Orestiada
City in Western Thrace, Greece
title: "Orestiada" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1923-establishments-in-greece", "populated-places--established-in-1923", "orestiada", "populated-places-in-evros-(regional-unit)", "municipalities-of-eastern-macedonia-and-thrace", "provinces-of-greece", "orestes"] description: "City in Western Thrace, Greece" topic_path: "technology/web" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orestiada" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary City in Western Thrace, Greece ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox Greek Dimos"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Orestiada |
| name_local | Ορεστιάδα |
| type | municipality |
| image_skyline | Die Athanasiou Pantazidou Straße im Stadtzentrum (2017).jpg |
| caption_skyline | City centre |
| image_map | 2011 Dimos Orestiados.svg |
| periph | Eastern Macedonia and Thrace |
| periphunit | Evros |
| pop_municipality | 31686 |
| area_municipality | 955.6 |
| pop_municunit | 22005 |
| area_municunit | 256.9 |
| pop_community | 19666 |
| population_as_of | 2021 |
| elevation | 35 |
| coordinates | |
| postal_code | 682 00 |
| area_code | 25520 |
| licence | OP |
| website | www.orestiada.gr |
| georegion | Thrace |
| established_c | |
| :: |
|name = Orestiada |name_local = Ορεστιάδα |type = municipality |image_skyline = Die Athanasiou Pantazidou Straße im Stadtzentrum (2017).jpg |caption_skyline = City centre |image_map = 2011 Dimos Orestiados.svg |periph = Eastern Macedonia and Thrace |periphunit = Evros |pop_municipality = 31686 |area_municipality = 955.6 |pop_municunit = 22005 |area_municunit = 256.9 |pop_community = 19666 |population_as_of = 2021 |elevation = 35 |coordinates = |postal_code = 682 00 |area_code = 25520 |licence = OP |mayor = |website = www.orestiada.gr |city_flag = |city_seal = |districts = |party = |since = |georegion = Thrace |established_c = Orestiada (, formerly ), is the northeasternmost, northernmost and newest city of Greece and the second largest of the Evros regional unit of Thrace. It was founded in 1923 by Greek refugees from Edirne, after the population exchange between Greece and Turkey. It has a population of about 20,000.
History
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/46/Volkskundemuseum_von_Orestiada.jpg" caption="Historical and Folklore Museum of Orestiada"] ::
In ancient times, there was Orestias, a small settlement on this site which legends claim was founded by Orestes, the son of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra.
Following the Greco-Turkish War (1919–1922) and the Armistice of Mudanya (October 1922), the Western Forces surrendered Eastern Thrace to Turkey and the Greek army was ordered to withdraw within 15 days to positions east of Evros. As a result, Adrianople (renamed Edirne) which is located to the east of Evros, became Turkish, but Karagatch (Karaağaç), located to the west of Evros, remained in Greece. As Eastern Thrace was evacuated by its Greek population, several residents of Edirne fled to its neighboring suburb, Karagatch, on the other bank of the river (the west and still Greek), hoping that something would change and they could go back to their homes more easily. However at the Lausanne conference, Karagatch was transferred to Turkish control.
The 17,000 Greek inhabitants of the Karagatch Triangle learned of this concession on 27 May 1923. The abandonment of the old Orestiada began in July 1923, as the population moved beyond the Evros River, the new border. On 4 June 1923, a committee, which had only been formed the day before at a joint meeting of the inhabitants of old Orestiada, traveled 17 kilometers south, to the uninhabited rural site of Kum-Tsiflik (Sandy Estate), to view the possible new settlement. On 12 August 1923, the new city called New Orestiada was inaugurated to remind the old Orestiada, Karagatch. The inauguration of the new city took place in August 1923 by the Metropolitan of Adrianople Polycarpos, with Spyros Dassios also in attendance.
Economy
Orestiada has a medical center, an orchestra, and a choir as well as a sugar factory, outside the city which processes locally grown sugar beets. Asparagus, potatoes, tobacco, watermelons, and corn are also grown. As well, a cattle breeding fund gives commercial impetus to the city and the whole area which is in such an economically strategic location in Europe.
It is also the site of the Fylakio detention center for refugees seeking asylum in Greece. In November 2010, the European Union sent Frontex forces to Orestiada to help Greek police patrol the local section of the border with Turkey. Some 31,400 people crossed just that portion of the border in the first nine months of 2010.
Geography
Orestiada lies in the plain of the river Evros, at 40 metres above sea level. Orestiada is only 6 km west of the banks of the Evros, which forms a natural border between Greece and Turkey. Orestiada is located 17 km north of Didymoteicho, 19 km south of Edirne, 28 km southeast of the Greek-Turkish-Bulgarian tripoint, 40 km southeast of Svilengrad, 91 km northeast of Alexandroupoli, and 212 km west of Istanbul.
Transport
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6b/Bahnhof_Orestiada.jpg" caption="Railway station]], taken in 2017"] ::
Road
The Greek National Road 51/E85 passes 1 km to the west of Orestiada.
Rail
The city is served by two railway stations, the larger Orestiada railway station, and a smaller station Sakkos, both on the Alexandroupoli–Svilengrad line. Historically the city was on the İstanbul Sirkeci-Svilengrad line, since 1971 a parallel railway line that runs exclusively over Turkish territory so that the Orestiada station is now touched only by regional traffic.
