Lunxhëri is a region in the

Gjirokastër County Gjirokastër County () is one of the 12 counties of Albania. The total population in 2023 was 60,013, in an area of 2884 km2. Its capital is the city Gjirokastër. Administrative divisions Until 2000, Gjirokastër County was subdivided into thre ...

Albania Albania ( ; or ), officially the Republic of Albania (), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea, and shares land borders with Montenegro to ...

. It is an ethnographic region along with neighboring regions such as Kurvelesh,

Zagori Zagori (; ), is a region, a municipality, and a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site, in the Pindus mountains in Epirus, in northwestern Greece. The seat of the municipality is the village Asprangeloi. It has an area of some and contains 46 v ...

and

Dropull Dropull ( sq-definite, Dropulli; ''Dropoli'' or ''Deropoli'') is a municipality in Gjirokastër County, in southern Albania. The region stretches from south of the city of Gjirokastër to the Greek–Albanian border, along the Drino river. The reg ...

. It is in the periphery of a wider ethnographic region known as

Labëria Labëria is a historic region that is roughly situated in southwestern Albania. Its inhabitants are known as Labs (referred to as , pl. ''Lebër'', also dial. sing. ''Lap'') and its boundaries reach from Vlorë to Himara in the south, to the Gr ...

, though its population is said to be non-Lab. Many of its native inhabitants prefer for Lunxhëria to be identified instead as

Tosk Tosk ( sq-definite, toskërishtja) is the southern group of dialects of the Albanian language, spoken by the ethnographic group known as Tosks. The line of demarcation between Tosk and Gheg (the northern variety) is the Shkumbin River. Tosk is ...

, 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 The Vjosa (; indefinite form: ) or Aoös () is a river in northwestern Greece and southwestern Albania. Its total length is about , of which the first are in Greece, and the remaining in Albania. Its drainage basin is and its average dischar ...

river as the boundary) but culturally part of Toskëria (using the Drino as the boundary). Lunxhëria is predominantly inhabited by Albanians, but also has Aromanian and Greek 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 Mount is often used as part of the name of specific mountains, e.g. Mount Everest. Mount or Mounts may also refer to: Places * Mount, Cornwall, a village in Warleggan parish, England * Mount, Perranzabuloe, a hamlet in Perranzabuloe parish, C ...

east, and the valley of the

Drino The Drino or Drinos (, ) is a river in southern Albania and northwestern Greece, and a tributary of the Vjosë. Its source is in the northwestern part of the Ioannina regional unit, near the village Delvinaki. The 84.6 km (52.6 mi) long Drino ...

west. It includes the villages of Lunxhëri municipality, Odrie municipality,

Antigonë Antigonë is a former municipality in the Gjirokastër County, southern Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became a subdivision of the municipality Gjirokastër. The population at the 2011 census was 998. The municipal unit is known fo ...

municipality, Selckë from the

Pogon Pogon may refer to: * Pogon, Albania, a municipality in Gjirokastër District, Gjirokastër County, Albania * Pogoń, a Knight-in-pursuit coat of arms of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania * Pogoni, a municipality in Ioannina regional unit, Greece * P ...

municipality, Labovë e Kryqit which administratively belongs to

Libohovë Libohovë ( sq-definite, Libohova) is a town and a municipality in southern Albania. It is overlooked by Libohovë Castle and has a main street with views across the Drino valley. Libohovë is at the foot of the Mount Bureto, Bureto Mountain. The r ...

municipality, and villages of Lekël and Hormovë which administratively belong to

Tepelenë District Tepelenë District () was one of the 36 districts of Albania, which were dissolved in July 2000 and replaced by 12 newly created Counties of Albania, counties. It had a population of 32,465 in 2001, and an area of . 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 Erind is a village in the Gjirokastër County, southern Albania. It belongs to the former Lunxhëri (municipality), Lunxhëri municipality and is part of the wider Lunxhëri region. At the 2015 local government reform it became part of the municip ...

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 A decree is a law, legal proclamation, usually issued by a head of state, judge, monarch, royal figure, or other relevant Authority, authorities, according to certain procedures. These procedures are usually defined by the constitution, Legislativ ...

issued by the

Byzantine Emperor The foundation of Constantinople in 330 AD marks the conventional start of the Eastern Roman Empire, which Fall of Constantinople, fell to the Ottoman Empire in 1453 AD. Only the emperors who were recognized as legitimate rulers and exercised s ...

