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Aigaleo or Egaleo ( ) is a town and a suburban municipality in the western part of the Athens urban area, belonging to the West Athens regional administrative unit. It takes its name from Mount Aigaleo, whose name comes from the words αίγα/aiga/goat and λαός/laos/people. Its population was 65,831 at the 2021 census.
Aigaleo consists of the quarters Kato Aigaleo, Neo Aigaleo, Damarakia, Lioumi, Rosika, Agios Spyridonas and Agios Georgios.
In 1874, the gunpowder factory "Ελληνικόν Πυριτιδοποιείο"/Ellinikon Pyritidopoieio was built, transforming Aigaleo into a heavily industrial area, covered by thick smog. In the dark tunnels where the construction sites operated, explosions often occurred and workers were buried alive. After each accident the blown-up galley was permanently sealed, without even declaring the dead. In 1908, after a merger, it was upgraded to a general ammunition production factory, and the company "ΠΥΡΚΑΛ"/PYRKAL was born. PYRKAL was the first modern Greek arm manufacturing company. With the ability to produce more than 60.000 bullets per day, including heavy weapon shells, it became the primary supplier of the Greek army.
After the fall of Smyrna in 1922 during the Greco-Turkish war, Aigaleo's population greatly increased due to the settlement of mostly Greek refugees from Anatolia and Pontus, but also of Assyrians. A significant number of refugees hailed specifically from the town of Kydonies (), now known as Ayvalık. This led to a name dispute between the refugees and the locals, with the former calling the area Νέες Κυδωνίες ( Nées Kydoníes, "New Kydonies") and the latter calling the area Μπαρουτάδικο ( Baroutádiko, "powder mill"). Eventually the name dispute was settled, with an agreement to call the area by its ancient name.
Aigaleo was a part of the municipality of Athens until 1934, when it became a separate community. It was raised to municipality status in 1943. On September 29, 1944, during the Axis occupation of Greece, a Aigaleo massacre (with estimates ranging up to 150 casualties) by the German forces took place in Aigaleo's Agios Georgios neighborhood.
During the 1950s, in collaboration with NATO, the Aigaleo's gunpowder factory began production once again. The later Greek army rearmament, however, consisted primarily of imported guns and bullets. As a result, the factory began producing less and less. During the 1970s the production was almost non-existent, consisting mainly of small amounts of hunting shells.
After the passage of new legislation prohibiting the existence of factories within the limits of urban areas, Aigaleo's factory was declared illegal. The factory was finally moved to Elefsina in 1974. The old factory's area was later sold to the Greek state and transformed into a forest, greatly improving the air quality in the area.
The city's present mayor is , since the 2023 Greek local elections.
| 17,686 (community) |
| 29,464 |
| 57,840 |
| 79,961 |
| 81,906 |
| 78,563 |
| 74,046 |
| 69,946 |
| 65,831 |
At some point, the town was known to have more than twenty cinemas. Out of those, only a couple remain operative to this day. The town also have the open theatre "Alexis Minotis" inside the forest. The town also operates the cultural centre "Elliniko Molybi"(the Greek pencil), that promotes local young artists, also teaching literature and theatre writing.
| Earlier presence in Beta Ethniki |
| Long-time presence in A Ethniki. B Ethniki Champions(4 times). Γ Ethniki Champions(2 times). |
| Earlier presence in A1 Ethniki |
| Earlier presence in Beta Ethniki |
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