Syrrako (, between 1940 and 2002: Σιράκο - ''Sirako'';EETAA local government changes
/ref> ) is a village and a former community in the Ioannina regional unit,

Epirus Epirus () is a Region#Geographical regions, geographical and historical region, historical region in southeastern Europe, now shared between Greece and Albania. It lies between the Pindus Mountains and the Ionian Sea, stretching from the Bay ...

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 ...

. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality

North Tzoumerka North Tzoumerka () is a municipality in the Ioannina regional unit, Epirus, 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 ...

, 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 ( ' ), often called Yannena ( ' ) within Greece, is the capital and largest city of the Ioannina (regional unit), Ioannina regional unit and of Epirus (region), Epirus, an Modern regions of Greece, administrative region in northwester ...

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 (; 1868–1894) was an ethnic Aromanians, Aromanian, Greeks, Greek author and poet, representative of 19th century Greek pastoral literature. He was born an Ottoman Greece, Ottoman subject in Epirus, but escaped to Greece after b ...

and Prime Minister

Ioannis Kolettis Ioannis Kolettis (; 1773 or 1774 – 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 se ...

Location

Syrrako is built on the slopes of Mount Peristeri (Lakmos) in the

Pindus The Pindus (also Pindos or Pindhos; ; ; ) is a mountain range located in Northern Greece and Southern Albania. It is roughly long, with a maximum elevation of (Smolikas, Mount Smolikas). Because it runs along the border of Thessaly and Epiru ...

, offering natural shelter and security. Syrrako is separated from its twin village

Kalarrytes Kalarrytes (, ) is a village and a former community in the Ioannina regional unit, Epirus, Greece. It is populated mostly by Aromanians (Vlachs). Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality North Tzoumerka, of which it is ...

by the deep ravine of the river Chroussias, a tributary of the Arachthos. 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 () 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 ...

(

Vlachs Vlach ( ), also Wallachian and many other variants, is a term and exonym used from the Middle Ages until the Modern Era to designate speakers of Eastern Romance languages living in Southeast Europe—south of the Danube (the Balkan peninsula ...

). 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, consisting of 42 villages and belonging to the

Valide sultan Valide Sultan (, lit. "Sultana mother") was the title held by the mother of a ruling sultan of the Ottoman Empire. The Ottomans first formally used the title in the 16th century as an epithet of Hafsa Sultan (died 1534), mother of Sultan Suleima ...

. 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).

Cape A cape is a clothing accessory or a sleeveless outer garment of any length that hangs loosely and connects either at the neck or shoulders. They usually cover the back, shoulders, and arms. They come in a variety of styles and have been used 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, and member of the Institut de France. He traveled extensively throughout Ottoman-occupied G ...

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 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 (, fem. of , + , the ''All-Holy'', or the ''Most Holy''; pronounced ) (also transliterated Panaghia or Panayia), in Medieval and Modern Greek, is one of the titles of Mary, Mother of God, used especially in Orthodox Christianity and E ...

. The inhabitants returned in the year 1825 (according to others in 1827–28), rebuilt the village and between 1860 and 1870 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 lasted from October 1912 to May 1913 and involved actions of the Balkan League (the Kingdoms of Kingdom of Bulgaria, Bulgaria, Kingdom of Serbia, Serbia, Kingdom of Greece, Greece and Kingdom of Montenegro, Montenegro) agai ...

, 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

(1868–1894), author and poet, he wrote "Mountain and Stable", "Stavraetos", "Shades of Hades" and "Vlachoi of Pindos" and many others. *

(1774–1847), first Constitutive Prime Minister of Greece (1844–1847), member of

Filiki Eteria Filiki Eteria () or Society of Friends () was a secret political and revolutionary organization founded in 1814 in Odesa, Odessa, whose purpose was to overthrow Ottoman Empire, Ottoman rule in Ottoman Greece, Greece and establish an Independenc ...

, 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

{{North Tzoumerka div Populated places in Ioannina (regional unit) North Tzoumerka Aromanian settlements in Greece