Ptolemaida

During the Ottoman period the city was called Kayılar (English: Kailar, German: Kajilar), rendered into English as Kaïlar. This name was retained in Greek as Kailaria (Καϊλάρια) until 1927. Kayılar refers to the Kayı tribe, the tribe of Osman I, the founder of the Ottoman Empire. The modern name Ptolemaida was introduced by decree on January 20, 1927, honoring Ptolemy I Soter, son of Lagus, comrade-in-arms of Alexander the Great and founder of the Ptolemaic dynasty, and his daughter Ptolemaïs, who are said to originate from that region. His statue stands in the central square of the city. ==History==

According to archaeologists, the Ptolemaida region has been occupied since 6000 BC. Neolithic period Archaeologists, in November 2005, discovered the remains of two farming villages dating back to the Neolithic period. A press report notes that such farming villages were trading centres and had a "developed knowledge of metalworking". ==Culture==

Ptolemaida's football club is called "Eordaikos" (). Other teams include AE Ptolemaidas. Ptolemaida has schools, lyceums, gymnasia, churches, banks, a post office, a train station (Kozani - Florina), a police station, a water tower, and squares (plateia). There is the potential of a university being established by the state in the near future. The Anthropological and Folklore Museum is based in the town. ==Economy==

The most important lignite deposits in Greece are located in the north of the country at Ptolemais-Amynteon and Florina (approximately 1.5 billion tonnes) which contribute around 80% of national production. Other than its highly lignite-rich reserves, Ptolemaida is a highly industrialized area. The four power plants in this area produce 70% of Greece's electrical power, using the large local deposits of lignite as fuel. The plants are owned by the Public Power Corporation (DEI), the major employer in the city. The plant was inaugurated by the Prime minister of Greece at that time, Constantine Karamanlis. The other two are in Amyntaio in Florina regional unit and in Agios Dimitrios. ==Education==

The School of Health Sciences of University of Western Macedonia with two departments (Occupational Therapy and Midwifery) based in the city. ==Climate==

The city, situated in the middle of the Eordaia plain of Western Macedonia, has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa) with continental (Dfa) influences. Summers can be hot with thunderstorms in unsettled spells, whereas winters are among the coldest in Greece. It was here that the absolute low temperature record of Greece was recorded ( on 27 January 1963). ==Demographics==

According to the 1911 edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica, the first settlers of the city were Turks following the conquest of Macedonia by the Ottoman Empire. The Turks remained the majority until the population exchange of 1924. Between 1924 and 1926, Greeks escaping from Anatolia settled here and became the majority. The current municipal unit of Ptolemaida is constituted by the city of Ptolemaida and 11 small communities. At the 2021 census, the population of the city was 31,575 residents. The total population of the municipality Eordaia in 2021 was 42,515 residents. ==Geography==

The city lies in the valley of Eordaia, between the Askio mountains to the southwest and the Vermio mountains to the northeast. It is located north of Kozani, east of Kastoria, south of Florina, and south-west of Edessa. The municipal unit has an area of 217.901 km2, the community (the city proper) has an area of 57.508 km2. The A27 motorway (Kozani-Florina, part of E65) passes east of the city. Ptolemaida was the seat of the former province of Eordaia. ==Friendship towns==

Ptolemaida is twinned with: • Enkomi, Cyprus ==People==

• Pantelis Kapetanos, football player • Ieroklis Michailidis, actor • Stiliani Papadopoulou, hammer thrower • Iordanis Konstantinidis, Greco-Roman wrestler • Mazlum Kayalar, Turkish Politician • Yıldız Eruçman, Yıldız Kayalar Eruçman (born 1919) was the first Turkish female parachutist. ==See also==