Lunxhëria

Lunxhëri ( sq, Lunxhëri; el, Λιούντζη) is a region in the Gjirokastër County, Albania. It is an ethnographic region along with neighboring regions such as Kurvelesh, Zagoria, Dropull. It is in the periphery of a wider ethnographic region known as Labëria, though its population is said to be non-Lab. Many of its native inhabitants prefer for Lunxhëria to be identified instead as Tosk, as are neighboring regions to the east such as Dangëllia and Kolonja, rather than Lab; some researchers instead prefer to view Lunxhëria as a "transitory region" that is linguistically part of Labëria (using the Vjosa river as the boundary) but culturally part of Toskëria (using the Drino as the boundary). Lunxhëria is predominantly inhabited by Albanians, but also has Greek and Aromanian minorities.

Geography

Apart from the Lunxhëri municipality, Lunxhëri traditionally incorporates a wider region that extends from Hormovë west, Gryka e Suhës south, the crest of Mount Lunxhëri east, and the valley of the Drino west. It includes the villages of Lunxhëri municipality, Odrie municipality, Antigonë municipality, Selckë from the Pogon municipality, Labovë e Kryqit which administratively belongs to Libohovë municipality, and villages of Lekël and Hormovë which administratively belong to Tepelenë District. The region has some rivers and streams: ''Përroi i Dhoksatit'', ''Perroi i Mingulit'', ''Përroi i Qestoratit'', and the river of Nimica.

History

Ancient and medieval period

A number of archeological sites in the region are located next to the modern villages of Këllez, Dhoksat, Erind as well the ancient Greek city of Antigonia, today a National Park. Ancient ruins near Erind appear to be related to the ancient settlements of "Hekatopedion", "Ongolion" and "Eliaion".

In 1321 a decree issued by the Byzantine Emperor recognized the special status of the village of Soucha (today Suhë) is mentioned while its Aromanian (Vlach) population is exempted from military service.

Ottoman period

In 1571 a short lived rebellion broke out under Emmanuel Mormoris and the local population was in favour of the movement, nevertheless Ottoman control was restored that same year.

At 1630-1653 the Aromanian inhabitants of Saraqinisht were able to contribute to the foundation of several Orthodox monuments such as the churches of Saint Nicholas, Prophet Elija and the nearby monastery of Theotokos of Spilaio.

During the era of conversions to Islam in the 18th century, Christian Albanian speaking areas such as the region of Lunxhëri strongly resisted those efforts. "Ιδιαίτερη εντύπωση προκαλεί η ισχυρή αντίσταση που προέβαλαν ορισμένες περιοχές στο έντονο κύμα εξισλαμισμών του 18ου αιώνα, όπως οι περιοχές της Ζαγοριάς (όπου υπάγεται η Κόνσκα και η Σέπερη), της Ρίζας (όπου υπάγεται το Χόρμοβο και η Πρεμετή) και της Λιντζουριάς, μολονότι κατοικούνταν από αλβανόφωνους χριστιανούς."

In the early 19th century Austrian, British and French travelers coming from Ioannina to Lunxhëria felt that they were entering in another country that differed from adjacent Greek regions in local customs and way of life while noting that the region was inhabited by Albanian-speaking Orthodox Christians.

Modern period

The area has been characterized by frequent immigration during the 19th and 20th centuries. Members of the local diaspora became notable politicians, merchants, doctors, benefactors, scholars, giving immense contributions to the history of Albania and Greece. Although most of the locals that migrated to other regions declared themselves as Greeks, at the same time, the majority of the population in the end of the 19th century spoke Albanian. In the same context, people like Koto Hoxhi and Pandeli Sotiri were pro-Albanian and part of the elite of Rilindas, while Christakis Zografos, Evangelos Zappas and especially Georgios Zografos (head of the Autonomous Republic of Northern Epirus), supported the Greek national ideas. However, the majority of the locals were between this two extreme points.http://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/docs/00/16/57/25/PDF/de_Rapper_2005a.pdf p.10 On the other hand were those who insisted on the Greekness of the Lunxhots and were opposed to the development of an Albanian national identity among the Christians. We recall here the names of the famous Christodoulos (1820-1898) and Jorgos (1863-1920) Zografos – the latter having been the head of the Government of Autonomous Northern Epirus in Gjirokastër during the First World War – and of Vangelis Zappas (or Vangjel Zhapa, 1800-1865), all of them from Lunxhëri (Qestorat and Labovë e Zhapës). ...

