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Edessa, Greece

Southern Europe

Edessa is a city in northern Greece and the capital of the Pella regional unit in Central Macedonia, known for the Edessa Waterfalls. Known as Vodena until 1923, when its ancient name was revived, the city is said by some ancient sources to have been founded as the first capital of ancient Macedon by Caranus, founder of the Argead Dynasty that later produced Alexander the Great, and it held strategic importance in the Byzantine period for controlling the mountain passage of the Via Egnatia. The 2021 census recorded 26,407 residents in the municipality, with 19,036 in the community proper, and the city, once an industrial center powered by its waterfalls, has shifted since the 1970s toward services and tourism, hosting some departments of the University of Macedonia.

Facts
Population
17,168 1
Area (sq km)
611 1
Founding Year
813 BCE 2
Founding Year
813 BCE 2
Population Estimate Year
2021 1
Elevation (m)
316 1
Latitude
40.8 degrees north 1
Longitude
22.05 degrees east 1
FAQs

How far back does the tradition of Edessa's founding go?

Tradition dates Edessa to 813 BC and links it to Caranus.

The city's founding is dated to 813 BC on the basis of ancient Greek literature and tradition, and it is tied to Caranus, the mythical forefather of the Argead dynasty. The date therefore rests on tradition rather than on a dated record, which is why the atlas gives it as a traditional founding year.
Sources
1. Edessa, Greece (Wikidata)
  • P1082 (population)
    population 17,168 (2021)
  • P625 (coordinate location)
    latitude 40.8, longitude 22.05
  • P2044 (elevation above sea level)
    elevation 316 m
  • P2046 (area)
    area 611.0 sq km
  • P1082 (population), P585 (point in time)
    population 17168 (2021)
View the Source
2. Wikipedia (Greek): Έδεσσα
Wikipedia (Greek)Article text: founding statement
Quote, Article text: founding statement
Η ίδρυση της Έδεσσας, βάσει της αρχαιοελληνικής γραμματείας και παραδόσεως, χρονολογείται στο 813 π.Χ. και συσχετίζεται με τον Κάρανο , τον μυθικό γενάρχη της δυναστείας των Αργεαδών , ο οποίος λογίζεται ως ο πρώτος ηγεμόνας του βασιλείου της Μακεδονίας .
View the Source
Wikidata: Edessa, Greece
Wikidata Q209978, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)View the Source
Edessa, Greece (Wikipedia)
In Group: Cities of Southern Europe (World), Wikipedia; part-of country and UN M49 subregionView the Source
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