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Official website of the town
Syrrako ( el, Συρράκο, between 1940 and 2002: Σιράκο - ''Sirako'';EETAA local government changes
/ref> rup, Siracu) is a village and a former community in the Ioannina regional unit,
Syrrako was inhabited before the 15th century (possibly in the 11th century) by
. Because of this it enjoyed a privileged treatment. During that time the village developed immensely. Firstly, the inhabitants were involved in cattle breeding and afterwards they developed trade, industrial production of wool textiles and cattle products.
The expanse of pasture land (nearly 750 kmª) enabled the inhabitants to raise the number of sheep and goats to thousands (50,000 and according to others 75,000) and bring the big quantity of their products, in connection with the Syrrakiotes’ trade genius, to the biggest trade centers in the Mediterranean and Black Sea (Italy, France, Spain, Odessa, Moscow, Bucharest, Belgrade, Constantinople and others).
/ref> rup, Siracu) is a village and a former community in the Ioannina regional unit,
Epirus
sq, Epiri rup, Epiru
, native_name_lang =
, settlement_type = Historical region
, image_map = Epirus antiquus tabula.jpg
, map_alt =
, map_caption = Map of ancient Epirus by Heinrich ...
, Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality North Tzoumerka
North Tzoumerka ( el, Βόρεια Τζουμέρκα) is a municipality in the Ioannina regional unit, Epirus, Greece. The seat of the municipality is the village Pramanta. The municipality has an area of 358.334 km2. The municipality is named af ...
, of which it is a municipal unit. The municipal unit has an area of 29.307 km2. It has a predominantly Aromanian population, and is located 52 km southeast of Ioannina
Ioannina ( el, Ιωάννινα ' ), often called Yannena ( ' ) within Greece, is the capital and largest city of the Ioannina regional unit and of Epirus, an administrative region in north-western Greece. According to the 2011 census, the c ...
at an altitude of 1200 m, on the mountain Peristeri. It is built on a steep slope and retains its traditional buildings.
It is the hometown of the poet and author Kostas Krystallis
Kostas Krystallis ( el, Κώστας Κρυστάλλης; 1868–1894) was a Greek author and poet, representative of 19th century Greek pastoral literature. He was born an Ottoman subject in Epirus, but escaped to Greece after being denounced ...
and Prime Minister Ioannis Kolettis
Ioannis Kolettis (; died 17 September 1847) was a Greek politician who played a significant role in Greek affairs from the Greek War of Independence through the early years of the Greek Kingdom, including as Minister to France and serving twice ...
.
Location
Syrrako is built on the slopes of Mount Peristeri (Lakmos) in thePindus
The Pindus (also Pindos or Pindhos; el, Πίνδος, Píndos; sq, Pindet; rup, Pindu) is a mountain range located in Northern Greece and Southern Albania. It is roughly 160 km (100 miles) long, with a maximum elevation of 2,637 metres ...
, offering natural shelter and security.
Syrrako is separated from its twin village Kalarites by the deep ravine of the river Chroussias, a tributary of the Arachthos
Arachthos ( el, Άραχθος) is a former municipality in the Arta regional unit, Epirus, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Nikolaos Skoufas
Nikolaos Skoufas ( el, Νικόλαος Σκουφάς; 17 ...
. Tradition says that the river’s name derives from Νeoptolemos’ son, Chroussios, who drowned there, not being aware of the fact that water rises fast during bad weather conditions.
Nearby are the attractions of Kipina Monastery built into a rocky mountain in the 13th century, and the Anemotrypa cave with its underground river.
History
Syrrako was inhabited before the 15th century (possibly in the 11th century) by Aromanians
The Aromanians ( rup, Armãnji, Rrãmãnji) are an Ethnic groups in Europe, ethnic group native to the southern Balkans who speak Aromanian language, Aromanian, an Eastern Romance language. They traditionally live in central and southern Alba ...
(Vlachs
"Vlach" ( or ), also "Wallachian" (and many other variants), is a historical term and exonym used from the Middle Ages until the Modern Era to designate mainly Romanians but also Aromanians, Megleno-Romanians, Istro-Romanians and other Easter ...
