Irakleia (, before 1926: Τζουμαγιά - ''Tzoumagia''
[Name changes of settlements in Greece]
/ref>) is a municipality in the Serres regional unit, Central Macedonia
Central Macedonia ( ; , ) is one of the thirteen Regions of Greece, administrative regions of Greece, consisting the central part of the Geographic regions of Greece, geographical and historical region of Macedonia (Greece), Macedonia. With a ...
, Greece
Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...
. Population 21,145 (2011). The seat of the municipality is the town of Irakleia, which was formerly known as "Lower Jumaya" (in or Cuma-i Zir ("Lower Juma" in Ottoman Turkish); in , ''Dolna Dzhumaya'';[Ιστορία του Ελληνικού Έθνους. Εκδοτική Αθηνών, Αθήνα 1978. , σελ. 228-229]
Map of the Italian Instituto Geografico de Agostini, showing the distribution of schools, churches, monasteries in the Ottoman vilayet of Saloniki
/ref> and in ).[The War of Numbers and its First Victim: The Aromanians in Macedonia (End of 19th – Beginning of 20th century)](_blank)
/ref> "Upper Dzhumaya" is modern Blagoevgrad
Blagoevgrad ( ) is List of cities and towns in Bulgaria, а town in Southwestern Bulgaria, the administrative centre of Blagoevgrad Municipality and of Blagoevgrad Province. With a population of almost inhabitants, it is the economic and cultura ...
, located in Bulgaria
Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...
. In the Serres
Serres ( ) is a city in Macedonia, Greece, capital of the Serres regional unit and second largest city in the region of Central Macedonia, after Thessaloniki.
Serres is one of the administrative and economic centers of Northern Greece. The c ...
area, Aromanians
The Aromanians () 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 Albania, south-western Bulgari ...
settled in modern Irakleia during Ottoman times. Some Aromanians still live in the city today, with Bulgarian researcher Vasil Kanchov even saying that, as of when he visited the town, the 1250 Aromanians in Irakleia "were the wealthiest of all inhabitants".
Municipality
The municipality Irakleia was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following 3 former municipalities, that became municipal units:Skotoussa
Skotoussa (, ) is a village and a former municipality in the Serres regional unit, Greece. Population 3,248 (2021). Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Irakleia, of which it is a municipal unit. The municipal un ...
*Strymoniko
Strymoniko () is a village and a former municipality in the Serres regional unit, Greece
Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders ...
The municipality has an area of 451.499 km2, and the municipal unit 195.216 km2.[
]
References
External links
Official website of the Municipality of Irakleia
Municipalities of Central Macedonia
Populated places in Serres (regional unit)
Aromanian settlements in Greece
{{CentralMacedonia-geo-stub