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HARRY HAVERTON'S GUIDE TO XANTHI
Raidings, disasters, race conflicts, civil wars, looting, pillaging, violence and bloodshed.
No, I'm not talking about the Riverside last Sunday when our Mackem brethren raided the three points. I'm talking about the history of Xanthi, or Xanthia to give it's original name.
You can trace it's origins back to 879 BC. BC stands for Before (Colin) Cooper, for those who didn't listen in history at school.
One of the early noteables in Thracian history is The Ottomans arriving in the region when the populace had dwindled down to almost nothing and everything had been destroyed. A bit like modern day Grangetown really.
They brought settlers from the depths of Asia Minor, which is how Genisea was created.
Boro have never had a Greek player but there's a kebab shop on Southfield Road that does a very tasty tzatziki with your donna.
It's a bitch of a place to get to as it lies 224 kilometres away from the city of Thessaloniki, 713 kilometres from Athens, 121 from Alexandroupolis and 165 kilometres from Kepous and 405 kilometres from Istanbul.
So the Boro fans who are going tomorrow night have a long and arduous journey to look forward to. I hope they both make it on time.
By 1715 Xanthi became renowned for its tobacco, and so did Genisea. Tobacco commerce throughout Europe led Xanthi into a course of prosperity so you'll probably be able to have a fag in the ground.
Two earthquakes literally levelled the city, in March and April of 1829 and played a decisive role in the further developments. The city's re-building immediately got underway.
In 1870 the city of Genisea was burned down and all of the agencies were transferred to Xanthi which, at that time, had a population of ten thousand.
In 1891, the railroad line was grounded near the city. The economic development led to the founding of schools and associations.
In 1912, the city was seized by the Bulgarians, only to be freed eight months later by the Greek army. Shortly thereafter, the city was once again captured by the Bulgarians in whose hands it remained until the end of World War II.
After lengthy diplomatic manoeuvres and struggles, western Thrace became a permanent part of Greece in 1919-1920.
The modern city features parks, squares and modern housing, while there are a number of industrial units at its outskirts which provide employment to the locals. Moreover, Xanthi is the headquarters of the Polytechnic School of the Democritus University of Thrace.
The city also features a vast array of restaurants, taverns and ouzeri that serve local delicacies. Special mention must be granted to the seafood taverns, both in the city and those scattered around the town's outskirts, near the sea.
But obviously the fish won't be as good as what you get at Barnacle's. That's The Boro Fish Bar for those who've been away a long time.
Xanthi is famous for its deserts and dried nuts. Plenty of cariokes, Sutzuk loukoumia, pastelia, siropiasta, hazelnuts, almonds can be found in both the stores of the old town and the bazaar that is held every Saturday.
Bazaar Saturdays? We just have bizarre Sundays at the moment.
Also, Xanthi is famous throughout Greece for its carnival. Every year, and for fifteen consecutive days during the period of Mardi Gras, a grand carnival is organised with references to both local customs and traditions and modern day life.
Soccer legend Pele was the guest of honour as Maradona kicked off a weekly variety show on August 15 2005 called "La Noche del 10," a reference to his jersey number. In this photo, Pele waves to fans at the stadium of Skoda Xanthi FC.
So there you have it. All you ever needed to know about Xanthia, Thrace. Let's hope I get to do another of these next month...
Harry Haverton
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