Moscopole or Voskopoja ( sq, Voskopojë; rup, Moscopole, with
several other variants; el, Μοσχόπολις, Moschopolis) is a village in
Korçë County
Korçë County ( sq, Qarku Korçë, italic=unset), officially the County of Korçë ( sq, Qarku i Korçës, italic=unset), is a county in the Southern Region of the Republic of Albania. It is the largest by area and the seventh most populous of ...
in southeastern
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 ...
. During the 18th century, it was the cultural and commercial center of the
Aromanians
The Aromanians ( rup, Armãnji, Rrãmãnji) are an ethnic group native to the southern Balkans who speak Aromanian, an Eastern Romance language. They traditionally live in central and southern Albania, south-western Bulgaria, northern and ...
. At its peak, in the mid 18th century, it hosted
the first printing house in the Ottoman Balkans outside
Constantinople
la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه
, alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya ( Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis ( ...
, educational institutions and numerous churches. It became a leading center of
Greek culture
The culture of Greece has evolved over thousands of years, beginning in Minoan and later in Mycenaean Greece, continuing most notably into Classical Greece, while influencing the Roman Empire and its successor the Byzantine Empire. Other cul ...
, but also of symbiotic Albanian–Aromanian culture and with great influence from Western civilization.
One view attributes the decline of the city to a series of raids by Muslim Albanian bandits.
Moscopole was initially attacked and almost destroyed by those groups in 1769 following the participation of the residents in the preparations for a
Greek revolt supported by the Russian Empire.
[ Its destruction culminated with the abandoning and destruction of 1788.] Moscopole, once a prosperous city, was reduced to a small village by Ali Pasha of Ioannina. According to another view, the city's decline was mainly due to the relocation of the trade routes in central and eastern Europe following these raids.[ Today Moscopole, known as Voskopojë, is a small mountain village, and along with a few other local settlements is considered a holy place by local Orthodox Christians. It was one of the original homelands of much of the ]Aromanian diaspora
The Aromanian diaspora ( rup, Diaspora armãneascã) is any ethnically Aromanian living outside its traditional homeland in the Balkans. The Aromanians are a small Balkan ethnic group living scattered throughout Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, North ...
. It has been also nicknamed as "Jerusalem
Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
of the Aromanians", "New Athens" or "Arcadia of the Balkans". In modern times Aromanians no longer form a majority of the population, with incoming Christian and Muslim Albanians having further settled in the village, especially after the Second World War.
Name
The town is known as ( definite form: ) in Albanian. The Aromanian name of the town varies between , , , , and . The Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
name of the town varies between () and (). The town is called or in Turkish[Anscombe, Frederick (2006).]
Albanians and "mountain bandits""
In Anscombe, Frederick. ''The Ottoman Balkans, 1750–1830''. Princeton: Markus Wiener Publishers. p. 99. "İskopol/Oskopol (Voskopoje, southeast Albania" and () in Bulgarian. It is known as in Romanian
Romanian may refer to:
*anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Romania
**Romanians, an ethnic group
**Romanian language, a Romance language
*** Romanian dialects, variants of the Romanian language
** Romanian cuisine, tradition ...
.
Geography
Modern Voskopojë is located 21 km from Korçë
Korçë (; sq-definite, Korça) is the eighth most populous city of the Republic of Albania and the seat of Korçë County and Korçë Municipality. The total population is 75,994 (2011 census), in a total area of . It stands on a plateau som ...
, in the mountains of southeastern
The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each se ...
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 ...
, at an altitude of 1160 meters, and is a subdivision of Korçë
Korçë (; sq-definite, Korça) is the eighth most populous city of the Republic of Albania and the seat of Korçë County and Korçë Municipality. The total population is 75,994 (2011 census), in a total area of . It stands on a plateau som ...
municipality;[ its population in 2011 was 1,058.][2011 census results]
The municipality of Voskopojë consists of the villages of Voskopojë, Shipskë, Krushovë, Gjonomadh and Lavdar. In 2005, the municipality had a population of 2,218, whereas the settlement itself has a population of around 500.[
]
History
Prosperity
Demographics
Although located in a rather isolated place in the mountains of southern Albania, the city rose to become the most important center of the Aromanians
The Aromanians ( rup, Armãnji, Rrãmãnji) are an ethnic group native to the southern Balkans who speak Aromanian, an Eastern Romance language. They traditionally live in central and southern Albania, south-western Bulgaria, northern and ...
