|
Briefly
Noted_____________________ My
family comes from Pireaus, a city adjoining Athens, known as a point of
departure for people visiting the Greek islands. The major harbor, Akti
Tzelepi, serves as a commercial port and is just one of a series of
smaller and larger harbor areas that stretch across the city. Private
vessels dock in Tourkolimano, or Pasalimani a delightful bay dotted with
fish restaurants; my favorite was called the 'The Black Goat'. The cliff
side houses in Castella, mostly residences, have an expansive view of the
Saronic bay, the islands of Salamis and Aegina. Prior
to World War II we lived in a five story building on Tsamadou Street
called 'Megaron Zervou' built by my grandfather. The ground floor of the
Megaron Zervou had been rented out to a bank, and a small space to a
tobacco dealer who used to roll cigarettes by hand and sell them
individually. In later years he expanded his operation to become one of
the largest cigarette companies in Greece called 'Keranis'. Originally
from the island of Hydra, my grandfather started a business processing
olive pits into oil, called 'pirinelleo'. He named his company Pallas
Athina. 'Pirinas' means atom, as it was the oil essence that was extracted
and was used primarily for the manufacture of perfumes. My father and his
two brothers started a soap factory on Thivon Street using their father's
oil essence. The result was a fine quality green soap. The
central market in Piraeus is located on Gounari Street. It is a bustling
area servicing not only the locals, but people from the islands that come
to shop for supplies. Many of the outlets have their wares displayed on
the pavement, including sacks of flour, sugar, corn, beans, and lentils.
Bunches of fresh thyme, basil, and oregano adorn the walls. At the far end
of Gounari Street are a cluster of shops selling old chests, brass ship
ware, wooden furniture, akrokerama, pots, engravings of ships and other
Greek antiques. It is like the Monastiraki flea market in Athens but with
an emphasis on things related to the sea. A
notorious red light district, called Troumba, became famous for its music
halls playing 'Rebetica' music. The streets were thronged with
A
tram line used to run from the main port to Perama, a village west of
Piraeus; it had an open rear door and people used hang out of the back,
jumping on and off without paying a fare. Perama is also a shipyard, and
the closest port to Salamis a large island just half a kilometer from the
mainland. A constant stream of boats ferrying passengers and goods plies
the waters. A
tribe called Minyens in 2600 BC first inhabited Piraeus. In the 5th
Century B.C. it was the major port for Athens, teeming with commercial
activity. Well-preserved traces of the
city walls can still be seen. Scylla destroyed the city in 85 B.C. After a
long period of decline the port was renamed Porto Leone by the Franks and
from 1465 the Lions Port from the marble Lion that graced its harbor. The
lion still exists in a naval base in Venice having been removed by Fr.
Morozini. In its place stands a clock tower known as 'Roloi'. The
widening of the Corinth Canal in 1893 made Piraeus the major port taking
over from the island of Syros, then the most important maritime center of
that period. Architects Kleanthis and Schaubert, designed a new town
plan, with spacious central roads and squares. The
city experienced an economic revival when many refuges flowed into the
area after 1922 creating communities in the outlying areas of Drapetsona,
Keratsini, and Nikaia. Some of the more enterprising established factories
including textile mills, distilleries, flourmills and shipyards.
The foundation of the Piraeus Port Authority in 1930 laid the
groundwork for the operation of a large commercial port. In 1961 its
cultural fame soared with the song " The Chidren of Piraeus"
composed by Manos Hatzidakis and sung by Melina Mercouri, playing, in
Mihalis Cacoyannis's
film 'Never on Sunday'. The
port and its installations were destroyed in 1944 by the German army
during their withdrawal. It had previously sustained heavy damage by
allied aircraft. One bomb demolished the Megaron Zervou and another the
soap factory. After the war the city expanded to become part of the greater Attica basin; despite its proximity to Athens, Piraeus is often forgotten and ignored by Athenians and visitors alike, although to me it still remains my first home. |
Send mail to
info@athenscentre.gr with questions or comments
about this web site.
|
