Elefsina
Elefsina (Greek: Ελευσίνα, romanized: Elefsína) or Eleusis (/ɪˈljuːsɪs/ ih-LEW-siss; Ancient Greek: Ἐλευσίς, romanized: Eleusís) is a suburban city and municipality in Athens metropolitan area. It belongs to West Attica regional unit of Greece. It is located in the Thriasio Plain, at the northernmost end of the Saronic Gulf. North of Elefsina are Mandra and Magoula, while Aspropyrgos is to the northeast.
Elefsina
Ελευσίνα | |
|---|---|
View over the excavation site towards Elefsina. | |
Elefsina Location within the region | |
| Coordinates: 38°2′N 23°32′E | |
| Country | Greece |
| Administrative region | Attica |
| Regional unit | West Attica |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Georgios Georgopoulos |
| Area | |
| • Municipality | 36.589 km2 (14.127 sq mi) |
| • Municipal unit | 18.455 km2 (7.126 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 5 m (16 ft) |
| Lowest elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Municipality | 29,902 |
| • Municipality density | 820/km2 (2,100/sq mi) |
| • Municipal unit | 24,901 |
| • Municipal unit density | 1,300/km2 (3,500/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
| Postal code | 192 00 |
| Area code(s) | 210 |
| Vehicle registration | YP, YT |
| Website | elefsina |
It is the site of the Eleusinian Mysteries and the birthplace of Aeschylus. Today, Elefsina is a major industrial centre, with the largest oil refinery in Greece as well as the home of the Aeschylia Festival, the longest-lived arts event in the Attica Region. On 11 November 2016, Elefsina was named the European Capital of Culture for 2021, which became effective in 2023 due to the COVID-19 pandemic postponement.