. It was a small settlement until the end of the 17th century, but afterwards showed a remarkable financial and cultural development. Some writers have claimed that Moscopole in its glory days (1730–1760) had as many as 70,000 inhabitants; other estimates placed its population closer to 35,000;[Robert Elsie's review on Peyfuss] but a more realistic number may be closer to 3,500. According to Max Demeter Peyfuss, "the truth may be closer to this number c. 3500than to 70,000. Moschopolis was certainly not among the largest Balkan cities of the 18th century".
According to the Swedish historian Johann Thunmann, who visited Moscopole and wrote a history of the Aromanians in 1774, everyone in the city spoke Aromanian; many also spoke Greek, which was used for writing contracts. In fact the city is said to have been mainly populated by Aromanians. The fact was confirmed by a 1935 analysis of family names that showed that in the 18th century the majority of the population were indeed Aromanians, but there were also Greeks, Albanians and Bulgarians
Bulgarians ( bg, българи, Bǎlgari, ) are a nation and South Slavic ethnic group native to Bulgaria and the rest of Southeast Europe.
Etymology
Bulgarians derive their ethnonym from the Bulgars. Their name is not completely unders ...
present in the city.[
]
Economy
Historically, the main economic activity of the city was livestock farming. The alternative name "Voskopolis" and derived ones mean "city of shepherds". This activity led to the establishment of wool processing and carpet manufacturing units and the development of tanneries, while other locals became metal workers and silver and copper smiths.[ During the middle of the 18th century, the city became an important economic center whose influence spread over the boundaries of the ]Archbishopric of Ohrid
The Archbishopric of Ohrid, also known as the Bulgarian Archbishopric of Ohrid
*T. Kamusella in The Politics of Language and Nationalism in Modern Central Europe, Springer, 2008, p. 276
*Aisling Lyon, Decentralisation and the Management of Ethni ...
, and reached further the Ottoman-ruled Eastern Orthodox world. This trade involved as far as the Archduchy of Austria, the Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from the Middle Ages into the 20th century. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the coronation of the first king Stephen ...
, and the Upper Saxony {{short description, Historic lands in Central Germany
Upper Saxony (german: Obersachsen) was the name given to the majority of the German lands held by the House of Wettin, in what is now called Central Germany (''Mitteldeutschland'').
Concept ...
. Until 1769, the town traded on a large scale with renowned European commercial centres of that time, such as Venice
Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 bridges. The isla ...
, Vienna
en, Viennese
, iso_code = AT-9
, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
and Leipzig
Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as ...
.[
]
Culture
A printing press operated in Moscopole, which produced religious literature and school textbooks in Greek. It was the second printing press in Ottoman Europe to be established after that of Constantinople under the supervision of Gregory, future bishop of Durrës
Durrës ( , ; sq-definite, Durrësi) is the second most populous city of the Republic of Albania and seat of Durrës County and Durrës Municipality. It is located on a flat plain along the Albanian Adriatic Sea Coast between the mouths of ...
. This establishment produced a total of nineteen books, mainly the collection of the ''Services to the Saints'' but also the ''Introduction of Grammar'' by the local scholar Theodore Kavalliotis.[ All locally printed books were exclusively written in Greek with the indication ''En Moschopolei''. Kavalliotis later became director of the city's prestigious educational institution, which from 1744 was known as New Academy or ''Hellenikon Frontistirion'', sponsored by wealthy foreign merchants.][ This institution became one of the leading centers of learning for Orthodox Christians in western Balkans. The language of education was Greek while renowned Greek teachers were invited to provide lessons.][
The city also hosted an ]orphanage
An orphanage is a residential institution, total institution or group home, devoted to the care of orphans and children who, for various reasons, cannot be cared for by their biological families. The parents may be deceased, absent, or ab ...
