Filiates
Encyclopedia
Filiates is a town and a municipality
in Thesprotia
, Greece
. It is located in the northernmost part of the prefecture, bordering western Ioannina Prefecture
and southern Albania
.
.
The municipal unit Filiates has a land area of 495.727 km² and a population of 8,288 (2001 census). The population of the town Filiates, one of the biggest towns in the area, was 2,246 and the community population was 2,344. The largest other communities in the municipal unit are Keramítsa (pop. 309), Palaiochóri (291), Vrysélla (277), Leptokaryá (276), Trikóryfon (245), Ampeló (222), Kerasochóri (211), and Kokkiniá (205). The municipal unit has a total of 42 communities.
.
, west-southest of Kozani
and Thessaloniki
, west of Ioannina
, northwest of Athens
, north of Preveza
and east of Igoumenitsa
.
Filiates is connected with the GR-6
(Larissa
- Metsovo
- Ioannina - Igoumenitsa) and is now the old road. It has a few interchanges with the Egnatia Odos
(Alexandroupoli - Thessaloniki - Igoumenisa) and several had just opened. It is connected with the GR-19 that goes down to Paramythia
and Preveza
.
Greek
tribe of the Chaonians
.
In antiquity the city was known as Cestrine (or Kestrine), separated from Thesprotia
by the River Thyamis
. In the past, the city was also known as Cammania, Cestria, Filiates, Ilion, Epirus, Troy, Epirus and Troia, Epirus. According to Pausanias
(Description of Greece), Cestrine took its name from Cestrinus
, the son of Helenus
, having previously borne the appellation of Cammania.
rule and became part of Sanjak of Ioannina
. During 17th and 18th century Ottoman rule
a significant part of the town's population converted to Islam
.
In 1911 during the period of the dissolution of the Ottoman empire, Albanians of Filiates formed çetes, armed guerilla groups fighting for autonomy from the Ottoman empire. On the other hand, the local Greek population displayed tolerance towards actions by the Albanians that didn't reveal chauvinist inclinations.
During the Greek-Italian War the town was burned by collaborationist
Cham Albanian
bands (October 28-November 14, 1940). It was home to a Cham Albanian community, before 1944, when they fled due to accusations of mass collaboration with Nazi forces
. In June 1945 a great part of Filiates was burned by Greek bands during the expulsion of Cham Albanians
. Almost all Cham Albanian monuments of Filiates were destroyed during WWII.
Communities and Municipalities of Greece
For the new municipalities of Greece see the Kallikratis ProgrammeThe municipalities and communities of Greece are one of several levels of government within the organizational structure of that country. Thirteen regions called peripheries form the largest unit of government beneath the State. ...
in Thesprotia
Thesprotia
Thesprotia is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the Epirus region. Its capital is the town of Igoumenitsa. It is named after the Thesprotians, an ancient Greek tribe that inhabited the region in antiquity.-History:...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. It is located in the northernmost part of the prefecture, bordering western Ioannina Prefecture
Ioannina Prefecture
Ioannina is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the Epirus region. Its capital is the city of Ioannina. It is the largest regional unit in Epirus, and one of the largest regional units of Greece.-Geography:...
and southern Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
.
Municipality
The present municipality Filiates was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following 2 former municipalities, that became municipal units (constituent communities in brackets):- Filiates (Achladea, Aetos, Agios NikolaosAgios Nikolaos, ThesprotiaAgios Nikolaos is a village in Thesprotia, Greece and the municipality of Filiates not far from the Albanian border. Its 2001 population was 154 for the village...
, Agioi Pantes, Ampelonas, Anavryto, Charavgi, Faneromeni, Filiates, Foiniki, Gardiki, Giromeri, Gola, Kallithea, Kato Xechoro, Kefalochori, KeramitsaKeramitsaKeramitsa is a village in the municipality of Filiates, located in the area of Epirus known as Thesprotia, Greece. The village has a permanent population of about 120 people, but the number reaches about 1500 during the summer months when village expatriates and their descendants return from other...
, Kerasochori, Kokkinia, Kokkinolithari, Kouremadi, Kryoneri, Kyparisso, Leptokarya, Lia, Lista, Malouni, Milea, Palaiochori, Palaiokklisi, Palampas, Pigadoulia, Plaisio, Platanos, RaveniRaveniRaveni is a village in Thesprotia, Greece. It was the ancient city of Fanoti, part of the kingdom of Thesprotia. It lies on the foothills of the mountain of Mourgana, where many battles of the Greek civil war took place after the Second World War...
