Ioannina, Epirus, Greece (Credit: Betsis El. on Pixabay)

Ioannina: The atmospheric Epirot capital with long-standing traditions

Byzantine history, diverse museums, memorable villages, the impressive ancient site of Dodoni, the majestic Vikos Gorge

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OVERVIEW

The regional unit of Ioannina is part of the region of Epirus and one of the largest regional units of Greece. Its capital is the city of Ioannina, pronounced Yannena in Greek, which spreads out around the picturesque and calm Lake Pamvotida, the largest lake of Epirus. The regional unit is a mountainous one dominated by the Pindus mountains of abundant natural beauty, that cover its eastern part. Green landscape, castles, architectural masterpieces and unique archaeological sites co-exist in harmony in this regional unit of strong cultural traditions. The massive Cave of Perama, the historic villages of Tzoumerka, the majestic Vikos Gorge, Dodoni (home to the ancient Greek oracle Dodona), the lively mountain town of Metsovo, are just some of the main attractions.

.AT A GLANCE

Regional unit’s capital: Ioannina Regional Unit’s area: 4,990 km2 Regional Unit’s population (2011): 167,901 Density: 34/km2

.ADMINISTRATION

The regional unit Ioannina is subdivided into eight municipalities.

.MUNICIPALITIES

IOANNINA    DODONI    KONITSA    METSOVO 
NORTH TZOUMERKA    POGONI    ZAGORI    ZITSA


.MUNICIPALITY OF IOANNINA

Area: 403.32 km2 Population (2021): 113,978 Density: 280/km2 Climate: Hot-summer Mediterranean climate with typically hot and moderately dry summers. Winters are wet and colder than on the coast. Website: https://ioannina.gr/

.HISTORY

Ioannina, one of the most enchanting cities in Greece where history and tradition blends in a mysterious way, was formally founded by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian in the 6th century AD. Following the sack of Constantinople in 1204 which marked the culmination of the Fourth Crusade, many wealthy Byzantine families settled here. The city, part of the Despotate of Epirus from 1358 to 1416, flourished between the 13th–15th centuries. In 1431 Ioannina fell under the rule of the Ottoman Empire for the next five centuries and remained an administrative centre, as the seat of the Sanjak of Ioannina. During the 18th and 19th centuries, Ioannina was a major center of the modern Greek Enlightenment. 
The city was incorporated to Greece in 1913 following the Balkan Wars. Following the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne many Greek refugees from Asia Minor and the Pontos region settled in Ioannina bringing their own cultural traditions.

.POINTS OF INTEREST

Lake Pamvotida or Pamvotis: One of the oldest lakes worldwide, formed around seven million years ago, the lake is one of the most notable attractions of Ioannina. The word Pamvotida dates back to the era of Homer and means means “the great provider.”. Part of the Natura 2000 environmental network, an estimated 170 species of bird can be found here

Island of Ioannina: The inhabited island of Lake Pamvotis which is simply referred to as Island of Ioannina is located on the northwest part of the lake and can be reached by boat from the city of Ioannina.Follow the cobblestone alleys a  to reach the Byzantine monasteries on the island which all have wonderful frescoes. Don’t miss the Museum of Ali Pasha, the leader from Tepeleni in Albania who ruled the city for 34 years.

Ioannina Castle: Built in 528 AD by the Emperor Justinian, the castle was in constant use until the late Ottoman period and the most extensive alterations were completed in 1815. In the castle there are two inner fortresses. The south-eastern citadel (Its Kale) and the north-eastern citadel. Several monuments such as a Byzantine bath complex, Ottoman baths (hamam), the Ottoman library, and the Soufari Sarai  (“horsemen’s palace”) are found within the castle’s walls.

Its Kale: The Fethiye Mosque which dates back to the 1430’s and was build by Ali Pasha for his seraglio’s worship), the tomb of Ali Pasha and his first wive, the main surviving part of Ali’s palace, the so-called “Treasury”, the Arcades, the Bohemond’s Tower and the Byzantine Museum are all located here.

North-eastern citadel: The impressive Aslan Pasha Mosque built in 1618 is located in the North-eastern citadel and since 1933 houses the Municipal Ethnographic Museum with its three collections, representative of the three communities of the city, the Christian, the Muslim and the Jewish.

Veli Pasha building complex: Built by Ali Pasha for his son Veli on the southeast slopes of the hill of Litharitsia, this building complex consists of a mosque, the madrasa and auxiliary buildings, which belonged to the palace (saray).

The Old City of Ioannina: A quiet historic district with narrow streets and two-storey old houses, with the walls of the castle keeping out the traffic and buzz of the modern city .

For anyone with an eye for architecture: Look for the Military Headquarters of 1879, the Town Hall of 1938, the National Bank of Greece and the Clock Tower, a city landmark built in 1906.

.GASTRONOMY

The visitor can find a variety of tasty experiences. Try dozens of different Epirote pites (pies) including tyropites (cheese pies), hortopites (pies with greens). Fish from the lake, such as eels and trout, and frog’s legs, (the later are the hallmark of the local cuisine. As for dessert, there is “sker bourek” (meaning sugar pie) and baklava, filled with walnuts and sweet spices which is the traditional sweet of Ioannina and is famous all over Greece. 

