Malia
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Malia Δημοτική Κοινότητα Μαλίων (Μάλια) |
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| Basic data | |||
| Country |
 Greece
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| region | Crete | ||
| Regional district | Heraklion | ||
| local community | Chersonisos | ||
| Geographic coordinates | 35 ° 17 ′ N , 25 ° 28 ′ E | ||
| Height above d. M. |
20 m |
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| Residents | 3224 (2011) | ||
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Malia ( Greek Μάλια ( n. Pl. ), From omalós 'even') is a coastal city on the southern Greek island of Crete . It is located about 30 kilometers east of Heraklion and is the seat of the municipality of Malia .
description
Malia lives mainly from tourism and has six beaches with numerous hotels. The original place is about 1 km from the coast. There are numerous discos, restaurants and souvenir shops on Dimokratias , the street that leads from the main square to the beach. In the main season, mainly young visitors come to Malia and the Dimokratias turns into a party mile.
About 1.7 km northeast of the town center is Agio Pnevma, the small port of Malia and about 3 km east is the Palace of Malia and the necropolis Chrysolakkos .
history
Malia was first mentioned in Venetian scripts and maps in 1390 as Manlia and Maglia . After the country was conquered by the Ottomans in 1646 , Malia became the personal property of the Sultan . This was not changed until 1850 and the inhabitants of Malia were given land ownership. Nevertheless, the population was poor, as barley and beans were mainly grown . It was only when windmills were built that drove irrigation pumps that okra , cucumbers , tomatoes , potatoes and watermelons could be grown and so achieved a certain level of prosperity. Even the banana imported from Egypt was grown in Malia.
The Germans conquered Crete during World War II . Coastal strips were mined in order to better defend the island. When the fields were tilled again after the war, numerous farmers were killed by landmines . From 1950 tourism increased and around 1960, the Grammatikakis, the first beach hotel in Malia, was opened.
Churches
The modern main church Agios Nektarios stands on the main square. The cross-domed church was decorated by the hagiographer Michael Vasilakis. The double church of Agios Ioannis, which was built in 1891, is 50 m east of the main church.
The three-aisled church Panagia Galatiani ( Greek Παναγίας της Γαλατιανής ) is located 120 m further east . Its name is said to come from the fact that the shepherds stirred milk from their animals into the mortar from which the church was built. The church originally came from the Venetian period and was built around 1400. At the beginning of the 19th century it was renewed and at the end of the 19th century the bell tower was added to the south nave. Today there is a small icon museum in the church.
The church of Agios Dimitrios can be found 80 m south of Panagia Galatiani. It was built in 1910 on the foundations of an older church. The single-nave church of the same name, Agios Georgios, stands 180 m south of the main church on St. George's Square. Opposite the central beach is the islet Afendis Christos with the church of the same name. At the port of Malia is the church of Agio Pnevma and on a hill about 3 km east of the village is the church of Profitis Ilias .
Individual evidence
- ↑ Results of the 2011 census at the National Statistical Service of Greece (ΕΛ.ΣΤΑΤ) ( Memento from June 27, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) (Excel document, 2.6 MB)
