Konitsa (, see also names in other languages) is a town of Ioannina in Epirus, Greece. It is located north of the capital Ioannina and near the Albanian border. Konitsa lies northeast of a group of villages known as the Zagorochoria. The town was 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.
Konitsa acts as a regional hub for several small villages of Pindos, and features many shops, schools and a public medical center. Primary aspects of the economy are agriculture and tourism; it is a popular starting point for tourists and hikers who want to explore the Pindos mountains, or who want to go rafting in the river Aoos or parapenting. Due to Konitsa's closeness to places of particular interest, such as the Vikos–Aoös National Park, which includes the Vikos Gorge, the Aoos Gorge and the Tymfi mountains, where the Vikos spring water brand is collected, the Dragonlakes of Tymfi and Smolikas and the sulfur baths of Kavasila, contributed to the increase of tourism in the region.
Name The town itself is known in Greek as Kónitsa (Κόνιτσα), the villages surrounding it are often known as the Konitsochoria, meaning "the villages of Konitsa". The town is known in Bulgarian as Коница (Konitsa), Albanian as Konicë, in Aromanian as , and in Turkish as Koniçe.
There are two main 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. According to this theory, the name is a corruption: Knossos -> Konissos -> Konissa -> Konitsa.Vlachos, Koliva, 2013 p. 2 "Για το όνομα Κόνιτσα έχουν διατυπωθεί διάφορες απόψεις και εικασίες. Ο ιστοριογράφος της Ηπείρου, Π. Αραβαντινός, υποθέτει ότι αυτό προήλθε από την ονομασία αρχαίας Ηπειρώτικης πόλης που λεγόταν Κνωσσός, με παραφθορά : Κνωσσός = Κονισσός = Κόνισσα = Κόνιτσα. Ο Πουκεβίλ και άλλοι θεωρούν την προέλευση της ονομασίας σλαβική. «Κόνι» στα σλαβικά = άλογο και «τζα» είναι ο τόπος. Συνεπώς Κόνι + τζα = Κόνιτζα = Κόνιτσα (αλογότοπος). Λίγο πιο πάνω από το εκκλησάκι της Αγίας Βαρβάρας στην Κόνιτσα υπάρχουν τα ερείπια ενός κάστρου το οποίο ιδρύθηκε από κάποιον άρχοντα με το όνομα Κόνις. Έτσι, σύμφωνα με μια άλλη εικασία, η πόλη πήρε το όνομά της από τον άρχοντα αυτό." The other theory states that the name is Slavic, from Koni (horse) and Tza (land), meaning horseland. According to a third theory, the name comes from a local lord named Konis who allegedly built a castle in the city.
History During the Middle Bronze Age (2100–1900 BC) the region of Konitsa was inhabited by Proto-Greek populations. Latter in classical antiquity, the area was part of the territory of the Molossians. At the time of the reign of Pyrrhus of Epirus (297–272 BC) a number of forts existed in strategically important positions.Vlachos, Koliva, 2013, p. 2: "Η σύγχρονη επιστήμη έχει καταλήξει στο ότι μεταξύ των ετών 2200/2100 και 1900 π.Χ. ο κύριος όγκος των Πρωτοελλήνων... των τριών μεγάλων φρουρίων πού περιέβαλαν τον κάμπο της (Μεσογέφυρας. Ρεϋνίκου και Κόνιτσας).
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.Vlachos, Koliva, 2013, p. 3: "Με τη σημερινή της ονομασία η Κόνιτσα αναφέρεται για πρώτη φορά μεταξύ άλλων πόλεων κατά τον Π. Αραβαντινό από παράδοση στο «Χρονικό των Ιωαννίνων»... αρνησίθρησκου τοπάρχη Ισαήμ από το Λεσκοβίκι. In the 15th century, Konitsa came under Ottoman rule and became part of the Sanjak of Ioannina. The town was the administrative centre of a kaza (Ottoman district) which according to the Ottoman General Census of 1881/1882 had a total population of 16,570, consisting of 15,838 Orthodox Greeks, 1,429 Muslims and 3 Jews.Kemal Karpat (1985), Ottoman Population, 1830–1914, Demographic and Social Characteristics, The University of Wisconsin Press, pp. 146–147
During the Ottoman period some local Greek landowners converted to Islam to preserve their holdings. These converts formed a powerful and influential group in the area, living in the upper part of Konitsa alongside the Christians. The upper part of Konitsa is the oldest and most populated part of the Konitsa region, while the lower part is the newest and least populated.Δανδουλάκη Μ., (2008), H Διακινδύνευση Σεισμικής Καταστροφής ως Βάση Λήψης Αποφάσεων Αντισεισμικής Προστασίας: Κόνιτσα 1996, 3o Πανελλήνιο Συνέδριο Αντισεισμικής Μηχανικής & Τεχνικής Σεισμολογίας. p. 7 "Η Πάνω Κόνιτσα είναι το παλιότερο και πιο πυκνοδομημένο τμήμα του οικισμού, με πολλά παραδοσιακά κτίρια, αρκετά από αυτά χαρακτηρισμένα ως διατηρητέα. Η Κάτω Κόνιτσα αποτελεί το νεώτερο τμήμα του οικισμού." While Christians were a majority in the upper part of Konitsa, the lower part of Konitsa had a Muslim majority, consisting mostly of Muslim Albanian refugees from nearby settlements and regions like Leskovik, Kolonjë and Frashër (today located in Albania) who became agricultural laborers. Some of the local Greek elites had been Islamised there in order to preserve their social status.Vlachos, Koliva, 2013, p. 6. "Ο πληθυσμός της πόλης ήταν συγκεντρωμένος σε δύο συνοικίες την περίοδο της Τουρκοκρατίας. Στην Πάνω Κόνιτσα, που αποκαλούνταν και Βαρόσι. (οι κάτοικοί της Βαροσλήδες) με πλειοψηφία το χριστιανικό στοιχείο, και στην Κάτω Κόνιτσα, που πλειοψηφούσε το μουσουλμανικό στοιχείο. Το μουσουλμανικό αυτό στοιχείο αποτελούνταν από πρόσφυγες