, Rizo, Sideri, Trikoryfo, TsamantasTsamantasTsamantas is a village located in Epirus. Tsamantas lies near to the border with Albania in northern Greece, in the prefecture of Thesprotia. Indeed, the border is visible from the high lofts that are Tsamantas....
, Vavouri, Vrysella, Xechoro) - SagiadaSagiadaSagiada is a village and a former municipality in Thesprotia, Epirus, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Filiates, of which it is a municipal unit. Its 2001 population was 897 for the village and 2,160 for the municipality. The seat of the municipality...
(Asprokklisi, Kestrini, Ragi, Sagiada, Smertos)
Geography
Filiates is located in a largely mountainous area. The Mourgana mountains lie to the north, on the border with AlbaniaAlbania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
.
The municipal unit Filiates has a land area of 495.727 km² and a population of 8,288 (2001 census). The population of the town Filiates, one of the biggest towns in the area, was 2,246 and the community population was 2,344. The largest other communities in the municipal unit are Keramítsa (pop. 309), Palaiochóri (291), Vrysélla (277), Leptokaryá (276), Trikóryfon (245), Ampeló (222), Kerasochóri (211), and Kokkiniá (205). The municipal unit has a total of 42 communities.
Climate
Because of its high altitude (~850m) location on a west-facing slope, Filiates has one of the wettest climates in GreeceGreece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
.
Location
Filiates is located southwest of KonitsaKonitsa
Konitsa is a town in Epirus, Greece, near the Albanian border. It lies amphi-theatre shaped on a mountain slope of the Pindos mountain range, overlooking the valley where the river Aoos meets the river Voidomatis. The valley is used for farming. Konitsa is a regional centre for many small Pindos...
, west-southest of Kozani
Kozani
Kozani is a city in northern Greece, capital of Kozani regional unit and of West Macedonia region. It is located in the western part of Macedonia, in the northern part of the Aliakmonas river valley...
and Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
, west of Ioannina
Ioannina
Ioannina , often called Jannena within Greece, is the largest city of Epirus, north-western Greece, with a population of 70,203 . It lies at an elevation of approximately 500 meters above sea level, on the western shore of lake Pamvotis . It is located within the Ioannina municipality, and is the...
, northwest of Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, north of Preveza
Preveza
Preveza is a town in the region of Epirus, northwestern Greece, located at the mouth of the Ambracian Gulf. It is the capital of the regional unit of Preveza, which is part of the region of Epirus. An immersed tunnel, completed in 2002 which runs between Preveza and Actium, connects the town...
and east of Igoumenitsa
Igoumenitsa
Igoumenitsa , is a coastal city in northwestern Greece. It is the capital of the regional unit Thesprotia. Its original ancient name used to be Titani....
.
Filiates is connected with the GR-6
Greek National Road 6
Greek National Road 6 is a highway in north-central Greece. It begins at the port of Igoumenitsa and ends at Larissa. Part of the new road is run under the name Egnatia Odos from Igoumenitsa to east of the tunnel at Metsovo. It has junctions of GR-19GR-5/20/E55, GR-15, GR-30 and finally at...
(Larissa
Larissa
Larissa is the capital and biggest city of the Thessaly region of Greece and capital of the Larissa regional unit. It is a principal agricultural centre and a national transportation hub, linked by road and rail with the port of Volos, the city of Thessaloniki and Athens...
- Metsovo
Metsovo
Metsovo is a town in Epirus on the mountains of Pindus in northern Greece, between Ioannina to the north and Meteora to the south. The largest centre of Vlach life in Greece, Metsovo is bypassed by GR-6 and also by Egnatia Odos Motorway....
- Ioannina - Igoumenitsa) and is now the old road. It has a few interchanges with the Egnatia Odos
Egnatia Odos
Egnatia Odos may refer to:* The Via Egnatia, an ancient Roman road in the southern Balkans* Egnatia Odos , Greek National Road 2, partly following the same route as the Via Egnatia*Egnatia Street, Thessaloniki, a street in Thessaloniki...
(Alexandroupoli - Thessaloniki - Igoumenisa) and several had just opened. It is connected with the GR-19 that goes down to Paramythia
Paramythia
Paramythia is a village and a former municipality in Thesprotia, Epirus, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Souli, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit. Population 7,859 .-Name:...
and Preveza
Preveza
Preveza is a town in the region of Epirus, northwestern Greece, located at the mouth of the Ambracian Gulf. It is the capital of the regional unit of Preveza, which is part of the region of Epirus. An immersed tunnel, completed in 2002 which runs between Preveza and Actium, connects the town...
.
Ancient History
In antiquity, the area of Filiates was inhabited by the EpirotEpirus
The name Epirus, from the Greek "Ήπειρος" meaning continent may refer to:-Geographical:* Epirus - a historical and geographical region of the southwestern Balkans, straddling modern Greece and Albania...