After Lunxhëria's incorporation into the Albanian state and the departure or marginalization of many of the strongest pro-Greek ("filogrek") families, a strong Albanian national feeling paired with a strong regional identity took hold. The French anthropologist Gilles De Rapper found that Lunxhots express their pride to be Albanian by asserting that they are the truest Albanians of the area, as opposed to on one hand to members of the Greek and Aromanian ethnic minorities who are of non-Albanian ethnicity and suspicious loyalties, and on the other to the ethnically Albanian Muslim migrants from Kurvelesh, who are asserted to have abandoned their Orthodox faith and therefore become "Turks", as opposed to the Albanian Orthodox who are said to have better preserved their Albanian culture. Lunxhëria villages of the interwar period were small and compact such as Saraqinisht and Stegopull containing some 50 houses each while the people of the region were all Albanian Orthodox Christians except in Erind which was inhabited by both Muslims and Christians. British archaeologist Clarke visited in 1924 and noted that in Saraqinisht and Labove there was a certain amount of pro-Greek feeling. During the interwar period and World War I many families both of pro-Albanian and pro-Greek left the area, with the pro-Albanian families being forced to leave at certain times by powerful pro-Greek families. An Aromanian minority settled in the region as part of the resettlement policies of the communist regime (1945-1991). During World War II and the developments of the Greco-Italian War (1940-1941) the region came under the control of the advancing Greek army, who were welcomed in the houses of the local population.

State policies during the during the People's Republic of Albania also created a buffer zone between Lunxhëria and the nearby recognized Greek minority zone of Dropull with the settlement of Albanian Muslim communities in fear of Hellenization of Lunxhëria.

Demographics

Many families have emigrated after 1990, leading to a decrease in population. The people of Lunxhëria mainly intermarried among themselves, however during the communist era instances of marriage alliances, encouraged by the then regime, occurred with nearby Greek villagers around Gjirokastër to access better life opportunities. Orthodox Albanians in the area do not marry Aromanians.

Today the population of Lunxhëri can be classified in three main groups:"While Lunxhëri practiced (as did many other regions) a high level of (territorial) endogamy, marriage alliances started to occur between Christians Lunxhots and members of the Greek minority of the districts of Gjirokastër (Dropull, Pogon) and Sarandë. Such alliances were both encouraged by the regime and used by people to facilitate internal mobility and obtain a better status and life-chances."; "In fact, the ‘exclusive Albanianness’ is still dominant as a discourse, emigration and the loosening of state control have brought radical changes in the sense of belonging. To claim a Greek origin or Greek familial connections is not a problem anymore as far as the state is concerned, and it is even considered a positive feature as far as emigration to Greece is concerned. Most of the Lunxhots in Greece present themselves as Northern Epirotes, and any evidence of Greek nationality, kombësi greke, is looked for as a positive feature in the context of migration." "the Lunxhots do not claim a Greek identity through an invented Vlach identity, but rather directly, through intermarriage with the Greek minority members in Dropull, Pogon and Sarandë."
* the Lunxhots, who call themselves "ethnic Lunxhots" or ''"autoktonë"'' and are called "villagers" ''(fshatarë)'' by others
* the Aromanian settlers, who call themselves ''çoban'' or ''Greek-Vlachs'', and are considered as newcomers ''(të ardhur)'' by the Lunxhots, after World War II. Despite being officially the same religion as the Orthodox Albanian autochthones of Lunxhëria, the native Albanians of Lunxhëria sometimes refer to them as being of a different ''fe'' (religion) and are reluctant to marry, or to let their children marry, Aromanians.De Rapper, Gilles, "Better than Muslims, not as good as Greeks" page 9-10: "The Vlachs are often said by the Lunxhots to be of another fe, although they are both Orthodox Christians and go to the same churches. The feeling of otherness that characterises so strongly the relation between Vlachs and Lunxhots is thus expressed in term of religious communities; at the same time, the definition of Vlachs as another fe justifies the reluctance for intermarriage with them as well as a lack of trust and sympathy." Almost all of them come ultimately in Ottoman times from the village of Kefalovrisso (known as Mexhidë in Albanian), now located in Northwest Greece. In modern times, Aromanians were the first group in Lunxhëria to emigrate to Greece.De Rapper, page 5
* the Muslim-background Albanian settlers from Labëria region (beside Erind who are locals), settling in throughout all 20th century, called Labs by the locals.

The census of 2011 counted for Lunxhëri municipality 1941 inhabitants of whom 58.01% declared Albanians, 3,55% Greeks and 2,42% Aromanians. The same census for Odrie (that belongs to the wider Lunxhery region) counted 433 inhabitants of whom 51,73% Albanians, 31.41% Aromanians, 9,70% Greeks. The rest of the population did not declare any ethnicity while the procedure was affected by boycott by the Greek minority.Ethnic composition: 2011 census
"Delvine ..."Note: 1) The census was boycotted by significant number of Greeks."

Religion

The population is of Orthodox religion majority, with Lab families being a Muslim minority. The so-called "autoktonë" families are completely Orthodox, beside Erind which is mostly Muslim.

Notable people

See also

* Lunxhëri municipality
* Tourism in Albania
*Orthodoxy in Albania
*Pandeli Sotiri
* Zographeion College

References

External links

Traditional costumes

Women's feast and bridal costume.
Folklore Museum of Kozani.

Traditional music

*Pjergulla në lis të thatë
*Lunxheri Plot Lezete

"Odria" newspaper

"Odria" newspaper online

Ethnocultural books

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Lunxheri

Albanian regions
Albanian ethnographic regions
Geography of Gjirokastër County
Labëria
Eastern Orthodox Christians from Albania
Aromanians in Albania