Kalamata is a city in the southwestern Peloponnese, capital of the Prefecture of Messinia and a port of southern mainland Greece. Kalamata has a population of 54,100 inhabitants, while the Municipality of Kalamata has a population of 69,849 inhabitants, according to the 2011 census. The city is built at the foot of Mount Kalathi (edge of Taygetos), in the heart of the Messinian Gulf. It is 223 km from Athens, 215 km from Patras and 715 km from Thessaloniki.
Kalamata is the second most populous city in the Peloponnese after Patras. It is an important urban, economic and commercial center of the region, as well as an administrative center of the Prefecture of Messinia.
Port
In winter, the nightlife of the city is located in the historic center, while in summer by the sea and on the outskirts of the city, Verga, built at the foot of Mount Kalathi.
Also every July, the international Dance Festival takes place in the city of Kalamata, with performances and dancers from all over the world.
Kalamata Dance Hall
In Kalamata there are schools of the University of Peloponnese, which was significantly expanded after the integration of the TEI. The city has complete and modern sports facilities. Finally, it has a modern hospital as well as an international airport.
Every year in Kalamata in recent years the Kalamata Carnival takes place, during which carnival events take place in various parts of the city and on the last Sunday the parade of carnival chariots takes place.
Sights
- Metropolitan Church of Ypapantis of Kalamata
The church of Agios Apostolos, the symbol of the city, is a small Byzantine church (mid 11th-12th century) with some frescoes of the 14th century. [17] This church was depicted on the lower right front of the 5 thousand drachma banknote issued in 1984, next to the figure of Th. Kolokotronis. - The Frankish Castle offers panoramic city views.
- The Municipal Railway Park of Kalamata [18] is located south of the city center and is an open-air railway museum.
- The Benakeio Archaeological Museum of Kalamata holds important archaeological finds from the wider region of Messinia, which chronologically cover the period from the Bronze Age to Roman times.
- The Military Museum of Kalamata keeps weapons and military uniforms of the Greeks in various historical periods. [20]
- The Folklore Museum of Kalamata of the city houses exhibits that have to do with the traditional arts of the area, with old useful and non-useful objects, tools and traditional costumes. [21]
- The Municipal Gallery and the Gallery of Contemporary Greek Art operate in the city with about 500 exhibits. [22]
- The People's Library of the city has been operating since 1933 and today has over 90,000 volumes of books, 60,000 issues of magazines as well as an archive of 100,000 sheets of Messinian newspapers from the 19th century until today. [23]
- Also the Archaeological Museum of Messinia is located in the Historic Center of the city, behind the Church of the Holy Apostles, where important archaeological finds of the wider area of Messinia are exhibited. [24]
- Below the Castle is the Church of the Assumption of Christ (inaugurated in 1873 [25]), which is also the metropolitan church of the city.
- The Holy Monastery of the Nuns exhibits various silk fabrics and the famous Kalamata handkerchiefs, as well as the looms with which they were woven. [26], [27]
- The Maria Callas Exhibition Space [28] with 7 original copies of letters from Maria Callas's personal archive as well as genuine photographs from her archive. The exhibition belongs to the "Maria Callas" Alumni Association
- Kalamata Music School and operates free of charge.
- The "Mother - Olive of Kalamata", 14 meters high, which reminds the close relationship of Kalamata with the olive. This particular olive tree is located on a plot of the University of Peloponnese (former plot of the Center
- Of Agricultural Education -KEGE- Kalamata), at 85 Lakonikis Street and was declared a "Preserved natural monument" with the decision number 200995/7950/1979 of the Ministry of Agriculture and the decree number 121 / t. D / 1980 [citation needed].
