Marousi (Μαρούσι)
The Square at the Train Station
Location
Marousi
Coordinates	38°03′N 23°48′E / 38.05°N 23.8°E / 38.05; 23.8Coordinates: 38°03′N 23°48′E / 38.05°N 23.8°E / 38.05; 23.8
Government
Country:	Greece
Periphery:	Attica
Prefecture:	Athens
Mayor:	Giórgos Patoúlis
Population statistics (as of 2001[1])
City
- Population:	69,470
- Area:	12.938 km² (5 sq mi)
- Density:	5,369 /km² (13,907 /sq mi)
Other
Time zone:	EET/EEST (UTC+2/3)
Elevation (center):	230 m (755 ft)
Postal:	151 xx
Telephone:	210
Auto:	Z
Website
www.maroussi.gr

Marousi (Greek, Modern: Μαρούσι, Katharevousa: Αμαρούσιον), alternative forms: Maroussi, Amarousion, and Amaroussion, is a suburban city NE of Athens, Greece, and one of the largest municipalities of Athens. The Athens Olympic Sports Complex, the largest sports complex in Greece, is also located here; its main street is Kifisias Avenue, and also contains four ISAP train stations and two of the Suburban Railway. The region is birthplace of the nationally known Greek actress Aliki Vougiouklaki, and ANT1 television station and studios are also located in this community, as are the main offices of the Greek subsidiaries of several multinational corporations from Kodak, Bayer, Kimberly-Clark, Siemens to Nestlé. Amarousion dates back to the era of the ancient Athenian Republic; it ancient name was Athmonon, and it represented one of the 10 Athenian sub-cities. The area held a main ancient temple, where Amarysia Artemis, the goddess of hunting, was adored, and the city's modern name derives from that of the goddess, Amarysia, which denotes the origin of the worship back in Amarynthos, Euboea. Within Maroussi lies the biggest forest in urban Athens, "Dassos Syngrou", and the rest of the area is residential, with commercial buildings to be found mainly on Kifissias Avenue.

[edit] Historical population

[edit] Modern Maroussi

Northwestern neighbourhood at Maroussi

Maroussi, a quiet northern suburb of Athens, was strictly a family housing area until the 1980s. During the 1990s and due to the development of excellent transportation substructure, (namely the Attiki Odos, Athens Metro, Urban Rail), the availability of land, and a public authority friendly to businesses it has been transformed into what is now known as the Financial District of Athens. At the turn of the new century the area now houses increasing areas of modern low-rise office buildings serving the Greek corporate elite, as well as many a number of facilities and infrastructural developments. The city remains a highly regarded domestic suburb in all areas, apart from the commercial Kifissias avenue.

It offers a colourful range of activity to residents and visitors and a very comprehensive and modern variety of facilities, cafes, restaurants, multiplexes, sporting venues, shopping areas, as well as a number of prestigious public (Peiramatiko Lyceum Anavryton) and private educational institutions. Maroussi also has a longstanding and strong athletic tradition, traceable to the first modern Olympics of 1896, and home to one of the dominant basketball teams in the Greek League (Maroussi BC), holder of the European Saporta Cup trophy in 2001. In 2004, Maroussi was considered co-organizer of the Olympic Games Municipality together with Metropolitan Athens, because the majority of the facilities and venues were located in the "Kalogreza region", and other areas of Maroussi, mainly at the Athens Olympic Sports Complex.

[edit] Transport

Marousi is road serviced by OASA (blue colour) buses and also runs its own small bus shuttle network (red colour). As for rail, Maroussi is serviced by ISAP (green colour, line 1) with 4 train stations, KAT, Maroussi, Neratziotissa, Eirinis, and by Proastiakos (yellow color, suburban light railway) with 2 train stations, Neratziotissa and Kifissias. The "Maroussi" and "Eirinis" ISAP stations are elevated above the ground. The OASA buses and the ISAP line are both accessible with the same 1.00 EUR ticket as of April 2009, whilst the local red buses network is entirely free to anyone, and as such offers limited zero-fare transport.

If the Line 4 (orange colour) of the Attiko Metro is built, Marousi will also be serviced by underground rapid transit.

[edit] Twin cities

Marousi is twinned with the following cities:

• Niš, Serbia

[edit] Notable people

Spiros Louis

• Vicky Kaya (1978-), fashion model and actress
• Labis Livieratos, singer
• Spiridon Louis (1873 - 1940), a Greek shepherd who won the first modern-day Marathon at the 1896 Summer Olympics, thereby becoming a national hero
• Aliki Vougiouklaki (1934 - 1996), movie star and singer who appeared in 42 movies, mostly musicals

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Municipality of Amarousion

[edit] See also

• List of cities in Greece

		Pefki and Kifissia
	Heraklio, Pefki		Vrilissia and Melissia
		Marousi
		Chalandri	Filothei