Education
In 1999, Orestiada became the fourth town to host university departments (faculties) of the Democritus University of Thrace. The faculties based in Orestiada are the Department of Agricultural Development and the Department of Forestry, Environmental Management and Natural Resources. Both faculties have a five-year curriculum. More than 800 students live in the city.
Sports
Orestias hosts two sports club with presence in the higher national divisions, Orestis Orestiadas F.C. a football club and A.C. Orestias a volleyball club, playing in A1 Ethniki. ::data[format=table]
| Sport clubs based in Orestiada | Club | Founded | Sports | Achievements |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orestis Orestiadas F.C. | 1927 | Football | Earlier presence in Gamma Ethniki | |
| A.C. Orestias | 1970 | Volleyball | Presence in A1 Ethniki, finalist of Greek championship and European CEV cup. | |
| :: |
Climate
Orestiada has relatively mild winters and hot summers. Rain falls mostly during the winter.
| location = Orestiada (2006-2023) | metric first = yes | single line = yes |Jan high C=7.6 |Feb high C=10.8 |Mar high C=14.6 |Apr high C=20.1 |May high C=25.9 |Jun high C=30.4 |Jul high C=33.3 |Aug high C=33.7 |Sep high C=28.2 |Oct high C=20.8 |Nov high C=15.2 |Dec high C=9.3
|Jan mean C=3.6 |Feb mean C=6.1 |Mar mean C=9.1 |Apr mean C=13.6 |May mean C=19.0 |Jun mean C=23.3 |Jul mean C=25.6 |Aug mean C=25.9 |Sep mean C=21.0 |Oct mean C=15.0 |Nov mean C=10.4 |Dec mean C=5.3
|Jan low C= -0.5 |Feb low C= 1.3 |Mar low C= 3.6 |Apr low C=7.0 |May low C=12.0 |Jun low C=16.1 |Jul low C=17.8 |Aug low C=18.1 |Sep low C=13.8 |Oct low C=9.1 |Nov low C=5.5 |Dec low C= 1.3
|rain colour= green |Jan rain mm=65.5 |Feb rain mm=42.7 |Mar rain mm=44.0 |Apr rain mm=48.0 |May rain mm=39.0 |Jun rain mm=46.2 |Jul rain mm=31.4 |Aug rain mm=16.4 |Sep rain mm=30.7 |Oct rain mm=63.0 |Nov rain mm=44.4 |Dec rain mm=60.9
|source 1= National Observatory of Athens Monthly Bulletins (Jul 2006 - Sep 2023) |source 2= Orestiada N.O.A station and World Meteorological Organization
Municipality
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/30/Dimos_Orestiadas_Topo.png" caption="Orestiada municipality."] ::
The municipality Orestiada was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following 4 former municipalities, that became municipal units:
The municipality has an area of 955.591 km2, the municipal unit 256.898 km2.
Communities
The municipal unit Orestiada is subdivided into the following communities (constituent settlements in brackets):
- Orestiada (Orestiada, Lepti, Neos Pyrgos, Palaia Sagini, Sakkos)
- Ampelakia
- Chandras
- Megali Doxipara
- Neo Cheimonio
- Neochori (Neochori, Patagi)
- Thourio
- Valtos
Province
The province of Orestiada () was one of the provinces of the Evros Prefecture. It had the same territory as the present municipality. It was abolished in 2006.
Population
::data[format=table]
| Year | town | municipal community | municipal unit (Kapodistrias) | municipality (Kallikratis) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1951 | 7,719 | 12,832 | 17,825 | 43,929 |
| 1961 | 10,281 | 12,908 | 19,441 | 48,821 |
| 1971 | 10,727 | 12,513 | 17,637 | 40,869 |
| 1981 | 12,685 | 14,727 | 20,297 | 43,141 |
| 1991 | 12,691 | 14,783 | 19,669 | 40,821 |
| 2001 | 15,246 | 17,194 | 21,730 | 39,485 |
| 2011 | 18,426 | 20,211 | 23,584 | 37,695 |
| 2021 | 18,164 | 19,666 | 22,005 | 31,686 |
| :: |
The population of the settlements within the municipal community of Orestiada at the 2021 census was:
- Orestiada: 18,164
- Lepti: 483
- Neos Pyrgos: 855
- Palaia Sagini: 17
- Sakkos: 147
References
|Centre = Orestiada (municipal unit) |North = Vyssa |Northeast = |East = Edirne (Turkey) |Southeast = |South = Didymoteicho |Southwest = Metaxades |West = Kyprinos |Northwest =
References
- "Orestiada: The northernmost and newest town in Greece".
- "ΔΗΜΟΚΡΙΤΕΙΟ ΠΑΝΕΠΙΣΤΗΜΙΟ".
- "Δήμος Ορεστιάδας".
- (November 2019). "Ενημερωτικός Οδηγός 3ης Μ/Κ ΤΑΞΧΙΑΣ για τη φρουρά Ορεστιάδας}}{{Dead link".
- "Ο Δήμος".
- Μαυρίδης, Πασχάλης. "Η Ορεστιάδα στη ροή του χρόνου".
- (17 December 2010). "Ailing Greece Struggles with a Flood of Illegal Immigrants". Yahoo News.
- "Meteo.gr - Προγνώσεις καιρού για όλη την Ελλάδα".
- "Latest Conditions in Orestiada".
- "World Meteorological Organization".
- "ΦΕΚ B 1292/2010, Kallikratis reform municipalities". [[Government Gazette (Greece).
- "Population & housing census 2001 (incl. area and average elevation)". National Statistical Service of Greece.
- "Detailed census results 1991 }} {{small".
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