Sarakini, Gortyna

Sarakini (Greek, Modern: Σαρακίνι, Ancient/Katharevousa: -ον "-on" meaning Saracen), older forms: -o and -on is a Greek settlement in the west-southwest of the Arcadia prefecture Sarakini is connected with the road linking Karytaina as well as Atsicholos and Kato Rizospilia as well as the Karytaina-Dimitsana Road and the GR-76 (Krestena - Andritsaina - Megalopoli), several earthened roads and trails are nearby. The Elis prefecture is 4 km to the southwest over the Alfeios. Sarakini had a 2001 population of 37 for the village and 114 for the municipal district. Sarakini is located about 21 km northwest of Karytaina about 8 to 9 km northwest of Atsicholos, 37 km northwest of Megalopoli, 50 km southeast of Andritsaina about 92 km (old: 90 km) north of Kalamata and about 72 km west-southwest of Tripoli. The GR-7, the older and the new route is 42 km to the southeast as well as the superhighway.

ubdivisions

*Kryonero, north
*Palaiokastro, west
*Atsicholos, east-southeast
*Marathia, south

Nearest places

*Atsicholos, east
*Kotyli, south
*Theisoa, west-southwest
*Sarakini, north-northwest

Geography

Sarakini is situated in a mountainous slope that overlooks the Alfieos valley as well as the mountains of southeastern Elis prefecture. A part of the Loussios gorge can be seen but not most of southwestern Arcadia. The mountains cover the area and are made up of rocks with grasslands and bushes along with a couple of forests and grasses and bushes around the areas, the forest are between 300 to 450 m. Farmlands are within the village area. The village as well as with its lights during the night can be seen as far as close to Andritsaina and west of Karytaina.

Information

Its main production are olives, citrus, fruits, vegetables and other crops, several common crops are rarely common. The village can be seen as far as to the north and east.

Marathia has several rural roads and approximately 10 km of hydro lines and 3 km of paved roads.

Its residential houses and buildings are within the main road and it is about 200 to 300 m long wide at the centre. Much of the houses were stone built until the 1960s. Electricity arrived in the same year. Vehicles arrived in the 1970s, the pavement of the main road and television arrived in the 1980s and computer and internet are rarely known in the beginning of the 21st century and up to date technology are not seen.

Population

History

The village used to have a large population before the beginning of the 20th century. After World War II and the Greek Civil War, the population began to decline as residents moved to larger towns and cities and outside of Greece. One exception was that the population lost by nearly one-third 1981 and 1991 but it slightly lost between 1991 and 2001.

Other

Sarakini has a church, and a square ("plateia"), its nearest school and lyceum (middle school) and gymnasium (secondary school) are in Karytaina.

ee also

*List of settlements in the Arcadia prefecture

External links

* [http://arcadia.ceid.upatras.gr/arkadia/places/sarakini.htm History and Information about Sarakini]
* [http://www.gtp.gr/LocPage.asp?id=8536 Sarakini on the GTP Travel Pages]
*Map and Aerial Photos:
**Street Map Information: [http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?latlongtype=decimal&latitude=37.3625&longitude=21.9935&zoom=6 Mapquest] , [http://local.live.com/map.aspx?&lats1=37.3625&longs=21.9935&alts1=35 LiveLocal] , [http://maps.google.com/maps?||=37.3625,21.9935 Google] or [http://maps.yahoo.com/maps_result?lat=37.3625&lon=21.9935&mag=2 Yahoo! Maps]
**Satellite
http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=37.3625,21.9935&spn=0.11,0.18&t=k Google] or [http://virtualearth.msn.com/default.aspx?cp=37.3625|21.9935&style=h&lvl=15&v=1 Microsoft Virtual Earth]
*Coordinates: coord|37|21|46|N|21|59|39|E|type:city(34)_region:GR