84. Pygmalionos Christidis Street
Brief documentation:
Main road that crosses a large part of the traditional settlement, from Antikas Square to the northern end of old Xanthi. The street was named after Pygmalion Christidis after the war, to honor the former Mayor of the city (during the periods 1934-1935, 1936-1941, 1951-1955), who lived for a while on this street in the Kotsioudis mansion (at number 36).
During the Ottoman period the road was called Uzun Sokak, which means "long road". Due to this name and its special characteristics, some researchers identify it with the Byzantine "middle or royal road", a main road that may have existed before and led through the settlement to the interior of the fortress facilities, located on the acropolis north of the old city.
The road crosses the city from Antikas Square, where it has been assumed that the area of the main gate of the walls of Byzantine Xanthia was located, to the fortifications of the Acropolis, where the center of power would be located, serving defensive functions.
During the Ottoman period the road was used for commercial transport from the region of Xanthi to the mainland to its north.
Category of thematic interest: ARCHITECTURAL / HISTORICAL INTEREST
History:
Main road that crosses a large part of the traditional settlement, from Antikas Square to the northern end of old Xanthi. During the Ottoman period the road was called Uzun Sokak, which means "long road". Due to this name and its special characteristics, some researchers identify it with the Byzantine "middle or royal road", a main road that may have existed before and led through the settlement to the interior of the fortress facilities, located on the acropolis north of the old city.
Elements of architecture:
This road crosses the city from Antikas Square, where it has been assumed that the area of the main gate of the walls of Byzantine Xanthia was located, to the fortifications of the Acropolis, where the center of power would be located, serving defensive functions.
During the Ottoman period the road was used for commercial transport from the region of Xanthi to the mainland.
Description of other elements:
After the war, the street was named after Pygmalion Christidis, who served as mayor during the periods 1934-1935, 1936-1941, 1951-1955 and lived for a period on this street in the Kotsioudis mansion (at number 36).
Purpose - Use: Road network
Characterization: Government Gazette 612B/30-4-1976 and Government Gazette 661/Β/17-5-1976, Government Gazette 1097/14.12-1995
Dating (period): Byzantine period
Year of construction: Unknown
Location of the monument: 41.14242333550977, 24.887073091994104
Bibliographic references:
• Evlambia Avramidou, Vasilios Aivaliotis. "Streets and place names of Xanthi". Xanthi, PAKETHRA, 2003.
• Ch. Melkides, "The Muslim monuments of Xanthi". Athens: Technical Chamber of Greece, 2007, p. 90.
Address: Pygmalionos Christidis Street
Visitable: Yes