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Konitsa Κόνιτσα
Settlement
The center of Konitsa
Country	Greece
Administrative region	Epirus
Elevation	600 m (2,000 ft)
Population
• Total	6,225
Time zone	UTC+2 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+3 (EEST)
Postal code	441 00
Area code(s)	26550
Vehicle registration	ΙΝ

Konitsa (Template:Lang-el, Template:Lang-rup) is a town in Epirus, Greece, near the Albanian border located at Mertzani near Melissopetra. 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 villages, and there are shops, schools and a hospital. It is a good starting point for tourists who want to explore the Pindos mountains, or who want to go rafting in the river Aoos or parapenting. Since 2009, a helicopter team operates from Konitsa, offering cross-country flights. Other places of interest nearby are:

• The Vikos-Aoos National Park, including the Vikos Gorge, the Aoos Gorge and the Tymfi mountains. It is where Vikos spring water is collected;
• Mount Smolikas (2637 m), Greece's second highest mountain;
• The sulfur baths of Kavasila;
• Zagori, a group of small mountain villages;
• The nearest city is Ioannina.

History

In antiquity, the area of Konitsa was part of the terrirory of the Greek tribe of the Molossians.

A Greek school was operating already from the end of 18th century by a Georgios Mostras, originary from Arta and student of Balanos Vasilopoulos.

John Murray, a British travel book writer, documented the city in 1872 as composed of 500 families and mostly populated by Albanians. During the Albanian National Awakening the tekke of Konitsa, similarly to other Albanian bektashi tekkes, was a covert center of culture, learning and tolerance, but also national activism against the Ottoman Empire. On the other hand, the local Greek population displayed tolerance towards actions by the Albanians that didn't reveal chauvinist inclinations.

Subdivisions

The municipality Konitsa is subdivided into the following districts:

• Aetopetra
• Agia Paraskevi
• Agia Varvara (Agia Varvara, Pyxaria)
• Aidonochori
• Amarantos (Amarantos, Loutra)
• Armata
• Elefthero
• Exochi (Exochi, Trapeza)
• Gannadio
• Iliorrachi
• Kallithea
• Kavasila
• Kleidonia (Kleidonia, Kalyvia)
• Konitsa
• Mazi
• Melissopetra (Melissopetra, Kalovrysi)
• Molista
• Molyvdoskepastos
• Monastiri
• Nikanoras
• Pades
• Palaioselli
• Pigi
• Pournia
• Pyrgos

Historical Demographics

Notable People

• Konstantinos Dovas (1898–1973)
• Saint John Vrachoritis (-1813), Greek Orthodox Saint
• Eleftherios Ikonomou, current Chief of the Greek Police.
• Faik Konica, writer and ambassador of Albania in Washington, DC
• Mehmet Konica, twice Foreign Minister of Albania
• Giannis Lyberopoulos, professor and author.

References

1. De Facto Population of Greece Population and Housing Census of March 18th, 2001 (PDF 39 MB). National Statistical Service of Greece. 2003.
2. konitsa.eu (in Greek)
3. M. V. Sakellariou. Epirus, 4000 years of Greek history and civilization. Ekdotikē Athēnōn, 1997. ISBN 9789602133712, p. 307: ""In the city of Konitsa in particular, a Greek school had been founded at the end of the eighteenth century at which the.. "
4. (Firm), John Murray (1872). A handbook for travellers in Greece: describing the Ionian Islands, continental Greece, Athens, and the Peloponnesus, the islands of the Ægean Sea, Albania, Thessaly, and Macedonia. J. Murray. pp. 433–.
5. Sellheim, R. (1992). Oriens. BRILL. p. 298. ISBN 9789004096516. Retrieved 3 October 2010.
6. M. V. Sakellariou.Epirus, 4000 years of Greek history and civilization. Ekdotike Athenon, 1997. ISBN 9602133716. p 361: "The Greek population displayed toleration whenever the action taken.

External links

• Περισσότερα για την Κόνιτσα (in Greek only)

Template:Ioannina

• Populated places in the Ioannina Prefecture
• Albania–Greece border crossings
• Municipalities in the Ioannina Prefecture