, known as ''Orphanodioiketerion'', possibly the first in the post-Byzantine Orthodox world; and also a hospital and a total of 24 churches.
A cultural effervescence arose in Moscopole, and many authors published their works in both the Greek language
Greek ( el, label= Modern Greek, Ελληνικά, Elliniká, ; grc, Ἑλληνική, Hellēnikḗ) is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages, native to Greece, Cyprus, southern Italy ( Calabria and Salento), southe ...
(which was the language of culture of the Balkans at the time) and Aromanian, written in the Greek alphabet
The Greek alphabet has been used to write the Greek language since the late 9th or early 8th century BCE. It is derived from the earlier Phoenician alphabet, and was the earliest known alphabetic script to have distinct letters for vowels as w ...
. In 1770, the first dictionary of four modern Balkan languages (Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
, Albanian, Aromanian and Bulgarian) was published here. Daniel Moscopolites, an Aromanian native priest of Moscopole, compiled a quadrilingual lexicon of Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
, Aromanian, Bulgarian and Albanian, that aimed at the Hellenization
Hellenization (other British spelling Hellenisation) or Hellenism is the adoption of Greek culture, religion, language and identity by non-Greeks. In the ancient period, colonization often led to the Hellenization of indigenous peoples; in the H ...
of the non-Greek-speaking Christian communities in the Balkans
The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...
. Due to the high level of intellectual activity and Greek education, Moscopole was nicknamed as ''New Athens'' or ''New Mystra''. As such, the city became an important 18th century center of the modern Greek Enlightenment
The Modern Greek Enlightenment ( el, Διαφωτισμός, ''Diafotismos'', "enlightenment," "illumination"; also known as the Neo-Hellenic Enlightenment) was the Greek expression of the Age of Enlightenment.
Origins
The Greek Enlightenment w ...
.
Decline
The 1769 sacking and pillaging by Muslim Albanian[Stavrianos Leften Stavros, Stoianovich Traian]
''The Balkans since 1453''
C. Hurst & Co. Publishers, 2000. , p. 278. troops was just the first of a series of attacks to the city. Moscopole was attacked due to the participation of the residents in the preparations for a Greek revolt supported by the Russian Empire known as the Orlov Revolt.[ Its destruction culminated with the razing of 1788 by the troops of Ali Pasha of Ioannina.][Katherine Elizabeth Fleming]
''The Muslim Bonaparte: diplomacy and orientalism in Ali Pasha's Greece''
Princeton University Press, 1999. , p. 36 "...destroyed by resentful Muslim Albanians in 1788" Moscopole was practically destroyed by this attack, with some of its commerce shifting to nearby Korçë
Korçë (; sq-definite, Korça) is the eighth most populous city of the Republic of Albania and the seat of Korçë County and Korçë Municipality. The total population is 75,994 (2011 census), in a total area of . It stands on a plateau som ...
and Berat
Berat (; sq-definite, Berati) is the ninth most populous city of Albania and the seat of Berat County and Berat Municipality. By air, it is north of Gjirokastër, west of Korçë, south of Tirana, and east of Fier.
Berat is located in ...
.
The survivors were thus forced to flee, most of them emigrating mainly to 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, The ...
and Macedonia. Orthodox
Orthodox, Orthodoxy, or Orthodoxism may refer to:
Religion
* Orthodoxy, adherence to accepted norms, more specifically adherence to creeds, especially within Christianity and Judaism, but also less commonly in non-Abrahamic religions like Neo-pa ...
Albanians from Moscopole which migrated in the beginning of the 19th century to Kruševo
Kruševo ( mk, Крушево ; rup, Crushuva "Crușuva") is a town in North Macedonia. In Macedonian the name means the 'place of pear trees'. It is the highest town in North Macedonia and one of the highest in the Balkans, situated at an altit ...
would found the so called ''Ohtul di Arbinesh'' (Hill of the Albanians) neighbourhood. This community would soon assimilate into the Aromanian population of the city. Some of the commercial elite moved to the Archduchy of Austria, and the Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from the Middle Ages into the 20th century. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the coronation of the first king Stephen ...