Greek
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
tribe of the Chaonians
Chaonians
The Chaonians were an ancient Greek tribe that inhabited the region of Epirus located in the north-west of modern Greece and southern Albania. On their southern frontier lay another Epirote kingdom, that of the Molossians, to their southwest stood the kingdom of the Thesprotians, and to their...
.
In antiquity the city was known as Cestrine (or Kestrine), separated from Thesprotia
Thesprotia
Thesprotia is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the Epirus region. Its capital is the town of Igoumenitsa. It is named after the Thesprotians, an ancient Greek tribe that inhabited the region in antiquity.-History:...
by the River Thyamis
River Thyamis
The Thyamis , also known as Glycis or Kalamas, is a river in the Epirus region of Greece. It flows into the Ionian Sea. The names of the Chameria region , as well as the former Cham minority, derive from the river's name...
. In the past, the city was also known as Cammania, Cestria, Filiates, Ilion, Epirus, Troy, Epirus and Troia, Epirus. According to Pausanias
Pausanias (geographer)
Pausanias was a Greek traveler and geographer of the 2nd century AD, who lived in the times of Hadrian, Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius. He is famous for his Description of Greece , a lengthy work that describes ancient Greece from firsthand observations, and is a crucial link between classical...
(Description of Greece), Cestrine took its name from Cestrinus
Cestrinus
In Greek mythology, Cestrinus was the only son of Helenus and Andromache. According to Pausanias, Cestrinus was upset when Andromache's son Molossus succeeded Helenus to the throne of Epirus. Taking a group of Epirotian volunteers, he claimed the region of Epirus north of the River Thyamis and it...
, the son of Helenus
Helenus
Helenus was a Trojan soldier and prophet in the Trojan War.In Greek mythology, Helenus was the son of King Priam and Queen Hecuba of Troy, and the twin brother of the prophetess Cassandra. He was also called Scamandrios. According to legend, Cassandra, having been given the power of prophecy by...
, having previously borne the appellation of Cammania.
Modern History
In 15th century Filiates came under OttomanOttoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
rule and became part of Sanjak of Ioannina
Sanjak of Ioannina
The Sanjak of Ioannina or Sanjak of Jannina, Sanjak of Janina, Sanjak of Yanina, was one of the sanjaks of the Ottoman Empire which county town was Ioannina in Epirus.- Administration :...
. During 17th and 18th century Ottoman rule
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
a significant part of the town's population converted to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
.
In 1911 during the period of the dissolution of the Ottoman empire, Albanians of Filiates formed çetes, armed guerilla groups fighting for autonomy from the Ottoman empire. On the other hand, the local Greek population displayed tolerance towards actions by the Albanians that didn't reveal chauvinist inclinations.
During the Greek-Italian War the town was burned by collaborationist
Axis-Cham Albanian collaboration
During the Axis occupation of Greece between 1941 and 1944, large parts of the Albanian minority in the Thesprotia prefecture in Epirus, northwestern Greece, known as Chams collaborated with the occupation forces. Fascist Italian as well as Nazi German propaganda promised that the region would be...
Cham Albanian
Cham Albanians
Cham Albanians, or Chams , are a sub-group of Albanians who originally resided in the coastal region of Epirus in northwestern Greece, an area known among Albanians as Chameria. The Chams have their own peculiar cultural identity, which is a mixture of Albanian and Greek influences as well as many...
bands (October 28-November 14, 1940). It was home to a Cham Albanian community, before 1944, when they fled due to accusations of mass collaboration with Nazi forces
Axis-Cham Albanian collaboration
During the Axis occupation of Greece between 1941 and 1944, large parts of the Albanian minority in the Thesprotia prefecture in Epirus, northwestern Greece, known as Chams collaborated with the occupation forces. Fascist Italian as well as Nazi German propaganda promised that the region would be...
. In June 1945 a great part of Filiates was burned by Greek bands during the expulsion of Cham Albanians
Expulsion of Cham Albanians
The expulsion of Cham Albanians from Greece was a forced emigration of thousands of Cham Albanians after the Second World War to Albania, by the Resistance National Republican Greek League forces. The EDES and the Joint Allied Military Mission in the Axis-occupied Greece accused Chams for...
. Almost all Cham Albanian monuments of Filiates were destroyed during WWII.
Population
| Year | Pop. village | Pop. municipal district | Pop. municipality |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 2,439 | - | - |
| 1991 | 2,591 | - | - |
| 2001 | 2,246 | 2,344 | 8,288 |
Notable people
- Anthimus VII of ConstantinoplePatriarch Anthimus VII of ConstantinopleAnthimus VII or Anthimos VII Tsatsos, was the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople from 1895 to 1896. He died in Halki, Turkey.In 1895, he criticized the encyclical Praeclara Gratulationis Publicae of Pope Leo XIII....
