Korestia>

Μετάφραση

The Korestia of Western Macedonia is a historical complex of villages consisting of Ano and Kato Kraniona, Chalara, Mela, Makrochori, Mavrokambos, Agios Antonios, Gavros, Kotta and Vatochori.

They are located between the Kastoria - Florina route and geographically cover the western foothills of Mount Verno (Vitsi), the eastern foothills of Mount Orlovo and the eastern foothills of Mount Triklario. The area of Korestia borders other historical areas of Western Macedonia, such as Popoli in the east, Devoli in the west, an area that now belongs to Albania, the area of Prespa in the north.

The villages of the area of Korestia are built next to the tributaries of Livadopotamos (or Ladopotamos), the main aquifer of the area, which in its upper form forms the closed and long valley. Then the river leaves the area, crosses the gorge of Koromilia and meets Aliakmonas on the plateau of Argos Orestiko. The main type of deciduous tree in the area is beech. The village in the 2011 census had only 5 inhabitants.

The traditional architecture of the villages is special for the region of Western Macedonia. The old houses are made of bricks with red soil and straw, which give the reddish color to the landscape of the area. The way the houses were built was maintained until the middle of the 20th century and then abandoned. In recent years, the integration of the settlements of the municipal unit of Korestia into a protection regime, by the Ephorate of Modern Monuments of Central Macedonia, is being studied.

The only historical and preserved building in the area, which until now has been designated by the Ministry of Culture, is the house where the hero of the Macedonian Struggle, Pavlos Melas, was killed, which now functions as a museum of Pavlos Melas.

About a hundred houses in the abandoned settlements of Gavros, Kranionas and Mavrokambos have been rescued from the brick houses of Korestia, located within the boundaries of the homonymous municipal unit, while in a similar number they have been rescued in a better condition, in the inhabited settlements of Agios Andonios and Antonios, Makrochori and Melas. The maintenance of these houses is considered difficult due to internal and external migration, but also due to the phenomenon of co-ownership.

Kraniona was an ideal setting for director such as Pantelis Voulgaris in his film "Deep Soul", "James Bond: For Your Eyes Only" and "The Suspended step of the stork" by Theodoros Angelopoulos.

History

In Macedonia, as in the rest of the Ottoman Empire, the best and most fertile land in the plains belonged mainly to Turkish Beys. Most of them were of Albanian descent and at the same time held the duties of tax collectors who were arbitrarily and unjustly funded, with an armed local police force. So life for the villagers was hard and justice was hard to find.

In the mountains and in the most isolated areas there were free villages, poor and with barren land. They only paid taxes to the Turks and were at the mercy of bandit gangs when they did not entrust their security to local bandits. The most active were seasonal workers, coal miners or lumberjacks, while others were forced to turn to robbery, a highly lucrative profession at the time.

A place without a road network and with areas completely isolated from each other due to lack of security, will soon suffer the Bulgarian propaganda that will dominate with terrorism. Mitre Vlachos in Makrochori, Atanas Kersakoff from Ieropigi of Kastoria and Lazar Poptraikov in Dendrochori. In preparation for the Ilinden Uprising (July 20, 1903) the local leaders were anointed, and at the end of August 1902 a meeting was held in Sidirochori of Kastoria revolt, some reacting to the Bulgarian initiative.

About a month after the uprising, most of the villages were burned by the Turks, some completely, and in October 1904, Pavlos Melas was killed in Statista. With the Neo-Turkish movement in 1908, all military activities were suspended until the Balkan Wars of 1912-1913.

There are various versions about the name of the area, with this dominant version being Greek, but also Slavo-Macedonian, researchers who believe that it comes from the ancient Macedonian country of the area, the ancient Orestida. According to Bulgarian linguist Jordan Zaimov, the name of the area comes from the old Bulgarian word for rooster, while according to Slavo-Macedonian researcher Lyubitsa Stankovska, the name of the area comes from the main name Kore.

The Lost Beauty of Korestia’s Abandoned Villages in Kastoria

The Lost Beauty of Korestia’s Abandoned Villages in Kastoria

Korestia at a Glance

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Korestia Map

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Korestia

The Lost Beauty of Korestia’s Abandoned Villages in Kastoria

The Lost Beauty of Korestia’s Abandoned Villages in Kastoria

Korestia at a Glance

Protection Status

Current Status

Korestia Map

Nearby Attractions

More Abandoned Villages to Discover in Greece

More Things to Do in Greece

Best Greek Festivals

Best Hiking Trails

Castles & Towers in Greece

Gorges in Greece