.WINES & DRINKS

Alcohol free liqueur: Ioannina boasts a completely unique non-alcoholic liqueur based on a mixture of organic vinegar, nectar, fruit syrups, and herbs. Sherbet: A kind of sweet wine flavoured with fruit and flowers.

.SHOPPING

Ioannina is known for its silverwork and has a strong silversmithing tradition already since the Byzantine era. Handmade contemporary jewellery and works of art are still made here with a number of shops selling silver jewelry, bronzeware, decorative items, antiques and reproductions of older metal objects. 

.FEASTS, FESTIVALS & EVENTS

“Tzamales”: The “tzamales” custom refers to a more than 100-year-old tradition where every neighborhood in Ioannina sets alight a large bonfire during the last Sunday of the Carnival, Locals participate in outdoor parties full of circular group traditional dancing and music, drinking and tasting various recipes of the national Greek soup “fasolada” that contains dry white beans, olive oil, and vegetables.

.RELIGIOUS SITES

The Monastery of St. Nicholas Filanthropinon:  Located near the southwestern shore of the settlement of the Island of Ioannina, this landmark monument is an institution of the Byzantine Constantinople family of Filanthropinon, who settled in Ioannina after the Fall of Constantinople by the Crusaders, in 1204. 

Church of the Assumption of the Virgin at Perivleptos: A three- aisled basilica, which was rebuilt in the 1850s by funds from Nikolaos Zosimas and his brothers on the foundations of previous churches that perished in the great fire of 1820. Small written references place the current church on the site of an older one, whose beginning dates back to the Byzantine years.

Cathedral of St Athanasius: Completed in 1933, the cathedral was built on the foundations of the previous Orthodox cathedral which was perished in the great fire of 1820. It is a three-aisled basilica.

Church of Agia Marina: Built in 1791 and dedicated to the Great Martyr Agia Marina, this church is located in one of the oldest districts of Ioannina, in the center of the city.

Church of Saint Nicholas of Kopanon: Located north of the city of Ioannina, near Limnopoula in the north exit of the town, the church took its name from the “kopanisma” of the clothes, that is the pounding of the clothes that the women washed in the lake.  Panagiotis Aravantinos in the “Chronicle of Epirus” (1856) mentions Agios Nikolaos “in Kopani” as one of the surviving churches from the Turkish conquest of 1430.

Monastery of Holy Mary of Molivdoskepastou: Dedicated to the Assumption of Mary, it was built in the 7th century by Emperor Constantine and renovated twice until 1522. The name of the monastery derives from the lead plates which, instead of tiles or stone slabs, covered its cathedral.

Jewish Synagogue (Kahal Kadosh Yashan Synagogue): Located inside the Castle, is one of the largest and most splendid Jewish religious buildings in Greece, still standing.  It can accommodate almost 400 worshippers. Its enclosed courtyard included a well and a fountain, while behind its arched gate there are 1,750 inscribed names.

.KEY MUSEUMS

Archaeological Museum: Designed by Greek architect Aris Konstantinidis in the 1960s in Litharitsia park, the museum’s collection includes findings from the broader area of Epirus from the Paleolithic era until the post-Roman years. The most remarkable finds are those from the archaeological site of Dodoni.

Byzantine Museum: Housed in one of the buildings of Its Kale, where Ali Pasha serai (residence) was, the museum includes collections of old Christian and Byzantine sculptures,  pottery, manuscripts and early editions of printed books, post-Byzantine icons. The collection of the silver items is housed in the so called “Thisavrofilakio” (“Treasury”) 
a separate 19th-century building on the citadel.

Municipal Ethnographic Museum: Housed in the Aslan Pasha Mosque, also known as the Mosque of Ali Pasha, in the Ioannina Castle, the museum’s permanent exhibition includes pottery, pictures, jewelry, clothing, hand-weapons, furniture, books and several other objects that belonged to personalities who marked the history of the city.

Pavlos Vrellis Greek History Museum: Housed in an imposing building at Bizani,  at the outskirts of the city, this wax effigies museum  set up by the sculptor Pavlos Vrellis in 1983, covers events and personalities from Greek history as well as the history of the region.

Museum of Ali Pasha and Revolutionary Period: Located on the small and picturesque island of Pamvotis Lake, the museum houses unique historical relics, from the Greek revolutionary period in the 19th century and objects that have a direct or indirect relationship with Ottoman leader Ali Pasha during his reign (1788-1822).

Silversmithing Museum: Located in the castle of Ioannina, and more specifically in Its Kale, the thematic museum, run by the Piraeus Bank Group Cultural Foundation, concerns the technology of silversmithing during the pre-industrial period and focuses principally on the history of silversmithing in Epirus.

.MAJOR EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

University of Ioannina (student population of 25,000)

.CONSULATES

ALBANIA

Tel: +30 26510 21330 Email: consulate.ioanina@mfa.gov.al

.TRANSPORT

Ioannina is the only city in Greece lying on the country’s two main Motorways: Egnatia and Ionia. Ioannina is about 400 kilometers from Athens  and about 260 kilometers from Thessaloniki. The city has an international airport “King Pyrros” which is connected with Igoumenitsa Port, the largest port in Northwestern Greece.

.ACCOMODATION

Many new city and boutique hotels have opened in the last few years, bringing unique hospitality to the center of the city.


TO DO & TO GO