(1835–1913), Ecumenical Patriarch. - Aziz ÇamiAziz ÇamiAziz Çami was an Albanian army officer and Balli Kombëtar commander. In 1920 he was a commander in the Vlora War. In the mid 1920s he was exiled after the restoration of monarchy as he was a supporter of Fan Noli and in 1931 he was arrested for an assassination attempt against King Zog I...
, officer of the Albanian army and Balli KombëtarBalli KombëtarBalli Kombëtar was an Albanian nationalist, anti-communist and anti-monarchy organization established in October 1939. It was led by Ali Këlcyra and Mit’hat Frashëri...
commander. - Qamil ÇamiQamil ÇamiQamil Izet Çami was an Albanian rilindas, poet, and teacher. He and other rilindas from his area opened the first Albanian-language school of Filiates in 1908 .-Life:...
, teacher and poet of era of the Albanian National Awakening. - Ali DemiAli DemiAli Demi is a Hero of Albania of World War II, born in Filiates, Greece in 1918, and died during a battle with German forces in Vlora, Albania in 1943....
, Albanian resistance fighter (World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
). - Musa DemiMusa DemiMusa Demi was an Albanian revolutionary and writer. He was one of the main proponents of the Albanian National Awakening in the region of Filiates, Paramythia and Igoumenitsa .- Life :...
, revolutionary and important figure of the Albanian National Awakening. - Niazi DemiNiazi DemiNiazi Rustem Demi was an Albanian politician.Niazi Demi was born in 1919 in Filiates, a town of northwestern Greece . He studied in Vlorë and then in Tiranë's high school, graduating in late 1930s. In 1942 he joined the ranks of the Albanian National Liberation Front and in 1943 became political...
, minister of trade of AlbaniaAlbaniaAlbania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
. - Rexhep DemiRexhep DemiRexhep Demi was a leading member of the Albanian independence movement and one of the signatories of Albanian Declaration of Independence, representing the region of Çamëria. He was a minister in the Provisional Government of Albania....
, leading member of the Albanian independence movement and signatory of the Albanian Declaration of IndependenceAlbanian Declaration of IndependenceThe Albanian Declaration of Independence is the declaration of independence of the Albanian Vilayet from the Ottoman Empire. Albania was proclaimed independent in Vlorë on November 28, 1912.-Background:...
. - Tahir DemiTahir DemiTahir Demi was an Albanian politician. He was high-ranking member of the Party of Labour of Albania and representantive of Albania at Comecon...
, high-ranking member of the Party of Labour of Albania and representative of Albania at ComeconComeconThe Council for Mutual Economic Assistance , 1949–1991, was an economic organisation under hegemony of Soviet Union comprising the countries of the Eastern Bloc along with a number of communist states elsewhere in the world...
. - Stavroula Dimitriou, author and poet.
- Nicholas GageNicholas GageNicholas Gage is a Greek American author and investigative journalist. Today he and his wife, Joan, live in North Grafton, Massachusetts...
, Greek AmericanGreek AmericanGreek Americans are Americans of Greek descent also described as Hellenic descent. According to the 2007 U.S. Census Bureau estimation, there were 1,380,088 people of Greek ancestry in the United States, while the State Department mentions that around 3,000,000 Americans claim to be of Greek descent...
author and investigative journalist. - Vasiliki Kontaxi, wife of Ali PashaAli PashaAli Pasha of Tepelena or of Yannina, surnamed Aslan, "the Lion", or the "Lion of Yannina", Ali Pashë Tepelena was an Ottoman Albanian ruler of the western part of Rumelia, the Ottoman Empire's European territory which was also called Pashalik of Yanina. His court was in Ioannina...
and member of the patriotic organization Filiki EteriaFiliki Eteriathumb|right|200px|The flag of the Filiki Eteria.Filiki Eteria or Society of Friends was a secret 19th century organization, whose purpose was to overthrow Ottoman rule over Greece and to establish an independent Greek state. Society members were mainly young Phanariot Greeks from Russia and local...
,
See also
- List of cities in ancient Epirus
- Axis-Cham Albanian collaborationAxis-Cham Albanian collaborationDuring the Axis occupation of Greece between 1941 and 1944, large parts of the Albanian minority in the Thesprotia prefecture in Epirus, northwestern Greece, known as Chams collaborated with the occupation forces. Fascist Italian as well as Nazi German propaganda promised that the region would be...