Ioannina Island

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The island of Ioannina (Greek Nisí Ioannínon Νησί Ιωαννίνων (n. sg. ), Regional and short Nissaki Νησάκι, islets ') is a small inland island in the north of Ioannina or Pamvotida lake in the Greek region of Epirus. From 1926 until its re- incorporation into the city of Ioannina she was an independent country community ( kinótita κοινότητα ) in Ioannina prefecture and the smallest area of ​​Greek community. Today she is a municipality in the Ioannina municipality and is a former municipality also a district.

The island formed from limestone is of elongate form, while about 1000 m long and 500 m wide. The interior of the island rises to about 50 m above the lake surface at and is covered by forest, pine and cypress trees dominate the landscape. The settlement is located at the northern end of the island. Reeds and papyrus lining the banks, which provide habitat frogs and toads and where brood numerous waterfowl. The lake, which still occasionally freezes over in winter, is home to numerous freshwater fish such as carp, eels and sturgeon and freshwater crayfish.

Although the area of some 10,000 -year-old Pamvotida lake is demonstrably inhabited since the third millennium BC, there are the oldest evidence of humans on the island of preserved monastic buildings, the oldest dating from the 13th century, the time of the beginning of the Despotate of Epirus, originate. Overall, today there are seven monasteries on the island, of which at least four of the late medieval period since 1871 also a church school. The inhabitants consider themselves to be descendants of refugees from the Mani peninsula in the 17th century, which has not been established by research. Slawischstämmige toponyms in the area around the lake and on the island can be a colonization by Slavs from about the 10th century suggests.

Into the Light of the story entered the island, as in February 1822 Ali Pasha Tepelenë fled there in front of his Ottoman enemies and defeated here and was killed in a cell of Pandeleimon Monastery.

The approximately one hundred families on the island traditionally live from fishing and frog farming, as a destination, the island also important for tourism. Handicraft items like straw hats are offered as souvenirs. Among the culinary specialties of the place includes various fish, crayfish and frogs' legs.

Attractions

Main sights are the church and the seven monasteries, in which significant traces of Byzantine frescoes art are, including the Church of the Assumption ( Ιερός Ναός Κοίμησης της Θεοτόκου ) with a wooden iconostasis with gilded icons, the rock monastery of Saint John the Baptist ( Μονή Αγίου Ιωάννη Προδρόμου ) from the 14th century and the monastery of the Holy Pandeleimon ( Μονή Αγίου Παντελεήμονος ) from the 15th century. In this monastery the Museum of the season reminds before the uprising ' ( Μουσείο Προεπαναστατικής περιόδο ) to Ali Pasha. Here the cell is shown in which he met his death, as well as lithographs, etchings and textiles from the period before 1822.

Of art history, the monastery of Saint Nicholas is considered the most significant Philanthropinen ( Μονή του Αγίου Νικολάου των Φιλανθρωπινών ). The name comes from a family Philanthropinos, an important family in the Despotate of Epirus, whose member Michael is mentioned in 1292 as the owner of the monastery. The construction preserves important wall paintings from the 13th and 14th centuries. In the south narthex are the portraits of seven philosophers of antiquity.

Next to the monastery on the northeast side of the island stands the monastery of Saint Nicholas Dilios ( Stratigopoulos ), probably founded in the 13th century. The main church is completely painted with frescoes from 1542/3.