| Himara! "The source of Greek nation". A region that is washed by the waves of the lonion Sea, covered with the grey leaves of the olive trees, a habitation of heroes. The villages of Himara, Kiparo, Vouno, Drimades, Nivitsa, AgiosVasilios, Loukovo, Pikerni, Palassa, Piliouri were able to retain their greekcon-science and orthodox faith upright, in difficult and leap years.The Albanians have exempted it from "the minority zones" refusing to accept Its Greek identity. Himara constituted the cradle of armatolism (the activity of Greek guerrillas entrusted with police duties) during the years of theTurkish domination. The sublime Porte failed in imposing its rules on the people of Himara. Refusing to be subjected to the conquerors, the Greekpeople of Himara redeemed "their privileges" with their blood. The peopleof Himara and Souli are identified with the concept of self-sacrifice. They have never bowed to any conqueror.They earned special privileges with struggles and they contracted the"AUTONOMOUS CONFEDERACY OF KERAVNIONS". A history full of fights and sacrifices for their freedom. The Turks applied violent and hardmeasures in order to make them change their religion and turn into Muslims but were not able to alter the Greek composition of the region. The heroic Himara remains unsubdued, a symbol of the indomitable spirit of Epirus. The heroism of the people of Himara constituted the seed of all therevolutionary movements of Epirus. The town of Himara, on the coastsof the Ionio Sea, between Aviona and Agii Saranta, below Akrokeravnia,presents a wild grandeur.It is the Ancient Greek town of Himara of Haonia. During the Byzantine times, Himara was a border station, a fortress of defense against those who invaded from the sea. It did not submit itself to the Turks. With captainSpyromilios as its leader, it raised its stature and fought for the maintenanceof its freedom. The movement of Himara touched and shocked the whole Greek nation. Souris greets it with the following verses:"Stop, don't cover the sun of freedom.thunder with Himara by your side, you poor Spyromilios"Everything - culture, feelings, language, origin - is representative of the fact that the people of Himara, "besides the faith and the language, these two fluid elements, both of which were, occasionally, lost in turns under tempestuous and adverse adventures of the Greek, persist in tradition, obviously proving the solid continuation of the Greek heritage". Himara! Inexhaustible historic source of beauty and vigor.Sti Himara vjeni o ilios, arhigos o SpiromiliosArhigos ihe dhjiataksi, tin Turqia na ipotaksi.. |
