Listed 23 sub titles with search on: History for destination: "MAKEDONIA WEST Region GREECE".
KASTORIA (Prefecture) GREECE
The wider geographic area is identified with the area of ancient Orestida,
where the Orestes - "Macednoi", as Herodotus calls them - lived. Form there the
Macedonian Kings started uniting the other states to form the great Macedonian
State. During the Roman Empire period the region was dominated by the Romans in
197 BC, who allow the formation of a particular local independence.
This text (extract) is cited June 2003 from the Prefecture
of Kastoria tourist pamphlet.
KASTANOFYTO (Village) KASTORIA
One of the most important battles against the Bulgarian that took place during the Macedonian Struggle.
SIATISTA (Town) KOZANI
4/11/1912
4/5/1943 - 6/5/1943
KASTORIA (Prefecture) GREECE
In 395 AC, when the Roman Empire was divided, the region was a part
of the East Roman State, which was developed in the Greek Byzantine. The natural
beauty of the region attracted the Byzantine emperors, while the strategic position
of the region constituted the base of operations against the attempts of Bulgarians,
the Petsenegoi, the Norman, the crusaders, the Serbs, and for a very little period
the Albanians, and finally, in 1385, the Turks.
This text (extract) is cited June 2003 from the Prefecture
of Kastoria tourist pamphlet.
ERATIRA (Small town) KOZANI
Built in an advantageous position at the foot of Mount Siniatsiko,
Eratyra lies on the road between Siatista
and Kozani. The town
was founded in the 16th century by people from the plains of western Macedonia
seeking a safer
home in the mountains. Also known as Selitsa, the town was populated solely
by Greeks and enjoyed relative autonomy and certain privileges.
From 1804 to 1820 it was one of Ali Pasha's chiftliks, whereupon it
was declared a royal estate, but later (1846) obtained its independence within
the context of the Tanzimat
reforms. Its prosperity made it prey to the raids of Turkish Albanian irregulars
from the 17th to the 19th century.
The residents of Selitsa worked at farming, stock
breeding, craft industries (especially tanning), vine cultivation and trade
with Constantinople,
the northern Balkans and central Europe. Many of them, organized into guilds
of builders, worked all over the Ottoman Empire.
In later years, the business activity and emigration (both seasonal
and permanent) of its inhabitants contributed to the cultural development of the
town, which boasted a school as early as the 17th century. The commercialization
of the economy beginning in the 18th century created a new class of urban
merchants who erected mansions up until the early 20th century in order to
display their wealth.
By kind permission of:Ekdotike Athenon
This text is cited Nov 2003 from the Macedonian Heritage URL below, which contains image.
FLORINA (Town) MAKEDONIA WEST
Built on a lush plateau, the border town of Florina is split in two
by the picturesque Sakoulevas river. It has been inhabited continuously since
prehistoric times, as archaeological finds show, though its present name is perhaps
related to the Byzantine settlement, Chloro.
Throughout the Ottoman occupation a large number of Muslims lived
in the town, but by the early 18th century the Greek element had begun to increase
and develop, thanks to trade and crafts, principally that of the silversmith.
The linking of Florina by rail with Thessaloniki
and Monastir in 1894 gave a new boost to the town's economy; Florina evolved into
an urban center with an active cultural and educational life, helped by the remittances
of prosperous emigrants.
From 1878
the activity of its guerrilla bands was on the increase, while its strategic location
made it a key center in the Macedonian
Struggle and a base for Greek operations in the Balkan Wars (1912-1913).
A major factor in the development of the contemporary town was the
settlement of many residents from Monastir (now Bitola) after 1912, who made a
great contribution to the intellectual and cultural renewal of the district.
By kind permission of:Ekdotike Athenon
This text is cited Nov 2003 from the Macedonian Heritage URL below, which contains image.
GREVENA (Prefecture) GREECE
The name Grevena has existed since the 10th century, although the
administrative district that bears it was not created until 1964. This well-forested
region attracted inhabitants from the surrounding lowlands after the Ottoman
conquest. On the slopes of the verdant Pindos
mountains, thriving hamlets sprouted, which over the centuries welcomed new settlers,
mainly Vlachs.
