Elaionas (Greek: Ελαιώνας, pronounced [e.leˈo.nas], sometimes Anglicized as Eleonas) is a neighborhood in Central Athens, Greece. It is an industrial area and one of the most deprived areas of the municipality of Athens.
History
The area was named for the fact that in antiquity it was covered in an abundance of olive trees, a feature that it retains even today but to a smaller extent.
The olive tree was a basic symbol of Athenian democracy as a prize for the winners of the Ancient Olympic Games. By extension, its oil was a valuable commodity and the only Athenian product that was allowed to be exported and this gave impetus to the development of Elaionas.
During the Byzantine years, a large number of churches were built in the area, while the occupation of most of the inhabitants remained agricultural.
Modern era
Today, Elaionas is an area of 9,500 acres consisting of generally unregulated buildings, with many abandoned craft industry buildings, some actively polluting companies, vacant or unused land and few inhabitants. Elaionas's factories employ up to 30,000 workers.
The upgrading and regeneration of the area has been a matter of concern to the Greek government many times, with the main proposals concerning opening new roads that will facilitate the establishment of enterprises and general de-industrialization.
Elaionas is the site of a large refugee camp for those fleeing Africa and the Middle East.
An important plan is also the provision for the creation of a Panathinaikos new stadium in Votanikos and the creation of a metropolitan park.
At the same time, the creation of a new intercity bus agency in the area and its connection to the Athens metro is being examined, which would replace the existing Kifissos Bus Terminal and Liosion Bus Terminal.
The area is served by the metro station of the same name on Line 3 of the Athens metro.
Eleonas Refugee Camp
Eleonas is a government-run camp, supervised by the Greek Migration Ministry, it was the first camp to open on mainland Greece in August 2015. The centre is open and, while access is restricted to outsiders, the residents are free to enter and exit as they wish. Its proximity to the centre of Athens means access to services and to a vibrant city, one of the reasons why Eleonas Refugee Camp will most likely continue to exit for as long as there are refugees housed in camps. The accommodation units are metallic containers which are generally considered to provide a better level of housing compared to other camps in the Greece and elsewhere. The population currently stands at about 2300 people of various nationalities. Their basic needs in terms of security, housing and medical attention are provided for by the Greek authorities and some of the large NGOs.
14 окт 2024