, especially to the respective capitals of Vienna
en, Viennese
, iso_code = AT-9
, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
and Budapest
Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...
, but also to Transylvania
Transylvania ( ro, Ardeal or ; hu, Erdély; german: Siebenbürgen) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains, and to the west the Ap ...
, where they had an important role in the early national awakening of Romania. The city never rose back to its earlier status. However, a new school was established at the end of the 18th century whose headmaster in 1802 was Daniel Moscopolites. This school functioned the following decades, thanks to donations and bequests by baron Simon Sinas
Simon von Sina or Simon Sinas ( el, Σίμων Σίνας; 1810–1876) was a Greek-Austrian banker, aristocrat, benefactor and diplomat. He was one of the most important benefactors of the Greek nation together with Georgios Sinas.
Biography
Sim ...
. During this period, many members of the Aromanian diaspora
The Aromanian diaspora ( rup, Diaspora armãneascã) is any ethnically Aromanian living outside its traditional homeland in the Balkans. The Aromanians are a small Balkan ethnic group living scattered throughout Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, North ...
who migrated to Budapest and Vienna started developing a unique Aromanian identity, being one of the first Aromanian populations to do so. These cities became gathering centers for Aromanians and Aromanian language and culture
Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these groups ...
was promoted.
In 1900, a report by the Greek consul Betsos gave details of the demographic composition of Moscopole. It noted that the 18th century destruction of the settlement resulted in the dispersal of its Aromanian population and that some old remaining families moved to other places, in particular Korçë. Around 30 old families remained, with the socio-political crisis that engulfed the nearby Opar region resulting in Albanian Christians leaving their previous homes and settling in Moscopole. Aromanians from two nearby settlements also resettled in Moscopole. In 1900, Moscopole was populated by a total of 200 families, consisting of 120 Albanian and 80 Aromanian families. Most of the older Aromanian families had a Greek national consciousness while 3 families along with some of the newer residents were pro-Romanian (from a total of 20 older families), led by an unfrocked priest named Kosmas.[ "A report by Betsos, the Greek consul in Monastir, is very informative about the demographic composition of Moschopolis in 1900. Moscopolis: The old Vlach-speaking inhabitants of Moscopolis dispersed in all directions at the end of the eighteenth century, because the Moslem Albanians living round about pillages that once famed city, and the comparatively few remaining families gradually moved elsewhere, particularly to Korçë, which slowly became an important commercial centre. Of the old Vlach families, only about thirty remain in Moscopolis; but on the other hand, the widespread disorder ravaging the area of Opar has caused many Albanian speaking families to leave the barren, mountainous parts of the country and remove to Moscopolis, where they till the land and raise livestock. Able Vlach-speaking families came from two Vlach settlements to Moscopolis, of which the entire population at present amounts to 200 families, of which 120 are Albanian-speaking and the remaining 80 Vlach speaking. All the old Vlach-speaking families have remained true to heir Greek national consciousness but for three, who, together with some of the newcomers, have been led astray by the unfrocked priest Kosmas. The Romanising families there number twenty in all."]
In 1914, Moscopole was part of the Autonomous Republic of Northern Epirus
The Autonomous Republic of Northern Epirus ( el, Αὐτόνομος Δημοκρατία τῆς Βορείου Ἠπείρου, translit=Aftónomos Dimokratía tis Voreíou Ipeírou) was a short-lived, self-governing entity founded in the aft ...
. The now village was destroyed again in 1916 during World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
by the marauding Albanian bands of Salih Butka, who is considered among Aromanian circles as a criminal due to this event.[Nikolaeva Todorova Marii︠a︡]
''Balkan identities: nation and memory.''
C. Hurst & Co. Publishers, 2004. , pp. 108-109.
During the Greco-Italian War
The Greco-Italian War (Greek: Ελληνοϊταλικός Πόλεμος, ''Ellinoïtalikós Pólemos''), also called the Italo-Greek War, Italian Campaign in Greece, and the War of '40 in Greece, took place between the kingdoms of Italy and G ...
