Labovë, alternatively Labova e Madhe (Great Labova; ) or Labova e Zhapës (Zappas' Labova), is a village in the Odrie

Odrie

Odrie is a municipality in the Gjirokastër District, Gjirokastër County, southern Albania. The municipality consists of the villages Andon Poçi, Hundëkuq, Tërbuq, Labovë e Madhe and Labovë e Vogël....

 municipality, Gjirokastër District

Gjirokastër District

The District of Gjirokastër is one of the thirty-six districts of Albania. It has a population of 56,720 containing a large Greek minority, and an area of 1,137 km². It is in the south of the country, and its capital is Gjirokastër...

, 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...

. It is situated roughly 650m above the sea level

Sea level

Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...

The population of the village used to be predominantly Greek

Greek language

Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...

 speaking at the time of Zappa's birth. It was home of the 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....

 entrepreneurs and national benefactors Evangelis Zappas and his cousin, Konstantinos Zappas

Konstantinos Zappas

Konstantinos Zappas was a Greek entrepreneur and national benefactor. Together with his cousin Evangelis Zappas he played an essential role in the revival of the Olympic Games....

. Because of their family name the town is alternatively called "Labovë e Zhapës" although officially it is still called Labovë. The Zappas sponsored the foundation of educational facilities known as Zappeian School (Ζάππεια Διδασκαλεία). In 1875-1876 this consisted of: a primary and a high school as well as a female, a weaving school for girls and a library containing 400 volumes from Greek and Latin authors.

Labova e Madhe is not to be confused by the nearby town Labova e Kryqit, in Libohovë municipality.

Notable people

• Kristo Meksi
  Kristo Meksi
  Kristo Meksi was an Albanian politician of the early 20th century. He was one of the signatories of Albanian Declaration of Independence and also one of the first Albanian diplomats.-Early life:...
  
  , politician
• Vangjel Meksi
  Vangjel Meksi
  Vangjel Meksi was an Albanian physician, writer, and translator. One-time personal physician to Ali Pasha, the 19th-century Albanian ruler of the Pashalik of Yanina, Meksi produced the first translation of the New Testament into Albanian with the help and sponsorship of the British and Foreign...
  
  , translator of the New Testament in Albanian
• Evangelis Zappas, benefactor
• Konstantinos Zappas
  Konstantinos Zappas
  Konstantinos Zappas was a Greek entrepreneur and national benefactor. Together with his cousin Evangelis Zappas he played an essential role in the revival of the Olympic Games....
  
  , benefactor
• Petros Zappas
  Petros Zappas
  Petros Zappas , was a Greek entrepreneur and politician, and a member of the Zappas family of national benefactors from Labovë in the Ottoman Empire and was briefly part of the Autonomous Republic of Northern Epirus...
  
  , entrepreneur and politician