Iraia Explained

Iraia
Name Local:	Ηραία
Type:	municipal unit
Periph:	Peloponnese
Periphunit:	Arcadia
Pop Municunit:	960
Population As Of:	2021
Area Municunit:	144.0
Coordinates:	37.6167°N 78°W
Licence:	TP

Iraia (Greek, Modern (1453-);: Ηραία) is a former municipality in Arcadia, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it became a municipal unit of the municipality of Gortynia.^[1] The municipal unit has an area of 144.002 km².^[2] Its population is 960, according to the 2021 census. The seat of the municipality was in Paloumpa. The municipality is named after the ancient Arcadian city of Heraia. The region was known in recent times for the construction workers (mastori) who came from the villages of Servos and Lyssarea. Pausanias describes the ancient cities of Heraia and Melaineai and their buildings.^[3] An excavation near Lyssarea uncovered buildings, mosaics, as well as gold and silver coins.

Subdivisions

The municipal unit of Iraia consists of 17 communities:^[1]

• Agios Ioannis
• Arachova
• Chrysochori
• Kakouraiika
• Kokkinorrachi
• Kokkoras
• Liodora
• Loutra Iraias
• Lykouresis
• Lyssarea
• Ochthia
• Paloumpa
• Psari
• Pyrris
• Raftis
• Sarakini
• Servos

Notable people

The village of Loutra Iraias is the birthplace of the film-maker Constantinos Gavras (Costa-Gavras).

External links

• History of Irea (in Greek)
• N. I. Kostaras's talk about the history of Irea (in Greek)
• Site of Lyssarea

Notes and References

1. Web site: ΦΕΚ B 1292/2010, Kallikratis reform municipalities. el. Government Gazette.
2. Web site: Population & housing census 2001 (incl. area and average elevation) . National Statistical Service of Greece . el . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150921212047/http://dlib.statistics.gr/Book/GRESYE_02_0101_00098%20.pdf . 2015-09-21 .
3. [Pausanias (geographer)|Pausanias]