, on 30 November 1940, the town was captured by the advancing Greek forces. In April 1941, after the capitulation of Greece, Moscopole returned to Axis control. The remaining buildings were razed three times during the partisan warfare of World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
: once by Italian troops and twice by the Albanian nationalist Balli Kombëtar
The Balli Kombëtar (literally ''National Front''), known as Balli, was an Albanian nationalist, collaborationist and anti-communist resistance movement during the Second World War. It was led by Ali Këlcyra and by Midhat Frashëri. The move ...
organization. Of the old city, six Orthodox churches (one in a very ruined state), a bridge and a monastery survive. In 1996, the church of St. Michael was vandalized by three adolescent Albanians under the influence of a foreign Muslim fundamentalist. In 2002, the five standing churches were put on the World Monuments Fund
World Monuments Fund (WMF) is a private, international, non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of historic architecture and cultural heritage sites around the world through fieldwork, advocacy, grantmaking, education, and trainin ...
's 2002 World Monuments Watch The World Monuments Watch is a flagship advocacy program of the New York-based private non-profit organization, World Monuments Fund (WMF) that is dedicated to preserving and safeguarding the historic, artistic, and architectural heritage of hu ...
.
Modern times
At 1996 the church of Saint Michael was vandalized by Albanian adolescents, an incident that shocked and dismayed the Albanian public. Today, Moscopole is just a small mountain village and ski resort. Nonetheless, memories of glory days of Moscopole remain an important part of the culture of the Aromanians. During recent years, a Greek language institution and a joint Greek–Albanian initiative has operated in Moscopole. Moscopole, known in Albania as being a traditionally Christian settlement, is a neighbour to various Muslim and Christian Albanian villages that surround it, although the latter ones have become "demographically depressed" due to migration. During the communist period, some Muslims from surrounding villages settled in Moscopole, making locals view the village population as mixed (''i përzier'') and lamenting the decline of the Christian element. In modern times Aromanians no longer form a majority of the population, with incoming Christian and Muslim Albanians having further settled in the village, especially after the Second World War.[Gilles de Rapper]
''Religion on the border: Sanctuaries and festivals in post-communist Albania''
Religion on the Boundary and the Politics of Divine Interventions. Proceedings of the International Conference, Sofia 14–18 April 2006. Istanbul, Isis Press, p. 12.After several assaults and destruction by its Muslim neighbours, Voskopojë is no more than a big village in which Aromanian population is not in majority anymore. Albanian-speaking Christians and Muslims have come and settled, especially after the Second World War, when life conditions became more attractive in what was turned into an administrative centre rather than in remote mountain villages. According to the 2011 Albanian census, out of the 1,058 inhabitants, 69,57% declared themselves as Albanian, 5,48% declared themselves as Aromanian, 0,47% declared themselves as Macedonians, and 0,09% as Greek. The remaining 24.39% did not state any ethnicity.
Orthodox churches and monasteries
The remaining churches in the region are among the most representative of 18th century ecclesiastical art in the Balkans. Characteristically, their mural
A mural is any piece of graphic artwork that is painted or applied directly to a wall, ceiling or other permanent substrate. Mural techniques include fresco, mosaic, graffiti and marouflage.
Word mural in art
The word ''mural'' is a Spani ...
s are comparable to that in the large monastic centres at Mount Athos and Meteora
The Meteora (; el, Μετέωρα, ) is a rock formation in central Greece hosting one of the largest and most precipitously built complexes of Eastern Orthodox monasteries, second in importance only to Mount Athos.Sofianos, D.Z.: "Metéora" ...
, both in 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 ...
. The architectural design is in general specific and identical: a large three-aisled basilica
In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica is a large public building with multiple functions, typically built alongside the town's Forum (Roman), forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek East. The building ...
with a gable roof. The churches are single-apsed, with a wide altar apse and internal niches that serve as prothesis and diaconicon
The diaconicon ( el, διακονικόν, translit=diakonikon; Slavonic: ''diakonik'') is, in Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic churches, the name given to a chamber on the south side of the central apse of the church, where the vestments, b ...
