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The
area which is surrounding the capital of Evia, is comprised
of the municipalities of Chalkida, N. Artaki, Lilantion,
Avlida and Anthidona. The latest two, are not located
on the island of Evia, but in the other side of Euripus,
that of Sterea Ellada.
The
region of central Evia is characte-rized by the brilliant
historical presence of two of the most important cities of
ancient Greece. Chalkida and Eretria, long before the
appearance of Athens, have established the world-wide mark
of the Greek culture. Next to these important ancient cities
“Petriesa” Avlida, Anthidona and
other smaller cities, came to their peak. Extremely
important are also the samples of even more ancient
civilizations that have been revealed in the sites of N.
Artaki and Vasiliko.
The
already celebrated cultural and social identity of the
region of central Evia, took new form since the arrival of
the Greek refugees of Asia Minor, in 1925. N. Artaki and N.
Lampsakos are the names of the homonymous cities in
Marmaras, from where the new people of Evia came from.
The
capital of Evia, astonishingly beautiful indeed, instantly
wins over anyone who crosses the old bridge of Euripus and
Evia. A city, with a history and culture which is lost in
the depths of the ages. By the many colonies of Chalkida,
(Chalkidiki. S. Italy, Ionian coastland etc), civilization
was passed to the world through written speech. The
well-known Chalkidiko or Kimaiko alphabet (ancestor of the
Latin alphabet) was the first attempt of man to immortalize
his experiences and history.
For
the visitor of modern Chalkida, apart from the natural
beauties of the city, it worths taking time in tasting the
history of Evia, by admiring the monuments.
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