Editing Plaka (section)

==History==
The extent of the area called ''Plaka'' has evolved over time.{{sfn|Karani|2007|p=148}}{{sfn|Zivas|1988|pp=329–336}} Plaka was developed mostly around  the ruins of [[Ancient Agora of Athens]].<ref>Ancient marbles to American shores: Classical archaeology in the United states. by Stephen L Dyson Chapter 5 The American school of Classical studies at Athens page 181 : “The Plaka, the picturesque Turkish quarter of Athens, had developed over the ruins of ancient Agorra”</ref> It is the oldest district of Athens and has been continuously inhabited from the [[Neolithic]] to the present day.{{sfn|Zivas|1988|pp=329–336}} As a result, Plaka contains monuments from all periods of the city's history. Some of the streets, such as Adrianou and Tripodon, can be traced back to the ancient era.{{sfn|Zivas|1988|pp=329–336}} The population of Athens grew during the early 16th century, and the town experienced another urban development after the one which occurred in 1456, this time towards the north-east, again mainly by the settlement of Albanians who had moved in the region several years before the [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] arrival. After the Ottoman conquest, these settlements occurred in Attica in one wave after the [[Venetian Republic|Venetian]] loss of its Morean strongholds in 1540, and in another wave after a revolt in the Morea in 1570, when the Ottoman administration decreed the mandatory settlement of Albanians in Attica, in order to offer them improving living conditions. The such created parts of the north-eastern district of Athens later became known as ''Plaka''.{{sfn|Karidis|2014|p=61}} During that period, Plaka was also the home of the [[Greeks|Greek]] aristocratic [[Benizelos family]], the family that [[Saint Philothei]] came from.<ref>{{harvnb|Miller|1922|pp=5–115}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Vryonis|2002|pp=5–115}}</ref> In the mid-17th century, out of the eight main administrative units ({{Transliteration|el|platomata}}) in Athens, it appears Plaka was the least densely inhabited.{{sfn|Karidis|2014|p=66|loc=Fig. II.3}}

During the [[Greek War of Independence]], Plaka like the rest of Athens, was temporarily abandoned by its inhabitants because of the severe battles that took place in 1826. The area was repopulated during the first years of the reign of [[Otto of Greece]]. Plaka became inhabited by a mixed population, that included old Athenian families, as well as an influx of newcomers, such as artisans, professionals, military personnel, and others.{{sfn|Zivas|1988|p=330}} It had a sizable [[Albanians|Albanian]] community until the late 19th century, and as a result, it was the [[Albanians|Albanian]] quarter of Athens.<ref name="Ortakovski"/><ref>{{cite book |title=Collected Works of Richard Claverhouse Jebb |last=Jebb |first=Sir Richard Claverhouse  |author2=Todd, Robert B.  |year=2002 |publisher=Continuum International  |isbn=1-85506-933-4  |page=65|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Y89p4ZsGgw0C&q=Plaka+Albanian&pg=PA65 |access-date=2010-06-03 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book|chapter=The Kosovo Albanians: Ethnic Confrontation with the Slav State|author1 = Hugh Poulton|author2 = Miranda Vickers |title=Muslim identity and the Balkan State |editor-last=Poulton |editor-first=Hugh  |editor-last2=Taji-Farouki|editor-first2=Suha   |year= 1997|publisher=C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd |isbn=1-85065-276-7 |page=142 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lQqHjwW6XzcC&q=Plaka+Albanian&pg=PA142 |access-date=2010-06-03 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last=Davies |first=J. |date=July–December 1880 |title=Contemporary Books (Classical Literature), review of Richard Claverhouse Jebb publications |journal=The Contemporary Review |volume=38 |pages=853  |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AosFAAAAQAAJ&q=Plaka+ |access-date=2010-06-03 }}</ref><ref name="CN"/> They had their own courts where they used the Albanian language. Their descendants nowadays have been assimilated into the Greek nation in considerable numbers. This happened through Greek control over the education system.<ref name="Ortakovski">{{cite book | last=Ortakovski | first=Vladimir | title=Minorities in the Balkans | publisher=Brill | year=2021 | page=328}}</ref> During the period of Otto's reign, the neighborhood of [[Anafiotika]], featuring traditional [[Cycladic]] architecture, was built by settlers from the [[Aegean Sea|Aegean]] island of [[Anafi]].<ref>Costas Spirou, ''The Evolution of the Tourism Precinct'' in ''City spaces - tourist places: urban tourism precincts'' ed. by Bruce Hayllar, Tony Griffin, Deborah Edwards page 32: "At its highest point, just under the Acropolis, Plaka contains a 19th century recreated island village settlement. The steep, charming, whitewashed structured of the Anafiotika (migrants from the island of Anafi built the small enclave). and intimate tavernas reflect the architecture of the Aegean."</ref>{{sfn|Bastéa|2014|p=134}}

Plaka assumed its present form during the 19th and early decades of the 20th century. Following Greek independence, the area grew rapidly. In 1884, a fire burned down a large part of the neighborhood which gave the opportunity for the archaeologists to conduct excavations in the Roman Market and Hadrian's library. Excavations have been taking place continuously since the 19th century. Growth continued until World War II. From the 1950s until the 1970s, Plaka experienced some degradation, as a result of the post-war construction boom, the increase in motor cars, and the tourist boom.{{sfn|Zivas|1988|pp=329–336}} In the 1980s, a comprehensive preservation plan was implemented, and the area improved rapidly. Nowadays Plaka is a major tourist destination.