. Most churches also have one niche, each on the northern and southern walls, next to the prothesis and the diaconicon. Along the southern side there is an arched porch.[
Of the original around 24–30 churches of Moscopole, besides the St. John the Baptist Monastery ( sq, Manastiri i Shën Prodhromit; el, Μονή Αγίου Ιωάννου του Προδρόμου) in the vicinity of the town,] only five have survived into modern times:
* Saint Nicholas ( sq, Kisha e Shën Kollit; el, Ναός Αγίου Νικολάου)
*Dormition of the Theotokos
The Dormition of the Mother of God is a Great Feast of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Catholic Churches (except the East Syriac churches). It celebrates the "falling asleep" (death) of Mary the ''Theotokos'' ("Mother of ...
( sq, Kisha e Shën Mërisë; el, Ναός Κοιμήσεως της Θεοτόκου)
*Saint Athanasius
Athanasius I of Alexandria, ; cop, ⲡⲓⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ ⲁⲑⲁⲛⲁⲥⲓⲟⲩ ⲡⲓⲁⲡⲟⲥⲧⲟⲗⲓⲕⲟⲥ or Ⲡⲁⲡⲁ ⲁⲑⲁⲛⲁⲥⲓⲟⲩ ⲁ̅; (c. 296–298 – 2 May 373), also called Athanasius the Great, ...
( sq, Kisha e Shën Thanasit; el, Ναός Αγίου Αθανασίου)
*Saint Michael
Michael (; he, מִיכָאֵל, lit=Who is like El od, translit=Mīḵāʾēl; el, Μιχαήλ, translit=Mikhaḗl; la, Michahel; ar, ميخائيل ، مِيكَالَ ، ميكائيل, translit=Mīkāʾīl, Mīkāl, Mīkhāʾīl), also ...
or Archangels
Archangels () are the second lowest rank of angel in the hierarchy of angels. The word ''archangel'' itself is usually associated with the Abrahamic religions, but beings that are very similar to archangels are found in a number of other relig ...
Michael and Gabriel
In Abrahamic religions ( Judaism, Christianity and Islam), Gabriel (); Greek: grc, Γαβριήλ, translit=Gabriḗl, label=none; Latin: ''Gabriel''; Coptic: cop, Ⲅⲁⲃⲣⲓⲏⲗ, translit=Gabriêl, label=none; Amharic: am, ገብ ...
( sq, Kisha e Shën Mëhillit; el, Ναός Αγίων Ταξιαρχών)
* Saint Elijah ( sq, Kisha e Shën Ilias; el, Ναός Προφήτη Ηλία)
Some of the ruined churches include the following:
* Saint Paraskevi ( sq, Kisha e Shën Premtes; el, Ναός Αγίας Παρασκευής), patron saint of the town and probably the first church built in Moscopole in the 15th century
* Saint Charalampus ( sq, Kisha e Shën Harallambit; el, Ναός Αγίου Χαραλάμπους), outer walls partially survived
* Saint Euthymius, completely destroyed.[
]
Climate
There is a combination of mild valley climate in the lower parts and true Alpine climate
Alpine climate is the typical weather (climate) for elevations above the tree line, where trees fail to grow due to cold. This climate is also referred to as a mountain climate or highland climate.
Definition
There are multiple definitions o ...
in the higher regions. Favorable climate conditions make this center ideal for winter, summer, sport and recreation tourism, so there are tourists during the whole year, and not only from areas of Albania, but also foreigners.
Notable people
People born in Moscopole:
* Ioannis Chalkeus (1667–from 1730 to 1740), scholar and philosopher
* Theophrastos Georgiadis (1885–1973), author and teacher
* Nicolae Ianovici, linguist
* Theodore Kavalliotis (1718–1789), priest and teacher
* Georgios Konstantinidis, hieromonk and founder of the Moscopole printing house
* Dionysios Mantoukas (1648–1751), Orthodox bishop
* Violeta Manushi (1926–2007), actress
* Ioakeim Martianos (1875–1955), Orthodox bishop
* Daniel Moscopolites (1754–1825), scholar
* Nektarios Terpos
Nektarios Terpos ( rup, Nectar Tãrpo; el, Νεκτάριος Τέρπος; late 17th century–18th century) was an Orthodox Christian scholar and monk from Moscopole (today in modern Albania) of Aromanian ethnicity. He was the author of an imp ...