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 Emmanuel Mormoris, Manolis Mormoris () or Manoli Mormori (; ) was a 16th-century Cretan military commander and notable political figure in the Republic of Venice. He was the military commander of an Anti-Ottoman revolt at the time of the Ottoman ...

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 Saraqinisht is a small village of the former Antigonë municipality in the Gjirokastër County, southern Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became part of the municipality Gjirokastër. Near the village are the remains of the ancient ...

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

politician A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...

merchant A merchant is a person who trades in goods produced by other people, especially one who trades with foreign countries. Merchants have been known for as long as humans have engaged in trade and commerce. Merchants and merchant networks operated i ...

doctor Doctor, Doctors, The Doctor or The Doctors may refer to: Titles and occupations * Physician, a medical practitioner * Doctor (title), an academic title for the holder of a doctoral-level degree ** Doctorate ** List of doctoral degrees awarded b ...

s, benefactors,

scholar A scholar is a person who is a researcher or has expertise in an academic discipline. A scholar can also be an academic, who works as a professor, teacher, or researcher at a university. An academic usually holds an advanced degree or a termina ...

s, giving immense contributions to the history of

and

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 ...

. 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 Konstandin Hoxhi, known as Koto Hoxhi (1824–1895) was an advocate of the Albanian language. He taught the language secretly to his students in Qestorat in Southern Albania. He was imprisoned and died in prison for his beliefs. Biography Koto H ...

and

Pandeli Sotiri Pandeli Sotiri (1842–1892) was a teacher that acted as director of the first Albanian school of modern times in Korçë. Sotiri was one of the most important Rilindas figures that contributed in the propagation of the Albanian language. He also ...

were pro-Albanian and part of the elite of

Rilindas The Albanian National Awakening ( or ), commonly known as the Albanian Renaissance or Albanian Revival, is a period throughout the 19th and 20th century of a cultural, political, and social movement in the Albanian history where the Albanian ...

, while

Christakis Zografos Christakis Zografos (, , ; 1820 – 19 August 1898) was an Ottoman Greek banker, benefactor and one of the distinguished personalities of the Greek community of Constantinople (modern Istanbul). Early life and career Zografos was born in the vi ...

Evangelos Zappas Evangelos or Evangelis Zappas (23 August 1800 – 19 June 1865) was a Greek philanthropist and businessman who is recognized today as one of the founders of the modern Olympic Games, which were held in 1859, 1870, 1875, and 1888 and preceded t ...

and especially Georgios Zografos (head of the

Autonomous Republic of Northern Epirus The Autonomous Republic of Northern Epirus () was a short-lived, self-governing entity founded in the aftermath of the Balkan Wars on 28 February 1914, by the local Greek population in southern Albania ( Northern Epirotes). The area, known as ...

), 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 In the history of the 20th century, the interwar period, also known as the interbellum (), lasted from 11 November 1918 to 1 September 1939 (20 years, 9 months, 21 days) – from the end of World War I (WWI) to the beginning of World War II ( ...

and

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

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 A communist state, also known as a Marxist–Leninist state, is a one-party state in which the totality of the power belongs to a party adhering to some form of Marxism–Leninism, a branch of the communist ideology. Marxism–Leninism was ...

(1945–1991). During World War II and the developments of the

Greco-Italian War The Greco-Italian War (), also called the Italo-Greek War, Italian campaign in Greece, Italian invasion of Greece, and War of '40 in Greece, took place between Italy and Greece from 28 October 1940 to 23 April 1941. This conflict began the Balk ...

(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

People's Republic of Albania The People's Socialist Republic of Albania, () was the Marxist-Leninist state that existed in Albania from 10 January 1946 to the 29 April 1991. Originally founded as the People's Republic of Albania from 1946 to 1976, it was governed by the P ...

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 Hellenization or Hellenification is the adoption of Greek culture, religion, language, and identity by non-Greeks. In the ancient period, colonisation often led to the Hellenisation of indigenous people in the Hellenistic period, many of the ...

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 Gjirokastër (, sq-definite, Gjirokastra) is a List of cities and towns in Albania, city in Southern Albania, southern Albania and the seat of Gjirokastër County and Gjirokastër Municipality. It is located in a valley between the Gjerë moun ...

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 World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. 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

region (beside

who are locals), settling in throughout all 20th century, called Labs by the locals.

Religion

The population is of

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-pag ...

religion majority, with Lab families being a

Muslim Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...

minority. The so-called "autoktonë" families are completely Orthodox, beside

which is mostly Muslim. Labova e Kryqit3