Kilkis

Kilkis (Κιλκίς) is a city in Central Macedonia, Greece. As of 2011 there were 22,914 people living in the city proper, 28,745 people living in the municipal unit, and 51,926 in the municipality of Kilkis. It is also the capital city of the regional unit of Kilkis. The area of Kilkis, during the 20th century, became several times a war theatre; during the Macedonian Struggle, the Balkan Wars, WWI, WWII, the Greek Resistance and the Greek civil war. Kilkis is located in a region that was multi-ethnic in the recent past and is known by several different names. The name of the city in Roman times was Callicum. In the early Byzantine times was called Kallikon, and was also known as Kalkis or Kilkis by the Greeks. In Bulgarian and Macedonian, it is known as Kukush (Кукуш). In a Greek church Codеx of 1732 it is mentioned as Kilkisi (Κηλκήση), while in a Slavic church Codеx from 1741 it is mentioned as Kukush (Кукуш, Кукоуш). It was called by the Ottomans: Kılkış, written قلقيش) in Ottoman Turkish. The municipality Kilkis was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following 7 former municipalities, that became municipal units: Cherso Doirani Gallikos Kilkis Kroussa Mouries Pikrolimni The municipality has an area of 1,599.604 km2, the municipal unit 319.834 km2. The municipal unit Kilkis consists of the following communities (settlements): Kilkis (Kilkis, Argyroupoli, Zacharato, Kolchida, Metalliko, Xirovrysi, Sevasto) Chorygi Efkarpia Kastanies Kristoni Leipsydrio (Leipsydrio, Akropotamia, Ano Potamia, Kato Potamia) Megali Vrysi Melanthio Messiano (Mesiano, Dafnochori, Leventochori, Palaio Gynaikokastro) Stavrochori Vaptistis (Vaptistis, Kyriakaiika) The province of Kilkis (Επαρχία Κιλκίς) was one of the provinces of the Kilkis Prefecture. Its territory corresponded with that of the current municipality Kilkis, and the municipal unit Polykastro. It was abolished in 2006. Findings dating back to as early as the Bronze and Iron Age have been excavated in the vicinity of Kilkis, including ancient tombs of the 2nd millennium BC.