Kalamata
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This article is about the city. For the olive, see Kalamata olive.
| Kalamata Καλαμάτα | |
|---|---|
Kalamata's promenade.
| |
 
Kalamata
| |
| Coordinates: 37°2′N 22°7′ECoordinates: 37°2′N 22°7′E | |
| Country | Greece |
| Administrative region | Peloponnese |
| Regional unit | Messenia |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Panagiotis Nikas (ND; since 29 December 2010) |
| Area | |
| • Municipality | 442.7 km2 (170.9 sq mi) |
| • Municipal unit | 253.2 km2 (97.8 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 21 m (69 ft) |
| Lowest elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| Population (2011)[1] | |
| • Municipality | 69,849 |
| • Municipality density | 160/km2 (410/sq mi) |
| • Municipal unit | 62,409 |
| • Municipal unit density | 250/km2 (640/sq mi) |
| Community | |
| • Population | 54567 |
| Time zone | EET (UTC+2) |
| • Summer (DST) | EEST (UTC+3) |
| Postal code | 241 00 |
| Area code(s) | 27210 |
| Vehicle registration | KM |
| Website | www.kalamata.gr |
Kalamata (Greek: Καλαμάτα Kalamáta) is the second most populous city of the Peloponnese peninsula in southern Greece and the largest city of the homonymous administrative region. The capital and chief port of the Messenia regional unit, it lies along theNedon River at the head of the Messenian Gulf.
The 2011 census recorded 69,849 inhabitants for the wider Kalamata Municipality, of which 62,409 in the municipal unit of Kalamata proper.[2] Kalamata is renowned as the land of the Kalamatianos dance and of the Kalamata olives.
Name[edit]
The modern name Kalamáta is a corruption of the older name Καλάμαι, Kalámai, "reeds"[citation needed]. The phonetic similarity ofKalamáta with the phrase "kalá mátia" ("good eyes") has led to various folk etymologies.
Sights[edit]
There are numerous historical and cultural sights in Kalamata, such as the Villehardouin castle, the Ypapandi Byzantine church, the Kalograion monastery with its silk-weaving workshop where the Kalamata scarves are made, and the municipal railway park. The Church of the Holy Apostles is where Mavromichalis declared the revolt against Ottoman rule in 1821. Art collections are housed at the Municipal Gallery, the Archaeological Museum of Messenia and the Folk Art Museum.
- Benakeion Archaeological Museum of Kalamata,[8] located in the heart of the historical centre of Kalamata.
- Cultural events, such as the Kalamata International Dance Festival
- Kalamata Castle from the 13th century AD.
- The marina and the Port of Kalamata, located SW of the city centre, is the main and largest port in Messenia and the southern part of the Peloponnese.
- Kalamata National Stadium, home of Messiniakos, contains 5,000 spectators
- The Railway Museum of the Municipality of Kalamata,[9] a railway museum which first opened since 1986
- Ancient Messene, some 15 to 20 km (12 mi) north-west of modern Messini
- The Temple of Apollo Epicurius is about two hours' drive north from Kalamata
Church of the Ypapandi[edit]
Kalamata’s cathedral of the Ypapandi (Presentation of the Lord to the Temple) nestles beneath the 14th-century Frankish castle. The foundation stone was laid on January 25, 1860, and the building was consecrated on August 19, 1873. It suffered great damage during the 1986 earthquake, but was subsequently restored. The Festival of the Ypapandi (27 January - 09.02) is of national importance for theGreek Orthodox world and, locally, the occasion for a holiday (02.02). The litany of the miraculous icon was first introduced in 1889 and takes place every year on February 2, no matter the weather.In late January 2010 the city hosted the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the cathedral. He was offered the golden key of the city. The region around Kalamata has provided two Ecumenical patriarchs in the past..Climate[edit]
