Egaleo (mountain)
Encyclopedia
Aegaleo also Aigaleo and Egaleo, is a mountain in Greece
. It is situated west of Athens
, southeast of Eleusis, east of the island of Salamis
and northwest of Piraeus
. Most of the mountain is rocky. It is shorter than Hymettus
. Most of the forest is to its north where the monastery Daphni (Daphnion) is located. There is also a park in its northern reaches. This is a range which surrounds the tiny coast southwest of Chaidari
.
With its good view of the Straits of Salamis
, Mount Egaleo was the site of Xerxes
' throne from which he observed the Battle of Salamis
.
Towns and places that surround the mountain include Perama
, Piraeus
, Drapetsona
, Nikaia
, Korydallos (Corydallos)
, the highway, and Chaidari
. The Athens Metro
connects the area after reducing Iera Odos
(Sacred Way) into two lanes in 2002–2003.
A highway linking GR-8 and Piraeus runs through this mountain range. The frefineries of Skaramangas are in the north. The new bypass on the northwestern part of the range is part of the Attiki Odos
superhighway system, the Aegaleo Ring (Number 65) which was opened on January, 2004 along with the rest of the superhighway northwest of the range. The ring presently does not have full access with Athinon Avenue and GR-8 yet, but includes two interchanges.
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. It is situated west of Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, southeast of Eleusis, east of the island of Salamis
Salamis Island
Salamis , is the largest Greek island in the Saronic Gulf, about 1 nautical mile off-coast from Piraeus and about 16 km west of Athens. The chief city, Salamina , lies in the west-facing core of the crescent on Salamis Bay, which opens into the Saronic Gulf...
and northwest of Piraeus
Piraeus
Piraeus is a city in the region of Attica, Greece. Piraeus is located within the Athens Urban Area, 12 km southwest from its city center , and lies along the east coast of the Saronic Gulf....
. Most of the mountain is rocky. It is shorter than Hymettus
Hymettus
Hymettus, also Hymettos is a mountain range in the Athens area, East Central Greece. It is also colloquially known as Trellos or Trellovouno , a name of uncertain origin...
. Most of the forest is to its north where the monastery Daphni (Daphnion) is located. There is also a park in its northern reaches. This is a range which surrounds the tiny coast southwest of Chaidari
Chaidari
Chaidari , is a suburb in the west northwestern part of Athens, Greece. The two mountaintops of Aigaleo lies to the north and south...
.
With its good view of the Straits of Salamis
Saronic Gulf
The Saronic Gulf or Gulf of Aegina in Greece forms part of the Aegean Sea and defines the eastern side of the isthmus of Corinth. It is the eastern terminus of the Corinth Canal, which cuts across the isthmus.-Geography:The gulf includes the islands of; Aegina, Salamis, and Poros along with...
, Mount Egaleo was the site of Xerxes
Xerxes I of Persia
Xerxes I of Persia , Ḫšayāršā, ), also known as Xerxes the Great, was the fifth king of kings of the Achaemenid Empire.-Youth and rise to power:...
' throne from which he observed the Battle of Salamis
Battle of Salamis
The Battle of Salamis was fought between an Alliance of Greek city-states and the Persian Empire in September 480 BCE, in the straits between the mainland and Salamis, an island in the Saronic Gulf near Athens...
.
Towns and places that surround the mountain include Perama
Perama
Perama is a port city and a suburb of Piraeus that lies on the southwest edge of the Aegaleo mountains. It creates the western terminus of the Port of Piraeus and there is also a port that provides ferry services to Salamis. The town has only one main road connecting Lambrakis and Ralli Avenues,...
, Piraeus
Piraeus
Piraeus is a city in the region of Attica, Greece. Piraeus is located within the Athens Urban Area, 12 km southwest from its city center , and lies along the east coast of the Saronic Gulf....
, Drapetsona
Drapetsona
Drapetsona is a suburb and a former municipality in the western part of Piraeus, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Keratsini-Drapetsona, of which it is a municipal unit.-Geography:...
, Nikaia
Nikaia, Attica
Nikaia is a suburb in the northern part of Piraeus, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Nikaia-Agios Ioannis Rentis, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit.-Geography:...
, Korydallos (Corydallos)
Korydallos
Korydallos is a municipality in the Piraeus regional unit, Greece. It is a western suburb of Piraeus. It is the home of the Korydallos prisons. It sits on a mountain in the west named Aegaleo. It is located W of Athens, N of Piraeus and S of GR-8/E55 and Athinon Avenue.Farming used to dominate...
, the highway, and Chaidari
Chaidari
Chaidari , is a suburb in the west northwestern part of Athens, Greece. The two mountaintops of Aigaleo lies to the north and south...
. The Athens Metro
Athens Metro
The Athens Metro is an underground rapid transit system serving Athens, the capital city of Greece. It was constructed and owned by Attiko Metro S.A. and operated until 2011 by Attiko Metro Etaireia Leitourgias S.A....
connects the area after reducing Iera Odos
Sacred Way
The Sacred Way , in ancient Greece, was the road from Athens to Eleusis. It was so called because it was the route taken by a procession celebrating the Eleusinian Mysteries...
(Sacred Way) into two lanes in 2002–2003.
A highway linking GR-8 and Piraeus runs through this mountain range. The frefineries of Skaramangas are in the north. The new bypass on the northwestern part of the range is part of the Attiki Odos
Attiki Odos
Attiki Odos is a privately owned toll motorway in Greece. The Proastiakos high-speed suburban rail is set almost entirely in the median of the motorway, along its main section. The motorway's numbers are 6 for the main section, 64 for the Hymettus Beltway and 65 for the Aigaleo Beltway...
superhighway system, the Aegaleo Ring (Number 65) which was opened on January, 2004 along with the rest of the superhighway northwest of the range. The ring presently does not have full access with Athinon Avenue and GR-8 yet, but includes two interchanges.