Jaap van 't Veen's photos with the keyword: Ipiros

The history of the Monastery of Molyvdoskepastos goes back in the Byzantine era and was originally built in the 7th century. It is one of the oldest monasteries in Greece. Its founder was the Byzantine emperor Constantine IV Pogonatos. The monastery was renovated in the 14th century by Andronikos Komnenos Doukas Palaiologos. The monastery owes its name from the lead roof it once had: i>molivdoskepasti means “with a roof of lead”. The lead was stolen by Turks to make bullets and was then replaced by slates. The katholikon (main church) belongs to a complex architectural style and was built in three phases. The original church with three vaults and a dome, was the first to built (11th and 12th century). The middle cross vaulted section was added at the end of the 13th century and in the beginning of the 14th century. Finally, an open narthex was added in the year of 1521 by the inhabitants of a nearby village. The interior of the church is decorated with splendid wall and ceiling paintings of the 14th and 16th centuries. The iconostasis is carved, probably dating back to the 15th century with remarkable icons. After 1913 the monastery remained without monks, its properties were encroached and its holy artifacts and relics were stolen. In 1943, when the area was bombarded by the Nazis, it was almost razed to the ground. In 1988 the monastery was manned once more by the present day brotherhood. From the outside the monastery looks (a little bit) like a fortress, due to its walls and gatehouse (PiP5). It is located about 20 km from the town of Konitsa, some hundred meters away from the Aoos River and the border with Albania.

From the beginning until the 10th century the region of Arta belonged to the Metropolis of Corinth and later to the Metropolis of Nicopolis. After the destruction of Nikopolis (11th century) the whole area of Epirus was subordinated to the Metropolis of Nafpaktos. Arta became the seat of a bishopric in the 12th century. The Metropolitan Church of St. Demetrios is located in the center of Arta.

After an unsuccessful attempt in 1844, finally the Kleidonia (also Klidonia) Bridge was built in 1853. This one-arch bridge spans the Voidomatis river in a verdant valley. The construction was paid by Balkiz Hanum, spouse of the Turk Malik-pasha. The elongated arch has a length of 20 meters and a height of 9.15 meters. The path over the bridge is 3,20 meters wide. The bridge is considered being the end of the Vikos Gorge . The Kleidonia Bridge is not only known for its beautiful arch, its location among plane trees and scenic views, but also boasts of a history of a bloody feud between two families for reasons of honor.

The Bridge of Arta is a stone footbridge crossing the Arachthos river on the outskirts of town. The current bridge is Ottoman and most probably built from 1602 till 1606. However the history of a bridge on that place goes even back to the Roman period. From the annexation of Arta in 1881 to the outbreak of the First Balkan War in 1912, the highest point of the bridge was the border between the Ottoman Empire and the Kingdom of Greece. The bridge has a length of 145 meters and the width is 3.75 meters. It has four semicircular arches with no symmetry. The Bridge of Arta received many restorations and additions throughout its history. A major restoration took place during the decade of 1980, after which the bridge got back its beauty. A folk ballad tells a story of how builders were building the bridge, but its foundations would collapse each night. Finally a bird with a human voice informed the master builder that he should sacrifice his wife in order to complete the construction. She was buried alive in the foundations of the bridge. She first curses the bridge, but then turns the curse into a wish once she realizes her brother may cross the bridge. Thus the sacrifice is fulfilled and the spirits of the river all the bridge to be built successfully. In 1931, during repairs, a small room was discovered in one of the bridge pillars: it is claimed that a skeleton was indeed found there.

