Trikala
Trikala (
Greek:
Τρίκαλα) is a city in northwestern
Thessaly,
Greece. It is the capital of the
Trikala Prefecture. It is located NW of
Athens, NW of
Karditsa, E of
Ioannina and
Metsovo, S of
Grevena, SW of
Thessaloniki and W of
Larissa.
Located in the fertile plain of Thessaly in central Greece, modern Trikala is the Homeric
Trikka (or
Trikki), the birthplace of three of the
Argonauts and one of the places touted as the birthplace of
Asclepius (
Asklepios), who is more often said to have been born at
Epidaurus, where his main temple was situated in antiquity. Ruins of an old sanctuary to the physician-god, an
Asklepieion, or healing place, are located between the central square and the church of
Saint Nicholas (
Agios Nikolaos) in Trikala. It is the oldest
Aesculapium of Greece - a kind of medical center, from which the worship of Aesculapius gradually spread.
There are other late
Hellenistic and
Roman period remains,
mosaic floors, a
stoa and baths. Dominated by its
Byzantine fortress on Hellenistic foundations occupying the ancient
Acropolis, the picturesque city is divided into two by the river
Lithaios. The churches of
Agios Demetrios and
Agii Anargyri lend more Byzantine character to the modern town.
Trikala has also been known as the
watermelon (
karpouzi) capital of Greece. One of its most famous citizens is
Vassilis Tsitsanis, one of the greatest musicians of modern Greece.
Trikala also has the General Hospital of the Trikala Prefecture. The Physical Education and Sport Science department of the University of Thessaly is located in Trikala. It was founded in 1994 and the first students were admitted in the academic year 1994-1995. It was housed in the Matsopoulos Park facilities and moved to the new Karyes campus on July 1999. Trikala has over 20 schools of secondary education.
Since December 2005, the Municipality of Trikala offers it's residents free
Wireless Internet access at high speeds. Currently, around 70% of the total area of Trikala has access, with a target to reach 80% within 2006. Trikala is one of the few European cities to offer such a service for free.
*
The Asklepeion at Trikala,
Website*
Amberg,
Germany*
Tucson,
Arizona,
USA*
Georgios Kondylis (
August 14,
1879 -
January 31,
1936 in Athens), a
Greek politician*
Sotirios Kyrgiakos, a
Greek football (soccer) player*
Giorgos Margaritis, a
Greek singer*
Efthimios Rentzias, (born
January 11 1976), a professional
basketball player
*
Vassilis Tsiartas (b.
November 12,
1972 in Palaiochori Trikala)
*
Vassilis Tsitsanis (
January 18,
1915 -
January 18,
1984), a Greek singer and songwriter
*
City of Trikala*http://www.trikalacity.gr/dimos/helpdesk.asp Trikala wi-fi Internet coverage
*http://www.trikala.net
*In German:
**http://www.in-greece.de/ziele/ort.php4?ort_id=92
**http://www.nahmobil.com/suche-griechenland-311.htm
*In Greek:
**http://www.3kala.gr/
**http://www.forecasts.gr/cf.asp?city_id=54
**http://www.uth.gr/main/research/synedria/anakoinvseis/tefaa_synedrio_dec2001/Trikala_info/trikala.htm
