Irakleia, Serres

Irakleia
Ηράκλεια
Irakleia
Location within the region
Coordinates: 41°11′N 23°17′E / 41.183°N 23.283°E / 41.183; 23.283
CountryGreece
Administrative regionCentral Macedonia
Regional unitSerres
Government
  MayorKleanthis Kotsakiachidis (since 2023)
Area
  Municipality
451.5 km2 (174.3 sq mi)
  Municipal unit195.2 km2 (75.4 sq mi)
Population
 (2021)
  Municipality
15,713
  Density35/km2 (90/sq mi)
  Municipal unit
9,946
  Municipal unit density51/km2 (130/sq mi)
  Community
3,245
Time zoneUTC+2 (EET)
  Summer (DST)UTC+3 (EEST)
Vehicle registrationΕΡ
Websitewww.dimosiraklias.gr

Irakleia (Greek: Ηράκλεια, before 1926: Τζουμαγιά - Tzoumagia) 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; and in Aromanian: Giumaia di-Nghios). "Upper Dzhumaya" is modern Blagoevgrad, located in Bulgaria. 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".