The church of Panagia Parigoritissa, dedicated to the Annunciation, was built between 1285 and 1289 by the Epirus despot Nikiforos Komninos Doukas and his second wife Anna Palaiologina. It was formerly the katholion (= main church) of the largeStavropegian monastery. It became a dependence of the Kato Panaghia monastery, when it went bankrupt. The church is mentioned for the first time as a convent for nuns 1578. Seen from outside the church is a large, almost cubic three-storey building, which looks like an Italian palace. It is of the octagonal type with a central dome and also four smaller domes on each corner of the church's flat roof. The interior of the church is extremely elegant and lavishly decorated with wall paintings, sculptures (16th century) and an iconostasis, which replaced the original marble one. The nave is square and has no internal supports. The dome - adorned with mosaic depictions of the Pantocrator and the Prophets - rests on eight pilasters, on each of them stand three rows of smaller columns. This kind of architecture most probably has not been used to other Byzantine monuments. This makes the church very fascinating and quite unique. Nowadays Panagia Parigoritissa is a (kind of) museum, where on has to pay a small entrance fee.

The Byzantine Church of Panagia Vlacherna (Virgin Mary Church) is one of the most important Byzantine monuments of the medieval Epirus state. Initially it was dedicated to the Assumption of Mary. The church was initially the catholicon of a women’s monastery. Nowadays it serves at the parish church of the settlement of Vlacherna. The church is built atop a middle-byzantine era basilica (late 9th – early 10th century). The central arch of which consists as an arch of the current church. In the early 13th century the Vlacherna Church was built as three-aisled wooden roof basilica, which a few years later was transformed into the vaulted type with the addition of the domes. In the second half of the 13th century the narthex was added on the west side. The nave has important frescoes from the mid 13th century, while the frescoes in the narthex are from the end of the same century. The marble relief iconostasis is of remarkable craftsmanship.

The church of St. Theodora - the patron saint of Arta - is an important Byzantine church. Originally it was the katholikon of a monastery, where Theodora, the wife of Despot of Epirus Michael II Komnenos Doukas (1236-1271), was buried. The originally church was built - over the ruins of an older structure - in the 11th or 12th century as a three-aisled wooden-roofed basilica. This shape has remained almost unchanged till to this day. Around the year of 1270 Theodora renovated the church by adding the nartex and two pediments of the main church. The open colonnaded exonarthex was added in the lat 13th or early 14th century. Nowadays the Church of St. Theodora is considered being one of Arta’s most important monuments, not only for its morphology but mainly because this church is like a living connection of the present city with its Byzantine past since it is dedicated to its queen, the city’s Saint Theodora.

Orraon (also Horraon or Horreum) was founded in the 4th century B.C. In 167 B.C. the settlement was destroyed by the Romans, but it was subsequently rebuilt and survived for a short period. In 37 B.C. the town had one hundred houses, twelve streets, and a graveyard. Orraon was abandoned by its people. Its inhabitants were forced to settle in Nikopolis , a nearby city founded by Augustus after his victory in the navel battle of Actium at the mouth of the Ambracian Gulf. In Orraon most of the houses are still standing, sometimes even two stories high and the street plan is still visible".The town had twelve narrow parallel streets, in the north and south direction, cross two wider streets. The settlement consisted of 100 houses, built of local limestone. The main parts that are visible today are the stone the houses were made of, window frames and door frames. The cistern (PiP5) was located near the main gate. Orraon is located quite remote and during our visit there we were totally alone. It was very pleasant to walk around among these old houses, surrounded by a colourful landscape with lots of wild flowers.

The Tsoukas Monastery is built near the village of Elliniko on the in the area of Katsanochoria. It dominates at the top of a rocky hill, above the impressive gorge of the Arachthos river, at an altitude of about 900 meter (PiP5.) The monastery, dedicated to the Nativity of the Virgin, was founded - according to local tradition - by the Emperor Isaac II Angelos in 1190, flourished during the Despotate of Epirus. However, its presence is confirmed during the period of the Ottoman domination, mostly by the date 1668 that is mentioned in a handwritten comment on the statute of the monastery. It constitutes a monastic complex of fortress construction, that includes the two-storey buildings of the cells, a catholicon, a cistern, a belfry and a chapel dedicated to the Virgin. In the center of the enclosure stands the catholicon. It is a little single-naved church probably of the 17th century. The interior of the catholicon is covered with 18th century frescoes. During our visit on a Sunday morning, a church service was going on. As the small church can hardly accommodate any visitors, the service was also available for visitors to follow via loudspeakers. Afterwards, there was coffee and “loukoumia” for everyone; a special experience.