(late 17th century–18th century), religious scholar and monk
* Konstantinos Tzechanis (1740–1800), philosopher, mathematician and poet
* Constantin Ucuta
Constantin Ucuta was an Aromanian academic and protopope. He was born in Moscopole, an economically powerful city and Aromanian centre at the time then part of the Ottoman Empire and now part of Albania. He migrated to Posen, in Prussia (now P ...
, academic and protopope in Prussia
Others with roots in Moscopole:
* Mihail G. Boiagi (1780–1828, 1842 or 1843), grammarian and professor
* Llazar Fundo (1899–1944), communist politician, journalist and writer
* Mocioni family
The Mocioni family ( hu, Mocsonyi de Foen), also spelled as Mocsony, was an Austro-Hungarian family that produced barons, philanthropists and bankers. It had branches in Romania, Serbia (Belgrade) and Hungary (Pest). The family was of Aromanian or ...
, with notable members of this family including Andrei Mocioni (1812–1880)
* Sinas family, with notable members of this family including Georgios Sinas
Georgios Sinas ( el, Γεώργιος Σίνας, german: Georg Sina; 20 November 1783 – 18 May 1856) was a Greek- Austrian entrepreneur and banker. He became a national benefactor of Greece and was the father of another Greek national benefacto ...
(1783–1856) and Simon Sinas
Simon von Sina or Simon Sinas ( el, Σίμων Σίνας; 1810–1876) was a Greek-Austrian banker, aristocrat, benefactor and diplomat. He was one of the most important benefactors of the Greek nation together with Georgios Sinas.
Biography
Sim ...
(1810–1876)
* Konstantinos Smolenskis (1843–1915), Hellenic Army officer
Gallery
File:Voskopoje 329.jpg, Tourist center
File:Voskopoja (1).jpg, Mountains near Moscopole
File:8.moskopole.jpg, Aromanian festival in Moscopole
File:Voskopoje 339.jpg, View of the village
File:Albania_330.jpg, Saint Nicholas Church
File:Voskopoje_338.jpg, Saint Nicholas Church
File:Ura_e_Voskopojes.JPG, Arched bridge next to the village
See also
* Aromanians in Albania
sq, Arumunët në Shqipëri
, native_name_lang =
, image = File:Aromanians in Albania.png
, image_caption = Map of Aromanian settlements in Albania
, population = 8,266 (2011 census)Estimates go from 100,000 to 200,000
, ...
* Tourism in Albania
Tourism in Albania has been a key element to the country's economic activity and is constantly developing. It is characterized by its rich archaeological and cultural heritage dating back to the classical period when Illyrians and Ancient Gre ...
References
Bibliography
* Asterios Koukoudi
Studies on the Vlachs
(in Greek and English)
Românii din Albania – Aromânii
in Romanian)
*
* Steliu Lambru
(in English)
*
* Nicolas Trifon
Des Aroumains aux Tsintsares - Destinées Historiques Et Littéraires D’un Peuple Méconnu
(in French)
* Ewa Kocój, The Story of an Invisible City. The Cultural Heritage of Moscopole in Albania. Urban Regeneration, Cultural Memory and Space Management n:Intangible heritage of the city. Musealisation, preservation, education, ed. By M. Kwiecińska, Kraków 2016, s. 267-280
Further reading
*
*
*
*
* Robert Elsie, Eifel Olzheim
Review
Peyfuß, Max Demeter: Die Druckerei von Moschopolis, 1731–1769. Buchdruck und Heiligenverehrung im Erzbistum Achrida.
{{Authority control
Destroyed cities
Epirus
Aromanians in Albania
Aromanian settlements in Albania
Administrative units of Korçë
Villages in Korçë County