c. 1744–1822
Ali Pasha of Ioannina
Ali Pasha Tepelena governed from Ioannina and expanded his authority across much of Epirus, southern Albania and western Greece. His court combined…
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Epirus
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Especially thirteenth century
Byzantine Arta
Arta became the principal political and artistic centre of the Despotate of Epirus. Its surviving churches preserve distinctive architecture, sculpture and wall…
Read story →2nd millennium BC to late 4th century AD
Dodona: The Oracle of the Sacred Oak
In a valley of Epirus south-west of Ioannina, pilgrims consulted Zeus at Dodona, which Greek tradition held to be the oldest oracle.…
Read story →c. 1780/1782–1827
Georgios Karaiskakis
Georgios Karaiskakis rose from a difficult and uncertain early life to become one of the Revolution's most effective military leaders. His final…
Read story →1853–1856
Greece and the Crimean War
During the Crimean War, many Greeks hoped that Russia's conflict with the Ottoman Empire would allow territorial expansion. Unofficial revolts began in…
Read story →1912–1913
Greece in the First Balkan War
In 1912 Greece joined Serbia, Bulgaria and Montenegro in war against the Ottoman Empire. Greek land and naval forces achieved rapid gains…
Read story →1430–1913 (Ottoman period)
Ioannina Castle: Mosques, Synagogue and Citadel
On a promontory in Lake Pamvotis, the walled castle of Ioannina holds Byzantine towers, Ottoman mosques and an old synagogue. Its lanes…
Read story →Especially seventeenth–early nineteenth centuries
Klephts and Armatoloi
Klephts were armed groups who lived beyond direct Ottoman control, while armatoloi served in officially recognized local security districts. The line between…
Read story →Privileges 1659; Ottoman rule until 1912
Metsovo: An Aromanian Town in the Pindus
High on the Pindus pass between Epirus and Thessaly, Metsovo grew into a prosperous Aromanian (Vlach) town under Ottoman rule. Its herders,…
Read story →Founded 31 BC
Nikopolis: Augustus’ City of Victory
After defeating Antony and Cleopatra at Actium in 31 BC, Octavian founded Nikopolis, the City of Victory, on the peninsula north of…
Read story →Especially eighteenth–early nineteenth centuries
Souli and the Souliots
The Souliots were Orthodox communities living in the rugged mountains of Epirus. Their military organization and repeated wars with Ali Pasha of…
Read story →1881
The Annexation of Thessaly in 1881
Most of Thessaly and the district around Arta were transferred from the Ottoman Empire to Greece in 1881. The settlement followed the…
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