At the location where the Cathedral of Saint Athansios nowadays is located, was a Monastery dedicated to Saint Athanasios the Great. After the failed movement of Dionysios the Philosopher in 1611 and the expulsion of christians from the castle of Ioannina, the church of Saint Athanasios replaced a cathedral inside the castle and became the third cathedral of Ioannina. However, in August 1820 the temple was destroyed by a large fire during the siege of Ali Pasha. During the presidency of the Metropolitan of Ioannina Ioakeim, in 1832, and at the expense of benefactors, a bigger church was rebuilt from the ground up. The frescoes in the church date back, according to an inscription, to 1835. The ornate wood-carved iconostasis is "baroque", made of walnut wood, and is the work of four wood carvers from Gorgopotamos (Konitsa). The imposing tower-shaped bell tower was built in 1909.

The islet on Lake Pamvotis nearby Ioannina is referred to as "Nisaki" (Νησάκι = Greek for "little island"). Inhabitants call it "Nisi" (Νησί = Greek for "lsland"). Nisi (or Nissi) is a small island - 800 by 500 meters - in Lake Pamvotis. It is one of the two lake islands in Greece, which are inhabited. There is only one village - with a couple of hundreds of inhabitants - on the island which with picturesque paved alleys and a lot of tourist shops and restaurants. Nisi is well known for the Ali Pasha Museum and its monasteries. The first one was built at the end of the 13th century and the island was important monastic center. The island is accessible by boat from Ioannina (about 10 minute-ride each way) or by a ferry from a nearby shore.

The history of the Monastery of Molyvdoskepastos goes back in the Byzantine era and was originally built in the 7th century. It is one of the oldest monasteries in Greece. Its founder was the Byzantine emperor Constantine IV Pogonatos. The monastery was renovated in the 14th century by Andronikos Komnenos Doukas Palaiologos. The monastery owes its name from the lead roof it once had: i>molivdoskepasti means “with a roof of lead”. The lead was stolen by Turks to make bullets and was then replaced by slates. The katholikon (main church) belongs to a complex architectural style and was built in three phases. The original church with three vaults and a dome, was the first to built (11th and 12th century). The middle cross vaulted section was added at the end of the 13th century and in the beginning of the 14th century. Finally, an open narthex was added in the year of 1521 by the inhabitants of a nearby village. The interior of the church is decorated with splendid wall and ceiling paintings of the 14th and 16th centuries. The iconostasis is carved, probably dating back to the 15th century with remarkable icons. After 1913 the monastery remained without monks, its properties were encroached and its holy artifacts and relics were stolen. In 1943, when the area was bombarded by the Nazis, it was almost razed to the ground. In 1988 the monastery was manned once more by the present day brotherhood. From the outside the monastery looks (a little bit) like a fortress, due to its walls and gatehouse. It is located about 20 km from the town of Konitsa, some hundred meters away from the Aoos River and the border with Albania.

The Church of the Holy Apostles is located just outside the small village of Molyvdoskepastos - known as Depalitsa until 1929. According to the text of the founding inscription, it was built in 1537 and the hagiographies were added in 1645. The church belongs to the cross inscribed architectural type, with a twelve-side dome, a narthes to the west and a later portico to the south. The interior shows remarkable frescoes. The church used to be the seat of the Archbishop of Pogoniani until 1857. Next to the church is a viewpoint, from where there is a fine view of the area of the Greek-Albanian border and of the confluence of the rivers Aoos and Sarandaporos, the waters of the two rivers then cross the Albanian lands and flow into the Adriatic sea (PiP3).

The Suleiman Mosque is the only surviving mosque in Konitsa. It is a building that Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent founded on his return from a campaign in Albania after 1536. It remains in a dilapidated state, after it was abandoned by the Muslim inhabitants of Konitsa, who left during the exchange of populations in 1925. It consists of a prayer area and the minaret which is built into the southwest corner of the prayer area. On the same archaelogical site one will find also a hexagonal mausoleum of one room (PiP4) and the former Muslim school of Konitsa. According to an inscription on the lintel the school is dating back to 1869 (PiP5).