The terrain dictated the citizens' occupations (stock breeders and
muleteers cum merchants) and made the area a junction for communications between
Macedonia, north-west Thessaly and Epirus, as can be seen from the stone bridges
and traces of roads that have survived.
As early as the late 16th century, the area was involved in revolutionary
activity; in 1537 the first reference is made to the armatoliki of Grevena,
where the legendary Kapetan Vergos was based. (An armatoliki was a settlement
given special privileges by the Turks, including the right to bear arms.)
The region was subjected to mass conversions to Islam in the late
18th century, when formerly Christian villages are mentioned as having a purely
Muslim population. Despite the actions of the armatoles (e.g. Yero-Ziakas) and
the initiation of many of them into the 'Philiki Etaireia', the area was not in
a position to prepare itself for the revolution of 1822.
Cut off from their own armatolikia, many warriors joined other revolutionary
bands, while Theodoros Ziakas played a leading role in the
uprising of 1854. A place of conflict between guerrilla bands as early as
1897,
as well as during the Macedonian
Struggle, the region of Grevena was liberated during the First
Balkan War.
By kind permission of:Ekdotike Athenon
This text is cited Nov 2003 from the Macedonian Heritage URL below, which contains image.
KASTORIA (Town) MAKEDONIA WEST
After the Ottoman
conquest in 1386, many of the Christians living in Kastoria took refuge in
the nearby
mountains, while those who remained in the city were confined to the eastern
saddle of the peninsula. The Turks settled inside the Byzantine walls to the west,
while later the Jews settled between the Muslim and Christian neighborhoods to
the south.
Kastoria, a 'zeamet' (feudal fief) in 1519 and a 'hass' (estate belonging
to the Sultan) after 1526/28, was the seat of a deputy official and in 1875 became
the headquarters of a 'kaza' (administrative district). The principal factor in
the economic development of the Greek population was the processing and trading
of fur, with companies
founded as early as the 17th century in Constantinople
and such European cities as Vienna and Odessa.
The opening of a school in 1614, the visits of missionaries (Osios
Dionysios, Kosmas Aitolos), and contacts with Europe through emigrants contributed
greatly to the town's intellectual growth. One indication of its former prosperity
is the luxurious mansions erected between the late 17th century and the 19th century.
Kastoria was prevented from taking part in the revolution of 1822
by the presence of Ottoman troops, but in the early 20th century it became a breeding
ground for fighters yearning to liberate
Macedonia.
By kind permission of:Ekdotike Athenon
This text is cited Nov 2003 from the Macedonian Heritage URL below, which contains image.
KOZANI (Town) MAKEDONIA WEST
Founded by Christian settlers who after the Ottoman conquest withdrew
from the plains of Macedonia into the mountains, Kozani occupies the site of an
ancient town as archaeological finds in the area testify. Its safe position soon
attracted other Christians expelled from Epirus. With the 17th century came economic
development and urbanization.
Around the middle of the same century, Kozani was pillaged by Turks
from the vicinity, but two large waves of immigrants from Epirus about the same
time changed the face of the town. Kozani's growth and prosperity are linked with
Harisis Trantas (the son of Ioannis Trantas who had led one of the groups from
Epirus), "a good mason and builder who came to build stately
homes of two storeys," as one old document states, having secured privileges
by placing the town under the protection of the Sultan's mother.
In 1664 the foundations were laid for the magnificent church of Ayios
Nikolaos and the market, which housed the workshops of local craftsmen and the
shops of the guilds and Greek
merchants from central Europe. The commercial development of the 18th and
19th century also contributed to the growth of education and the arts.
By kind permission of:Ekdotike Athenon
This text is cited Nov 2003 from the Macedonian Heritage URL below, which contains image.
NYMFEO (Village) FLORINA
According to tradition, the Vlach village of Nymfaio (Neveska), which
was one of the headquarters in the Macedonian
Struggle, was founded in the 14th century. Its merchants and silversmiths
had brought considerable wealth to the village as early as the 17th century. The
famous travelling jewelers ('chrysikoi') from Neveska plied their wares all over
the Balkans.
