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Kavala

Kavala is built amphitheatricly at the foot of mountain Symbolo facing the sea. With a population of 60000 it is the largest city in east Macedonia and Thrace.

As a commercial and passenger port, it links neighbouring areas with the islands of the Northeast Aegean. While comprising the major junction for trade in Europe and Asia.

Until recently the main transport route linking the east with the west, crossed the centre of the city, but now a new ring road is being constructed outside of the city, which follows the route of the ancient Egnatia Road, which started inThessaloniki.

BRIEF HISTORY

The history of the city begins in the 7th century B.C when the city was named Neapolis (new town)and was a colony of the Thassians. Later under the Macedonian state of Phillipos it prospers as the city port of the town Phillipi. In the 8th century AD the city , known by then as Christoupolis, was destroyed during the crusades. Around 1500 under Ottoman occupation and with its current name, the town redevelops rapidly into an important port. Kavala gains its independence in 1913 and after the "Minor Asia catastrophe" in 1922 its population doubles becoming nearly 50.000. The flourishing tobacco industry created an economic growth but also gave rise to intense social struggles that lead to a labour movement thus giving a special character to the city (1924 -29). The city developed after the 30's following the model of the greek provential town (with a delay in comparison to Athens). After the Second World War, the occupation and the civil war the city is being led to a decrease in the population mainly due to immigration. In the 70s the industrialisation of the area (fertilisers industry, the processing of petrol oils...) leads to a wave of returning immigrants and a significant expansion of the city (new areas, extension of the waterfront). It is the period of rapid urbanisation (phenomenon of detached apartment buildings). The large construction and development begins after the end of the 80s and increases.

extension of the waterfront(1960)

The historical evolution of the city can be easily recognised even today in certain areas of the urban tissue.

Panagia (old city). In the peninsula of Kavala built during the Ottoman occupation. Housing area with Turkish influences .
Ai Giannis area (St John). At the end of the 19th century the city expands outside the walls with the first houses of the first upper class Greeks influenced by western prototypes.
The two refugee districts, the Pentacosia (500) and the Hilia (1000), built by the state after the Minor Asia catastrophe, as well as refugee areas around the two basic districts.
The tobacco warehouses which mark an era of financial prosperity of the city.

The contemporary commercial centre expands along the waterfront but most activities diffuse into the city (as in all greek cities). Everyday life in this part is vigorous. It is a zone of activities parallel to the waterfront, from which the old city is left out (the old city sees but does not participate). The habitation area is expanded behind this zone climbing on the mountain. The new town is expanded to the west and is now connected with the suburbs.

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