The Konitsa or Aoos Bridge was built by architect and stone-master Zioga Frontzou. The construction – done by 80 craftsmen - was completed in 1870, after the first attempt collapsed a year earlier.. The bridge - built to replace an older wooden bridge that stoof on the same place - helped to improve communication and transport between the local population in the area. The construction of the bridge was a difficult and expensive undertaking and a miracle of its time. The bridge - professionally and aesthetically designed - was not only financed by the rich, but also by the ordinary people who shared the idea of the bridge. The single-span stone arch bridge has a width of 36,80 meters and a height of almost 18 meters. The cobbled walkway - just 2,70 meters wide - has a length of 61,50 meters. The Konitsa Bridge is one of the largest stone bridges in Epirus (and even the Balkan). It’s not only the bridge, but also the location with the Aoos river flowing under the arch and an incredible view into the Aoos Gorge with the natural beauty of the green mountains of the Northern Pindos National Park in the background. Konitsa Bridge is built on the narrowest point of the Aoos gorge with some good rocks on both sides of the river. Therefore a one arch of big radius could steadily cover the distance, avoiding bigger and more expensive constructions. Under the arch hangs a little bell, which warned crossing people for strong winds. The bell was lost, but replaced in 1975.

Konitsa, located near the Albanian border, is built amphitheatrically-shaped on a mountain slope of the Pindos mountain range from where it overlooks the valley where the river Aoos meets the river Voidomatis. The town of Konitsa is recorded for the first time under its modern name in the “Chronicle of Ioannina” of 1380. The chronicle mentioned that the defences of the castle of Konitsa were strengthened by the local Despot of Epirus, due to an imminent attack. In 15th century Konitsa came under Ottoman rule. The town was the administrative centre of a kaza (Ottoman district), which according to the Ottoman General Census of 1881/82 had a total population of 16.570. In 1924 Konitsa was a small town that consisted of a total of 800 dwellings, 200 of which were considered Albanian or Turkish. As a result of the population exchange agreement of 1923 between Greece and Turkey, roughly two-thirds of Konitsa's Muslims, were considered "Turks by origin" and left for Turkey in 1925. Another part moved to Albania. They were replaced with around 1,000 Greeks from Cappadocia. There are different theories regarding the etymology of the name. The first states that the city takes its name from an ancient Epirote city named “Knossos”, which was located near modern-day Konitsa. Another theory states that the name is Slavic, from Koni (horse) and Tza (land). According to a third theory, the name comes from a local lord named Konis , who allegedly built a castle in the city. Nowadays Konitsa is known to be one of the most beautiful villages of Greece. The well preserved stone houses harmoniously coexist with the cobblestone streets, the lush vegetation and gardens. The heart of the town is the main square with its cafes and terraces.

The Monastery of Giromeriou (or officially: The Holy Patriarchal and Stavropegic Monastery of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary of Giromeri) was founded in the beginning of the 14th century (between 1310 and 1320), at the time of the prosperity of the Despotate of Epirus. It constituted an important monastic center and reached its greatest peak in the middle of the 16th century, when it numbered approximately 300 monks. The founder and first possessor of the monastery was Saint Nilos Erihiotis (1228-1334), who came from Constantinople. The katholikon (main church) of the monastery was gradually built. It is a church of small dimensions and is constructed of four cross-shaped columns with a domed roof. Possibly, it was at first a single-nave church, while its present form, namely the four parts of it, is a result of renovations at different times During our visit (May 2019) the brotherhood consists of four monks, who settled in the monastery in1989.

It is not exactly known when the Agios Dimitrios monastery was founded. The interior of the church is filled with murals from 1816, as a sign on the west gate indicates. Another sign above the gate of the monastery mentions the date February 27, 1831. Presumably around that time the rest of the monastery complex was built. The monastery is located at the foot of Mount Zalongo, below the monument with the same name. There are still a couple of nuns living in the monastery. One of them welcomed us with the traditional “loukoumia” (oversweet candy).