Syrrako

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Sirako (Greek Σιράκο (n. sg ), older spelling Syrrako Συρράκο; . Albanian Sërakë / a ) is a village and a municipal district of the municipality Voria Tzoumerka in the Greek region of Epirus. It lies on the slopes of the mountain Lakmos ( Peristeri ) Pindos.

From 1919 it was an independent country community ( kinotita ), first as Syrrako, from 1940 as Sirako. With the administrative reform in 2010 Sirako was merged with six other municipalities to the new community Voria Tzoumerka, where it has since formed a district.

Sirako is separated from its twin city Kalarrytes by the deep gorge of the river Chrousias, a tributary of the Arachthos. The tradition says that the river had its name from Chrousios, the son of Neoptolemus, who had drowned there.

History

Syrrako was inhabited before the 15th century (possibly in the 11th century ) of the Aromanians ( Vlachs ). During the Ottoman period after 1480, it was the capital of the autonomous association of Malakasio consisting of 42 villages. For this reason, it enjoyed preferential treatment. During this time the village has developed immensely. First, run the inhabitants livestock, and later commercial and industrial textile manufacturing wool.

The extent of pasture land (on nearly 750 km ²) made ​​it possible for residents to increase the number of sheep and goats on thousands and increase productivity. The commercial purpose of the Syrrakioten made ​​the place one of the biggest trading centers in the Mediterranean and Black Sea.

Coats, which were prepared in Syrrako were in great demand, supposedly Napoleon's army have been supplied with a large number of them. The traveler William Martin Leake and François Pouqueville reported in the years 1815 and 1818, that they had " the most beautiful cities of Europe business cycle comparable " found in Syrrako one. They also mentioned the existence of significant libraries and the circulation of European newspapers. Syrrako and Kalarrytes were the only places in Epirus, which had in the first year of the Revolution of 1821 720 families and 3,500 inhabitants. The Ottomans destroyed and burned down the village, and the inhabitants left Syrrako.

Only five buildings remained intact, including the Church of the Panagia. The inhabitants came from 1825 ( gradually in the years 1827-28 ), the village built up again and 1860-1870, the village was again as impressive as in previous years. A second revolution took place in 1854, which was of no consequence. The decline of trade in wool because of replacement by other fibers (1908-1910) hurt the local economy. At that time there were 530 houses and nearly 5,000 residents in the village.

In the period after the First Balkan War Syrrako Greece joined on 23 November 1912. In the census of 1913 counts 17,000 inhabitants Ioannina, Konitsa 2,000 and 3,500 Syrrako.

Famous People of Syrrakos

• Kostas Krystallis (1868-1894), author and poet, he wrote Stavraetos, Shades of Hades, Vlachoi Pindos and many others.
• Ioannis Kolettis (1774-1847), first Prime Minister of Greece (1844-1847), member of the Filiki Eteria, Interior Minister, marine and war minister and ambassador in Paris ( 1836-1843 ).
• Georgios Zalokostas (1805-1858), poet and freedom fighter of the Greek Revolution.
• The commander Katsikogiannis Lepeniotis and others who benefactor G. Gianniotis, Sp Baltatsis, G. Ikkos and many other men of literature, art and commerce.