). Evidence for this includes the age of the plane trees in the village square. During the Ottoman period, after 1480, it was the capital of the self-governed federation of Malakasioi
The Malakasi were a historical Albanian tribe in medieval Epirus, Thessaly and later southern Greece. Their name is a reference to their area of origin, Mallakastër in southern Albania. They appear in historical records as one of the Albanian tr ...
, consisting of 42 villages and belonging to the Valide sultan #REDIRECT Valide sultan #REDIRECT Valide sultan
{{redirect category shell, {{R from move{{R from miscapitalization{{R unprintworthy ...
{{redirect category shell, {{R from move{{R from miscapitalization{{R unprintworthy ...Cape
A cape is a clothing accessory or a sleeveless outer garment which drapes the wearer's back, arms, and chest, and connects at the neck.
History
Capes were common in medieval Europe, especially when combined with a hood in the chaperon. Th ...
s made in Syrrako were in great demand and it is said that even Napoleon’s army was supplied with a large number of them. The travellers Leake and François Pouqueville
François Charles Hugues Laurent Pouqueville (; 4 November 1770 – 20 December 1838) was a French diplomat, writer, explorer, physician and historian, member of the Institut de France.
First as the Turkish Sultan's hostage, then as Napoleon Bon ...
report in the years 1815 and 1818 that they found in Syrrako “a trade cycle comparable to the best European cities”. Furthermore, they mention the existence of significant libraries and the circulation of European newspapers, evidence that intellectual development co-existed with trade. Syrrako and Kalarrytes were the only villages in Epirus that took part in the first year of the 1821 Revolution
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 ...
with 720 families and 3,500 inhabitants. The Ottomans destroyed and burnt down the village, and the inhabitants abandoned it trying to save their lives (10 July 1821).
Only five buildings remained untouched, among them the church of the Panagia
Panagia ( el, Παναγία, fem. of , + , the ''All-Holy'', or the ''Most Holy''; pronounced ) (also transliterated Panaghia or Panajia), in Medieval and Modern Greek, is one of the titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, used especially in Eastern ...
. The inhabitants returned in the year 1825 (according to others in 1827-28), rebuilt the village and between 1860-70 the village became again as imposing as in the previous years. A second revolution took place in 1854 which was of no consequence. The decline of the wool trade and its replacement by other fibers (1908–10) hurt the local economy and led to changes in production patterns. At that time 530 houses and nearly 5,000 inhabitants existed in the village.
In the aftermath of the First Balkan War
The First Balkan War ( sr, Први балкански рат, ''Prvi balkanski rat''; bg, Балканска война; el, Αʹ Βαλκανικός πόλεμος; tr, Birinci Balkan Savaşı) lasted from October 1912 to May 1913 and invo ...
, Syrrako was joined to Greece on November 23, 1912. In the national census of 1913, Ioannina counts 17,000 inhabitants, Konitsa 2,000 and Syrrako 3,500.
Famous natives of Syrrako
*Kostas Krystallis
Kostas Krystallis ( el, Κώστας Κρυστάλλης; 1868–1894) was a Greek author and poet, representative of 19th century Greek pastoral literature. He was born an Ottoman subject in Epirus, but escaped to Greece after being denounced ...
(1868–1894), author and poet, he wrote “Mountain and Stable”, “Stavraetos”, “Shades of Hades” and “Vlachoi of Pindos” and many others.
*Ioannis Kolettis
Ioannis Kolettis (; died 17 September 1847) was a Greek politician who played a significant role in Greek affairs from the Greek War of Independence through the early years of the Greek Kingdom, including as Minister to France and serving twice ...
(1774–1847), first Constitutive Prime Minister of Greece (1844–1847), member of Filiki Eteria
Filiki Eteria or Society of Friends ( el, Φιλικὴ Ἑταιρεία ''or'' ) was a secret organization founded in 1814 in Odessa, whose purpose was to overthrow the Ottoman Empire, Ottoman rule of Greece and establish an independent Greek ...
, minister of the Interior Affairs, of the Navy and Military, member of the “ Three member Committee” after Kapodistria’s death, ambassador in Paris (1836–1843).
* Georgios Zalokostas (1805–1858), poet and fighter during 1821.
*The army leaders Katsikogiannis, Lepeniotis and others, the benefactors G. Gianniotis, Sp. Baltatzis, G. Ikkos and many other men of literature, arts and trade.
External links
Official website of the town
References