From the 19th century the wealthy residents of Nymfaio were involved
in trading
cotton from Egypt and tobacco from eastern
Macedonia and Thrace. These prosperous emigrants (e.g. Tsirlis, Sossidis)
financed public buildings in their birthplace (churches, schools).
They built their grand mansions around the end of the 19th and in
early 20th century according to the neoclassical style in fashion (a porch in
front of the house crowned with a pediment and closed with a glass-in entrance).
Painters from Kleisoura and Drosopigi embellished the interiors. Ancient
gods and goddesses (Athena, Ares, Demeter), Alexander the Great, philosophers,
and landscapes reminiscent of the owners' places of work (e.g. the Pyramids of
Egypt), allegorical representations of the four seasons, copies of Renaissance
works (e.g. the Dance of the Muses by Giulio Romano) formed the impressive interior
decoration together with lavishly ornamented frames and ceilings.
By kind permission of:Ekdotike Athenon
This text is cited Nov 2003 from the Macedonian Heritage URL below, which contains images.
SAMARINA (Village) GREVENA
Samarina was founded in 15th century on the wooded slopes of Mount
Smolikas, west of Grevena.
This market town in the Pindos
mountains with its Vlach population enjoyed three successive centuries of exceptional
economic growth and cultural development. On a map from 1560, it is shown under
the name Santa Maria de Praetoria.
Its inhabitants tended sheep and goats and wove a woolen fabric called
'velentza', which they sold at the region's trade
fairs. The people of Samarina were also involved in trade, and as muleteers
they headed the long caravans that traveled all over the Balkans. The level of
culture reached by this town (it had both schools and a library) is evident in
the excellence of its religious painting.
Artists from Samarina, organized into family teams, covered not only
local needs but also branched out into other regions, as far away as the Peloponnese.
After the liberation of 1913, the residents of Samarina and other mountain villages
began to move down to the urban centers of the plains; many of them also emigrated
abroad.
By kind permission of:Ekdotike Athenon
This text is cited Nov 2003 from the Macedonian Heritage URL below, which contains images.
SIATISTA (Town) KOZANI
Siatista is built on the west slope of Mount Velia, which is a continuation
of the Siniatsiko range. The original settlement must have sprung up at the start
of the 15th century after the Ottoman
conquest and the subsequent withdrawal of the Christians to the mountains
of the region.
As early as 1600 Siatista had grown into a sizable town with a considerable
manufacturing
industry. The residents worked at the trades of the weaver, furrier, wine-maker
and stock breeder, while many of their compatriots piled goods on their mules
and peddled
them well into central Europe (Budapest,
Vienna), not to mention
Venice and Russia.
In 1697, the town became the seat of the metropolitan of Prespes and
Ochrid. In the 18th
and 19th centuries, its wealth made it the target of frequent raids by Turkish
Albanians, but its economic prosperity was shaken by the bankruptcy of many businesses
after the crisis in Austria (circa 1800), a consequence of the Napoleonic Wars.
Beginning in the 18th century, Siatistan merchants
living abroad sent donations towards the upkeep of schools and the formation
of libraries in their homeland, which was the birthplace of many noteworthy men
of letters,
as well as freedom
fighters in the 19th and 20th century.
By kind permission of:Ekdotike Athenon
This text is cited Nov 2003 from the Macedonian Heritage URL below, which contains image.
KASTORIA (Prefecture) GREECE
THE MACEDONIAN WAR
The region of Kastoria constituted the centre of preparation and action
of the armed liberating Macedonian War. In that region the resistance against
the Bulgarians is organised and important historic personalities appear, such
as Pavlos Melas, Germanos Karavagelis and Ion Dragoumis, who, with their robust
attitude, led the War to the liberation of the region in 11 November 1912.
MODERN HISTORY
During the Balkan Wars (1912-13), the World War I (1914-18) and the
World War II (1940-45) the contribution of the region's people to the war against
the Italian, the Slavs and the German conquerors. During the civil war (1946-49)
- this black page of the Greek history - the area of Kastoria constituted the
theatre of progress of the armed bloodshed and the affective social consequences
that followed.
This text (extract) is cited June 2003 from the Prefecture
of Kastoria tourist pamphlet.
