Syvota
Syvota
Σύβοτα | |
---|---|
Settlement | |
Country | Greece |
Administrative region | Epirus |
Regional unit | Thesprotia |
Municipality | Igoumenitsa |
Population (2011)[1] | |
• Municipal unit | 2,640 |
• Community | 875 |
Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
Vehicle registration | ΗΝ |
Syvota (Greek: Σύβοτα, before 1940: Μούρτος - Mourtos[2]) is a village and a former municipality in Thesprotia, Epirus, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Igoumenitsa, of which it is a municipal unit.[3] The population in 2011 was 875 for the village, and 2,640 for the municipal unit. The seat of the municipality was in Plataria.
History
The earliest recorded inhabitants of the region are the Thesprotians, a Greek tribe of Epirus. In antiquity, the location was called Sybota and was the site of the Battle of Sybota.
During the Middle Ages, Syvota, like the rest of Epirus, was part of the Byzantine Empire and the Despotate of Epirus. Under the Turks, it was called Mourtos.
After nearly 500 years of Ottoman rule, Syvota joined Greece in 1913, following the Balkan Wars. The coastal village of Syvota (Albanian: Murto or Vola) was home to Cham Albanians before 1944, when they were expelled for collaborating with the Axis Powers.[4]
Today, Syvota town is a well-developed resort, owing largely to the numerous pristine beaches with clear waters located on several islets immediately offshore.
References
- ^ "Απογραφή Πληθυσμού - Κατοικιών 2011. ΜΟΝΙΜΟΣ Πληθυσμός" (in Greek). Hellenic Statistical Authority.
- ^ Name changes of settlements in Greece
- ^ Kallikratis law Greece Ministry of Interior Template:El icon
- ^ Vickers, Miranda and Pettifer, James. The Albanian Question: Reshaping the Balkans. I.B. Tauris, 2007, ISBN 1-86064-974-2, p. 238.