Kalamata has a Mediterranean Climate (Csa) with mild, and wet winters and dry, hot summers. Kalamata receives plenty of precipitation days in winter. Summers are very hot and dry. The maximum temperature ever recorded at Kalamata is 45,6 °C and the minimum ever recorded is -5 °C.[hide]Climate data for Kalamata Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year Record high °C (°F) 23.0
(73.4)23.6
(74.5)25.2
(77.4)29.8
(85.6)37.0
(98.6)41.8
(107.2)45.6
(114.1)39.4
(102.9)38.4
(101.1)32.8
(91)29.0
(84.2)26.0
(78.8)45.6
(114.1)Average high °C (°F) 15.3
(59.5)15.5
(59.9)17.1
(62.8)19.9
(67.8)24.3
(75.7)28.8
(83.8)32.1
(89.8)31.3
(88.3)28.7
(83.7)24.7
(76.5)20.5
(68.9)16.7
(62.1)22.91
(73.23)Daily mean °C (°F) 10.2
(50.4)10.6
(51.1)12.3
(54.1)15.2
(59.4)19.7
(67.5)24.1
(75.4)26.4
(79.5)26.3
(79.3)23.2
(73.8)18.9
(66)14.8
(58.6)11.7
(53.1)17.78
(64.02)Average low °C (°F) 5.7
(42.3)5.7
(42.3)6.8
(44.2)8.9
(48)12.4
(54.3)16.0
(60.8)18.1
(64.6)18.4
(65.1)16.2
(61.2)13.2
(55.8)9.9
(49.8)7.2
(45)11.54
(52.78)Record low °C (°F) −5.0
(23)−3.2
(26.2)−3.6
(25.5)2.4
(36.3)5.4
(41.7)9.0
(48.2)12.0
(53.6)12.4
(54.3)9.6
(49.3)4.2
(39.6)−0.4
(31.3)−2.0
(28.4)−5
(23)Average precipitation mm (inches) 111.7
(4.398)94.1
(3.705)73.0
(2.874)48.5
(1.909)25.6
(1.008)7.5
(0.295)4.2
(0.165)11.3
(0.445)29.1
(1.146)85.3
(3.358)137.4
(5.409)152.6
(6.008)780.3
(30.72)Average precipitation days 12.3 10.9 10.3 6.1 5.1 1.9 0.3 0.4 1.9 6.9 10.0 11.6 77.7 Average relative humidity (%) 72.6 71.7 71.2 70.4 66.3 58.6 58.0 61.1 65.2 69.3 74.8 75.0 70.1 Mean monthly sunshine hours 143.6 140.8 185.9 212.2 286.0 338.2 367.6 346.6 269.9 205.6 150.6 131.1 2,778.1 Source #1: Greek National Weather Service [2] Source #2: NOAA[10] Transportation[edit]
Kalamata is accessed by GR-7/E55/E65 in the west and GR-82 runs through Kalamata and into the Taygetus. The motorway to Kalamata from Tripoli is almost complete, with just one 30 km section between Paradisia and Allagi still to be opened in 2013.Kalamata is served by a metre gauge railway line of the former Piraeus, Athens and Peloponnese Railways, now owned by the Hellenic Railways Organisation (OSE). There is a station and a small freight yard in the city, as well as a rolling stock maintenance depot to the north. There used to be a mainline train service to Kyparissia, Pyrgos and Patras, and a suburban service to Messini and the General Hospital. However, in December 2010 all train services from Kalamata, along with those in the rest of the Peloponnese south of Corinth, were discontinued on economic grounds, and the train station is now closed. A previously disused extension line to the port is now aRailway Park, with old steam engines on display and a cafe in the old station building.There is a bus link (KTEL) to Tripoli, Corinth and Athens with frequent services. Ferries are available to places such as the Greek islands of Kythira and Crete in the summer months. Also in the summer months, charter and scheduled flights fly direct to Kalamata International Airport from some European cities. A scheduled service by Aegean Air once a day linking Kalamata and Athens International Airport commenced in 2010.
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