History of Katerini

It is unknown since when it existed as a town. Many travelers, such as Leake, and maps already dating back to the 13th century (1264) report the city named Athera (station or town Hatera), and several have also had an impact on the city's name (Katerini-Katerra-Haterra-Atra ). The same conclusion was reached by Pukeville, who on a map marks the place as Kateri Hatera. Heuzey calculated the location of the ancient Atara near Kontariotissa, while Kurz places the city somewhere between the current settlements of Korinos and Kallithea.

      Another case speaks of the chapel of Saint Catherine, which is located east of the city and where the old cemetery is today. The icons in the temple date from 1831 and it is possible that there was another temple in the same place.

      The city appears in the name of Aikaterini or Saint Catherine in the bureaucracy and until the beginning of the 20th century. Finally, the name Katerini prevailed.

    Katerini was probably founded during the Ottoman domination. The folk name Katerini, instead of Aekaterini, was called up. Felix Beaujour, who visited her around the end of the 18th century, says that Katerini was called Kathiri (Kathiri) and from this it concludes that it is the ancient city of Atera or Hera (Hatera). At that time it had 4-5 thousand inhabitants, most of whom were Greeks.

      Another version is that Katerini owes its name to a small chapel of Saint Catherine, where there is also a cemetery whose pictures date back to the year 1831.

     During the Ottoman domination, the region of Pieria is a special Administrative District with its center in Katerini. Katerini initially belonged to the bishopric of Platamonas, until 1878, when Thessaly was annexed to Greece. Later, it was added to the Petra Olympos diocese and when it was dissolved it was transferred to Kitros. The bishopric became a Metropolis in 1924 and is typically named by name as the Cathedral of Kitros, although at the end of the 19th century its seat was transferred to Katerini, the most central settlement.

     Pieria, as well as the city of Katerini, was liberated from the Turkish yoke during the First Balkan War (1912-1913), from the 7th Infantry Division.

     The city of Katerini was the prefecture capital of the Prefecture of Thessaloniki, until 1949. Then it became the capital of the newly created Prefecture of Pieria. Since 1950, when Katerini becomes Prefectural and Regional Center, urban development and the rapid expansion of the settlement begin. After the liberation of 1912, Katerini became a municipality until 28 June 1918. In 1920-1930 Katerini became a community. The first Municipal Council took place on September 4, 1929. In 1931, the Municipal Market of Katerini was erected. In the decade, with the advent of the refugees, the city's population doubled. Many inhabitants come from Thrace, namely Artesco. In 1961, the urban complex of Katerini was the fourth urban center of Macedonia, after Thessaloniki, Kavala and Serres and the twelfth of Greece. This population growth, which naturally followed a similar evolution of the city's shape, is due in large part to the development of tobacco growing and to the increase in the production of tobacco of the Katerini variety, which after World War II was sought after in the international market for a considerable time space. It is also characteristic that the contribution of tobacco to the formation of high relative incomes in the region of Katerini, and more generally in the Prefecture of Pieria, is greater than in any other region of Greece. In 1806 William Leake reported 100 homes, and in 1810 Daniel talked about 140. In 1812, 1880 and 1890, the number of homes was constant (300) according to the respective references of Henry Holland and Bishop Kitros, Nicholas. In particular, in 1890, 300 houses and 700 gallant Vlacholivadiotes are reported (Statistical Tables of the Greek Consulate of Thessaloniki). In 1900 there were 2,070 Christians and 600 Muslims. In the mid-20s the Muslims left the city, which numbered about 8,000 people. In Katerini, a large part of the Greek Evangelicals of Asia Minor came after the Asia Minor catastrophe. During the census of 1928, Katerini held 45th place among the largest Greek cities. Today, based on the 2001 census, it is ranked 10th. Official inventories for Katerini population