Historical Report
Glyfada in antiquity
Glyfada, the seat of the municipality of the same name, is a coastal suburb, next to the Akra Punta of the Saronic Gulf, in the south of the urban complex of Athens, with an area of 25 square kilometres. It is about 14 km from Athens and 7.5 km from Faliro.
The ancient municipality of Aixoni
In the area where the Municipality of Glyfada is spread today, in ancient times there was the municipality of Aixoni, which was known for the deliciousness of the Aixonian Trigli (Trigli = the barbel), which was caught in its sea. It was also known for its agricultural crops, which was one of the bases of economic prosperity of the region, one of the richest in Athens.
The large Attic municipality of Aixoni belonged, according to the division of Cleisthenes, to the coastal tribe of the Kekropis tribe. The ancient geographer Strabo (67 BC – 23 AD), describing the municipalities of western Attica in the order from Faliro to Sounion, mentions Aixoni between Alimountos and the Alon Aixonides.
Based on these data, it is possible to estimate the approximate area of the municipality of Aixoni, although its boundaries have not been precisely defined. The Mount Hymettus and the sea were definitely its natural boundaries to the east and west respectively. Its northern boundary probably followed one of the large streams of Hymettus, which begin at ‘Yyrism’ and end at the sea near Elliniko.
Its southern boundary, since according to Strabo, Aixoni reached across from Ydroussa, must have included part of today’s Voula. Here, again, some natural boundary, such as the bed of one of the streams of Ymittos somewhere between Voula and Ano Voula, would have been the border with the neighbouring municipality of Alon Aixonides.
From prehistoric times to the Byzantine period
According to the evidence, the area of Aixoni was inhabited in all periods of antiquity, from prehistoric times to the Byzantine period.
The peninsula of Pounda is included in the sites of Attica that were inhabited in the Neolithic period (6000 – 2800 BC), although no building remains of this period are known.The Early Helladic period (2800 – 2000 BC) includes a grave found near the beach south of Pounda. It seems that somewhere there was a coastal Protohellenic settlement with its cemetery.
The existence of (1) a Mycenaean settlement, which must have included a cemetery of the Late Helladic III B-C period (1300-1150 BC), which was discovered (2) in Aliki, east of Pounda, is considered certain. Buildings of the Mycenaean period had been recorded earlier on a hill above Ag. Nikolaos, on the slopes of Mount Hymettus, to the left of the ‘Gyrnis’ ravine. These remains were not found in later investigations. Aixoni is considered to have been the twelfth city of Theseus, whose name was omitted from the relevant list of Philochorus, which is preserved by Strabo.
Vessels of the Geometric period (9th – 8th century BC), found in Alyki along with the Mycenaean ones, show that habitation continued without interruption even after the end of the Bronze Age.During the Archaic period (7th-6th century BC) Aixoni seems to have been a rural community. Towards the end of the 6th century BC, the Aixonians, probably motivated by the agricultural policy of Pisistratus, cleared and intensively cultivated their estates.The centre of the settlement in classical times was the area of Pyrnari, where most of the remains of dwellings of this period have been discovered. From there, next to Ag. Nikolaos, the ancient road to Sounion passed through the centre of the ancient municipality. Along it stretched remarkable classical cemeteries with imposing funerary monuments. The population, therefore, was concentrated in the interior, but the beach was never abandoned, because that is where the port of the Aixonians was located (in the bay to the north of Pounda).
During the Roman and Byzantine period the settlement was spread or moved to the area of Pounda, as significant building remains of the post-Christian period show.From antiquity until the end of the last century the area of Aixoni had maintained its rural character. Until 1830, the area of today’s Glyfada was covered by two consecutive Turkish chiflis, including the area from Hasani to Voula and from the road Athens-Varis (at the foot of Mount Ymittos) to the sea.
Today's 3rd marina
Kondyli Street, 50s
The development of the Municipality of Glyfada since the beginning of the 20th century
The area has been renamed Glyfada since the beginning of the 20th century, from some wells that existed and had fresh water. In 1926, the area, which until then belonged to the community of Brahamios, was separated into an independent community. In 1943 there was an administrative change with Law 239/43 and the communities of Glyfada and Elliniko were abolished. In their place, the Municipality of Evrialis was created with the settlement of Glyfada as its seat. Two years later by a forced law the Municipality of Evrialis is renamed to the Municipality of Glyfada.
The first houses are built in 1920 and soon the tourist exploitation of the beautiful beach begins. Glyfada develops into a modern spa town.
During the war, the spa town dwindled, the number of holidaymakers dwindled, as did the transport links with Athens. But although there were no jobs, Glyfada with its large areas available for grazing and all kinds of vegetation passed the Occupation without starvation. While the residents were at odds with the farmers, who were degrading the area, they changed their attitude and gave them permission to graze even in their gardens. And Glyfada had many gardens. Old people speak with nostalgia and emotion about the gardens that were lost. So Glyfada, or rather its inhabitants, did not starve in the war and the Occupation, but they were bombed mercilessly. In fact, the entire district of Bosphorus was destroyed, being close to the small airfield that was then functioning as a military airfield.
There were about 100 refugee families living in Glyfada. Their neighbourhood was Bosporus. They worked as small tradesmen, merchants, workers for the airport that was expanding. Many families found themselves without homes and became refugees once again , around 1967, when they were evicted to expand the airport by giving them a small compensation.
When we talk about Glyfada, we usually talk about Kato Glyfada, since Ano Glyfada, the area of Terpsithea, began to develop much later than 1960. In this area there were paddocks and sheep were grazed on the plots and in the alpine pastures.
The first land buyers settled in Terpsithea in 1933, when the newspaper “Eleftheros Anthropos” gave a piece of land in the area for some coupons and a small amount of money. At that time Terpsithea had dirt roads, no water and light, no public transport to connect it with other areas and no greenery. This last is something that makes us say that development for the first time did not deprive an area of greenery. On the contrary, the area now has greenery and of course for many years all the benefits of culture.
Glyfada today
The image of modern Glyfada has changed significantly since the post-war period. Today, it is a contemporary European seaside town, with distinct neighbourhoods and a vibrant commercial centre that attracts visitors from all over Attica.
