According to oral historical tradition of

Metsovo Metsovo ( el, Μέτσοβο; rup, Aminciu) is a town in Epirus, in the mountains of Pindus in northern Greece, between Ioannina to the west and Meteora to the east. The largest centre of Aromanian (Vlach) life in Greece, Metsovo is a large re ...

, Κyriakos or Kyrgos Flokas contributed greatly to the granting of a privileged status by the

Ottomans The Ottoman Turks ( tr, Osmanlı Türkleri), were the Turkic founding and sociopolitically the most dominant ethnic group of the Ottoman Empire ( 1299/1302–1922). Reliable information about the early history of Ottoman Turks remains scarce, ...

to the Metsovo region in 1659. The relevant legend says that a

Grand Vizier Grand vizier ( fa, وزيرِ اعظم, vazîr-i aʾzam; ota, صدر اعظم, sadr-ı aʾzam; tr, sadrazam) was the title of the effective head of government of many sovereign states in the Islamic world. The office of Grand Vizier was first ...

ensured the granting of privileges to Metsovo in gratitude to the Metsovite chief shepherd after Flokas offered him assistance and a place to hide when the Vizier had fallen into the disfavor of the

Sultan Sultan (; ar, سلطان ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it ...

and was at risk of being executed. More specifically, the high-ranking Ottoman official, dressed in shepherd's clothes, had been following Flokas’ herds for three years in the winter grasslands of

Thessaly Thessaly ( el, Θεσσαλία, translit=Thessalía, ; ancient Thessalian: , ) is a traditional geographic and modern administrative region of Greece, comprising most of the ancient region of the same name. Before the Greek Dark Ages, Thes ...

and the summer pastures of Metsovo. It was later revealed that the Grand Vizier had been the victim of slander and therefore the Sultan granted him amnesty, sought him out and reinstated him. Later on, the Vizier invited Kyriakos Flokas to visit him and gave him many presents and a Sultan's firman (mandate) granting Metsovo and the neighboring villages special privileges. Although the existence of Kyriakos Flokas has not been documented historically, the fact is that the Flokas family appears in the sources about Metsovo as one of the most powerful families of the upper social class. In the 18th century, we see members of the family holding leadership positions, funding public projects and donating land to the churches and monasteries of the area. It is also noteworthy that the centermost part of Metsovo, where the central square is located today, used to be called “machalas of Flokas” (Flokas’ neighborhood).

Sources

*V. Skafidas, “Ta pronomia tou Metsovou” he privileges of Metsovo Epirotiki Estia 1 (1952), pp. 657–660. *V. Diamandi, «Mețovițeanul Floca și privilegiile obținute de el», Convorbiri literare (1910), pp. 480–483. *G. Plataris-Tzimas, Kodikas Diathikon, Meizones kai elassones euergetes tou Metsovou

og of Wills, Major and Minor Benefactors of Metsovo Og ( he, עוֹג, ʿŌg ; ar, عوج, ʿŪj ; grc, Ωγ, Ōg) according to the Hebrew Bible and other sources, was an Amorite king of Bashan who was slain along with his army by Moses and his men at the battle of Edrei. In Arabic literature h ...

Vol. B’, publ. of the Prefecture of Ioannina and the City of Metsovo, Metsovo/Athens 2004, pp. 262–263. *A. Vakalopoulos, Istoria tou Neou Ellinismou istory of Modern Hellenism Vol. B’, Thessaloniki 1961, p. 340. *G. Plataris, Kodikas Choras Metsovou ton eton 1708-1907

hora Metsovou Log of the years 1708-1907 Hora may refer to: Companies * Hora (company), a Romanian manufacturer of stringed musical instruments People * Hora (surname) * Hora (musician), member of the Japanese duo Schwarz Stein * Hora people, an indigenous people of Bolivia Places * ...

Athens 1982, pp. 7, 11, 34, 40, 64, 66, 68, 72-73, 78, 81, 84, 92- 93, 103, 119, 155. {{DEFAULTSORT:Fickas, Kyriakos Ottoman Greece Metsovo 17th-century Greek people

See also

Sources