Ποικίλον Όρος), is a mountain in Attica, Greece. It lies west of Athens, southeast of Eleusis, east of the island of Salamis and northwest of Piraeus. Most of the mountain is rocky (limestone). It is shorter than Hymettus. Most of the forest is to its north where the Daphni Monastery is located. There is also a park in its northern reaches.

With its good view of the Straits of Salamis, Mount Egaleo was the site of Xerxes' throne from which he observed the Battle of Salamis.

Towns and places that surround the mountain include Perama, Piraeus, Drapetsona, Nikaia, Korydallos, the highway, and Chaidari. The Athens Metro connects the area after reducing Iera Odos (Sacred Way) into two lanes in 2002–2003.

A highway linking GR-8 and Piraeus runs through this mountain range. The refineries of Skaramangas are in the north. The new bypass on the northwestern part of the range is part of the Attiki Odos superhighway system, the Aigaleo Ring (Number 65) which was opened on January, 2004 along with the rest of the superhighway northwest of the range. The ring presently does not have full access with Athinon Avenue and GR-8 yet, but includes two interchanges.