Αρβανίτες, κατά κύριο λόγο εργάτες γης (τσιφτσήδες), που προέρχονταν από την Καραμουρατιά, Λέσκοβίκο, Κολώνια, Φράσερη κλπ». Στην Πάνω Κόνιτσα, εκτός από το χριστιανικό πληθυσμό κατοικούσαν και μεγάλες και ισχυρές οικογένειες μουσουλμάνων. Οι οικογένειες αυτές προέρχονταν από εξισλαμισθέντες ντόπιους κυρίως φεουδάρχες – τιμαριούχους. Έλληνες που αναγκάστηκαν να αρνηθούν τη θρησκεία τους, για να σώσουν τις μεγάλες περιουσίες τους (τσιφλίκια)... [The population was concentrated in two districts of the Ottoman period. In upper Konitsa, who was also called Varosi. (Its inhabitants Varoslides) by a majority of the Christians, and lower Konitsa, who were in the majority Muslim element. The Muslim element consisted of Albanian refugees, mainly agricultural laborers (Chiftchi), sourced from Karamuratia, Leskovik, Kolonjë, Frashër etc. In Upper Konitsa, apart from the Christian population there lived large and powerful Muslim families. These families came from islamised locals mainly feudal – timar holders. Greeks who were forced to renounce their religion to save their fortunes...]". The native Muslim and Christian population exclusively spoke Greek in the two neighborhoods of the town.Vlachos, Koliva, 2013, p. 26: Ο πληθυσμός της πόλης ήταν συγκεντρωμένος σε δύο συνοικίες την περίοδο της Τουρκοκρατίας.... Όλοι αυτοί χρησιμοποιούσαν για γλώσσα τους την Ελληνική (αποκλειστικά)... Η ομιλούμενη γλώσσα στην Κόνιτσα (Πάνω και Κάτω Κόνιτσα) ποτέ δεν έπαψε να είναι Ελληνική.
A Greek school was operating already from the end of the 18th century under Georgios Mostras, student of Balanos Vasilopoulos. Greek education was flourishing and in 1906 the kaza of Konitsa had 31 schools and 1,036 pupils.M. V. Sakellariou. Epirus, 4000 years of Greek history and civilization. Ekdotikē Athēnōn, 1997. , 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.. " The functioning of the school was interrupted during the turbulent times of Ali Pasha's rule, however soon after it reopened following the initiative of Kosmas Thesprotos, a student of Athanasios Psalidas. During the Greek War of Independence (1821–1830) a Greek national identity was evident among local Muslims too.Vlachos, Koliva, 2013, p. 27: "Χαρακτηριστικό της Ελληνοφροσύνης των Κονιτσιωτών ακόμα και των Μουσουλμάνων στα χρόνια της Ελληνικής επανάστασης" During the 19th century until the early 20th century (late Ottoman period), the tekke of Konitsa, similarly to other Albanian Bektashi tekkes, was a covert center of culture, learning and tolerance, but also Albanian national activism against the Ottoman Empire. In that period some Konitsa residents developed a national consciousness resulting in individuals such as Faik Konitza and Mehmet Konica becoming important figures in the Albanian national movement. Apart from a small number of Albanian families, the local Muslim community had Greek as its mother tongue.
Albanian speech was limited to the local Ottoman officials. On the other hand, the local Greek population displayed tolerance towards actions by the Albanians that did not reveal chauvinist inclinations.M. V. Sakellariou. Epirus, 4000 years of Greek history and civilization Ekdotike Athenon , 1997. . p 361: "The Greek population displayed toleration whenever the action taken. In c. 1856 the town had a Muslim majority population of 62% and was mainly Greek-speaking, while the kaza had a Christian majority. During the late 19th century Konitsa had a population of 7,000 of whom 4,000 were Christians and 3,000 Muslims.
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.Lambros Baltsiotis (2011). The Muslim Chams of Northwestern Greece: The grounds for the expulsion of a “non-existent” minority community. European Journal of Turkish Studies. "According to a basically common legal process, a few hundred more individuals, Muslims, living mostly in urban centers declared themselves to be of "Albanian origin" and some others obtained Albanian nationality and thus avoided their inclusion in the exchange process. On the other hand the (Muslim) population of… small towns of Konitsa... were considered "Turks by origin" and were included in the exchange of the populations." Another part moved to Albania.Vlachos, Koliva, 2013, p. 6: "Από τον μουσουλμανικό πληθυσμό της Κόνιτσας ένα μέρος του υποχρεώθηκε να φύγει προς την Τουρκία με την ανταλλαγή των πληθυσμών το 1925, ένα μέρος του πέρασε στην σημερινή Αλβανία ..." They were replaced with around 1,000 Greeks from Cappadocia.Foss, Arthur (1978).Epirus. Faber. . p. 112. "The inhabitants were originally refugees from Asia Minor, transplanted here after the disastrous Greek defeat in 1922. They are mainly farmers with holdings close by in the Plain of Konitsa.
In early November 1940, during World War II, the town witnessed a first short-term occupation by units from Fascist Italy. The occupation units that entered Konitsa consisted of approximately 150 Muslim Albanians and 12 Italian soldiers, under the guidance of an Italian officer. They perpetrated lootings and broke into shops. In November 14, with the withdrawal of the Italians from the area, they proceeded to arrests and kidnappings of the local population.