DIMITRIOS YPSILANTIS (Municipality) KOZANI
(Following URL information in Greek only).
PRESPES (Municipality) FLORINA
So far, the earliest archaeological findings in Prespa date from the
Bronze and Iron Ages. However, since Neolithic pile houses have been found in
the neighboring countries, it is very likely that the Geek part of the area has
also had permanent settlements from the Neolithic or over before. In the sixth
century B. C nomadic groups lived in the area, and it seems that Illyrian tribes
inhabited the lands at the western part of this region.
From about 500 to 200 B. C, Prespa belonged to the Macedonian kings,
being ruled by the successors of Alexander the Great until the end of their empire.
Buildings at Agios Achillios and graves located between Lemos and
Miliona are remains of the early Christian and Roman periods. A funerary altar
at Pyli is dated to the early Byzantine era, when Prespa belonged to the province
of Illyrian. From the end of the ninth century many parts of Macedonia, including
Prespa, became part of the Bulgarian kingdom ruled by Simeon. Bulgaria and the
Byzantine Empire dominated the area intermittently until the end of the tenth
century, when the region fell under Samuel, Czar of the Bulgarians. Prespa and
later Ochrid were then used as the centers of his kingdom and base for the attacks
against Byzantium. It is known that Samuel erected at Prespa a palace and a Basilica,
to where he brought the remains of Agios Achillios. After constant wars, Samuel
was defeated by Basil II. The new conqueror retook all the territory captured
by Samuel, and later built two forts, Vasilidha and Konstantio, whose locations
are still being investigated. Until about the middle of the fourteenth century,
the Prespa region was under the intermitted occupations of Pechenegs, Bulgarians,
Normans, Alamans, Franks, Serbs and Byzantines. When the Byzantine Empire began
to collapse, the Ottoman Turks ruled the regions west of the city of Veria. Due
to its remoteness, the Prespa region was not so severely influenced by the Ottoman
domination, what allowed it to continue to be controlled by the local leaders
and also attracted, during the subsequent five centuries, Christian believers
that left their mark in the form of many churches, monasteries, chapels, monastic
communities and hermits' cells.
From the middle of the nineteenth century onwards both Bulgarians
and Greeks demanded freedom from the Ottoman Empire at the same time they were
disputing other Macedonian grounds. Important leaders in the Greek nationalistic
struggle against the Ottoman domination were N. and S. Dalipis, from the mountain
village of Sfika, Captain Kotas, from the valley of Korestia, and S. Paraskevaidis
from Lemos, as well as many other combatants from Prespa. Being very close to
the one of the main centers of the Macedonia Struggle, Prespa suffered the consequence
of its position. During these times many Prespiots emigrated to Romania, America
and Canada.
The Balkan Wars followed the Macedonia Struggle, and the Greek frontiers,
including the Greek part of Prespa, were finally secured with the Treaty of Bucharest,
signed in 1913.
During 1914-18, French troops were at Prespa as a bridgehead against
the possibility of penetration by Bulgarian - German forces. In 1924, the Prespian
villages of Lefkonas, Lemos, Agios Germanos and Pyli received refugee families
from the Black See. Many of them emigrated once more to America and Australia,
drawing along many of the locals. As they started sending money to their families,
many houses were built and Prespa was reconstructed.
In the second World War occupation, Prespa was under jurisdiction
of the Italian troops. In the beginning of the fifties very few people remaining
in the area.
This text is cited September 2004 from the Municipality of Prespes URL below
PTOLEMAIDA (Municipality) KOZANI
(Following URL information in Greek only).
KASTORIA (Prefecture) GREECE
During the Turkish domination the of Kastoria was turned into a center
of Hellenism by keeping unharmed the nation's conscience, the language, the religion,
the morals and customs. In this hard period of the Greek Nation, the role of the
Church was very significant in keeping the Greek element. During this period that
region developed a treat economic and commercial activity and has known a real
prosperity in art and letters. This development rendered the region the centre
of material and moral support of the pre-Revolutionary movements that leaded to
the Greek revolution of 1821 and to the liberating movements of the 19th century.
This text (extract) is cited June 2003 from the Prefecture
of Kastoria tourist pamphlet.
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