Ath
Ath
Ât (Picard)
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Ath City Hall | |
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Flag Coat of arms | |
Location of Ath in Hainaut | |
Interactive map of Ath | |
Ath Location in Belgium | |
| Coordinates: 50°37′N 03°46′E / 50.617°N 3.767°E | |
| Country | Belgium |
| Community | French Community |
| Region | Wallonia |
| Province | Hainaut |
| Arrondissement | Ath |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Florent VAN GROOTENBRULLE (PS) |
| • Governing party | PS-MR |
| Area | |
• Total | 127.9 km2 (49.4 sq mi) |
| Population (2018-01-01) | |
• Total | 29,164 |
| • Density | 228.0/km2 (590.6/sq mi) |
| Postal codes | 7800, 7801, 7802, 7803, 7804, 7810, 7811, 7812, 7822, 7823 |
| NIS code | 51004 |
| Area codes | 068 |
| Website | www.ath.be |
Ath (French pronunciation: [at] ⓘ; Dutch: Aat, Dutch pronunciation: [aːt] ⓘ; Picard: Ât; Walloon: Ate) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium.
The municipality consists of the following districts: Arbre, Ath, Bouvignies, Ghislenghien, Gibecq, Houtaing, Irchonwelz, Isières, Lanquesaint, Ligne, Maffle, Mainvault, Meslin-l'Évêque, Moulbaix, Ormeignies, Ostiches, Rebaix, Villers-Notre-Dame, and Villers-Saint-Amand.
Ath is known as the "City of Giants" after the Ducasse d'Ath festivities which take place every year on the fourth weekend in August. Huge figures representing Goliath, Samson, and other allegoric figures are paraded through the streets, and Goliath's wedding and his famous fight with David are re-enacted.
Ath is the point of origin of the river Dender from the merger of its Eastern and Western branches.