Himarë ( sq-definite, Himara, Greek: Χειμάρρα,

romanized Romanization or romanisation, in linguistics, is the conversion of text from a different writing system to the Roman (Latin) script, or a system for doing so. Methods of romanization include transliteration, for representing written text, and ...

: ''Himárra'') is a bilingual town in Southern

Albania Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...

along the Albanian Riviera and part of the Vlorë County. It is the largest settlement and the seat of the municipality of Himarë. Both the town and municipality are populated predominantly by an ethnic Greek community.

History

In antiquity the region was inhabited by the Greek tribe of the Chaonians. "Epirus was a land of milk and animal products...The social unit was a small tribe, consisting of several nomadic or semi-nomadic groups, and these tribes, of which more than seventy names are known, coalesced into large tribal coalitions, three in number: Thesprotians, Molossians and Chaonians...We know from the discovery of inscriptions that these tribes were speaking the Greek language (in a West-Greek dialect)" The town of Himarë is believed to have been founded as ''Χίμαιρα'',An Inventory of Archaic and Classical Poleis: An Investigation Conducted by The Copenhagen Polis Centre for the Danish National Research Foundation by Mogens Herman Hansen, 2005, page 340. (''Chimaira'' or ''Chimaera'', hence the name ''Himara'') by the Chaonians as a trading outpost on the Chaonian shore. However, another theory according to the name suggest that comes from Greek ''χείμαρρος'' (''cheimarros''), meaning "torrent". The town is noted among ancient writers, including

Pliny the Elder Gaius Plinius Secundus (AD 23/2479), called Pliny the Elder (), was a Roman author, naturalist and natural philosopher, and naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and a friend of the emperor Vespasian. He wrote the encyclopedic '' ...

and Procopius. The town of Himara during the 16th-18th centuries was ecclesiastically under the jurisdiction of Rome, and some of its inhabitants were Catholics of the Eastern rite.

Notable people

* Christos Bekas,

Greek Army The Hellenic Army ( el, Ελληνικός Στρατός, Ellinikós Stratós, sometimes abbreviated as ΕΣ), formed in 1828, is the land force of Greece. The term ''Hellenic'' is the endogenous synonym for ''Greek''. The Hellenic Army is the ...

general in the

Greek War of Independence The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution or the Greek Revolution of 1821, was a successful war of independence by Greek revolutionaries against the Ottoman Empire between 1821 and 1829. The Greeks were later assisted by ...

(1821–1830). *

Vasil Bollano Vasil Bollano ( el, Βασίλης Μπολάνος, ''Vasilis Bolanos'', born July 7, 1958) is the chairman of Omonoia and representative of the Greeks living in Albania. History In 2007, Bollano asserted that the Greek community of Albania ...

, former mayor of Himarë and President of the organization of the Greek minority, " Omonoia". *

Pyrros Dimas Pyrros Dimas ( el, Πύρρος Δήμας; ; born 13 October 1971) is a Greek politician and former weightlifter. He is currently the technical director for USA Weightlifting, having taken that position in June 2017. Dimas has also been involve ...

, Greek weight-lifting athlete * Christos Armandos Gezos, novelist and poet *

Kostas Kaznezis Kostas or Costas ( el, Κώστας) is a Greek given name and surname. As a given name it is the hypocorism for Konstantinos (Constantine). Given name * Costas Andreou, Greek musician * Kostas Antetokounmpo (born 1997), a Greek basketball player ...

, Greek Army general in the Greek War of Independence.Banac, Ackerman, Szporluk, Vucinich, 1981
p. 46
/ref> *

Zachos Milios Zachos Milios ( el, Ζάχος Μήλιος; 1805–1860) was a Greek revolutionary of the Greek War of Independence (1821–1830) and officer of the Hellenic army. He was the brother of the distinguished general and politician Spyros Milios. Gr ...

(1805–1860),

officer and revolutionary *

Panos Bitsilis Pano Bixhili (russian: Пано Бицили el, Πάνος Μπιτζίλης) was an 18th-century General Consul of Russia in Albania and Himara. Pano Bixhili came from the village Dhërmi, modern Albania, then Ottoman Empire, from an Albanian ...

, Greek revolutionary *

Paskal Milo Paskal Milo (born 22 February 1949) is an Albanian historian, politician, and leader of the Social Democracy Party of Albania. He has also been a member of the Albanian Parliament since 1992, and a professor of Albanian and Foreign literature. Milo ...

politician *

Sotiris Ninis Sotiris Ninis ( el, Σωτήρης Νίνης; born 3 April 1990) is a Greek professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or a right winger for Super League club PAS Giannina. Ninis was formerly a member of the Greek national t ...

, Greek footballer *

Spyromilios Spyridon "Spyros" Milios ( el, Σπυρίδων "Σπύρος" Μήλιος; 1800–1880), more commonly known as Spyromilios ( el, Σπυρομήλιος), was a Greek revolutionary, general and politician. Early life He was born in Himara, ...

(1800–1880), Greek Army general and politician *

Spyros Spyromilios Spyros Spyromilios ( el, Σπύρος Σπυρομήλιος; 1864–1930) was a Greek Gendarmerie officer and guerilla fighter who took part in the Greco-Turkish War of 1897, the Greek Struggle for Macedonia, and the Balkan Wars. In 1914 he procl ...

(1864–1930), Greek Gendarmerie officer, declared the region's autonomy (1914) *

Pyrros Spyromilios Pyrros Spyromilios ( el, Πύρρος Σπυρομήλιος; 1913 – 31 March 1961) was a Greek officer of the Greek Navy in World War II and later director of the Greek Radio Orchestra. Spyromilios was born in Himara, southern Albania. He beca ...

(1913–1961), Greek Navy officer *

Neço Muko Neço Muko (October 21, 1899 – 1934), also known as Neço Muko Himarjoti, was an Albanian singer and composer. His musical style created a new genre of Albanian iso-polyphony music called ''avaz himariot'', or ''avaz himariotçe'', that beca ...

(1899-1934), Traditional Albanian music Singer and Composer

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Himare (Town) Populated places in Himara Seaside resorts in Albania Greek communities in Albania Labëria

History

Notable people

See also

References

External links