Irakleia, Serres

Irakleia (Greek: Ηράκλεια, before 1926: Τζουμαγιά - Tzoumagia^[3]) is a municipality in the Serres regional unit, Central Macedonia, Greece. Population 21,145 (2011). The seat of the municipality is the town of Irakleia, which was formerly known as "Lower Jumaya" (in Turkish: Barakli Cuma or Cuma-i Zir ("Lower Juma" in Ottoman Turkish); in Bulgarian: Долна Джумая, Dolna Dzhumaya;^[4][5] and in Aromanian: Giumaia di-Nghios).^[6] "Upper Dzhumaya" is modern Blagoevgrad, located in Bulgaria.^{[citation needed]} In the Serres area, Aromanians settled in modern Irakleia during Ottoman times. Some Aromanians still live in the city today, with Bulgarian researcher Vasil Kanchov even saying that, as of when he visited the town, the 1250 Aromanians in Irakleia "were the wealthiest of all inhabitants".^[6]

Irakleia Ηράκλεια
Municipality
Irakleia Location within the region
Coordinates: 41°11′N 23°17′E
Country	Greece
Administrative region	Central Macedonia
Regional unit	Serres
Government
• Mayor	Kleanthis Kotsakiachidis[1] (since 2023)
Area
• Municipality	451.5 km2 (174.3 sq mi)
• Municipal unit	195.2 km2 (75.4 sq mi)
Population  (2021)[2]
• Municipality	15,713
• Density	35/km2 (90/sq mi)
• Municipal unit	9,946
• Municipal unit density	51/km2 (130/sq mi)
• Community	3,245
Time zone	UTC+2 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+3 (EEST)
Vehicle registration	ΕΡ
Website	www.dimosiraklias.gr

Municipality

The municipality Irakleia was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following 3 former municipalities, that became municipal units:^[7]

• Irakleia
• Skotoussa
• Strymoniko

The municipality has an area of 451.499 km², and the municipal unit 195.216 km².^[8] The municipal unit of Irakleia consists of the communities Chrysochorafa, Dasochori, Irakleia, Karperi, Koimisi, Limnochori, Lithotopos, Pontismeno and Valtero.^[7]