Ioannina Island () is an island in the Lake of Ioannina,

Epirus Epirus () is a Region#Geographical regions, geographical and historical region, historical region in southeastern Europe, now shared between Greece and Albania. It lies between the Pindus Mountains and the Ionian Sea, stretching from the Bay ...

Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...

, a municipal unit of the municipality of

Ioannina Ioannina ( ' ), often called Yannena ( ' ) within Greece, is the capital and largest city of the Ioannina (regional unit), Ioannina regional unit and of Epirus (region), Epirus, an Modern regions of Greece, administrative region in northwester ...

. Its land area is 0.675 km², with biggest length 800 meters and biggest width 500 meters. Until the 2011 reform of local government, it was a

community A community is a social unit (a group of people) with a shared socially-significant characteristic, such as place, set of norms, culture, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given g ...

within the Ioannina regional unit. It is one of only two inhabited lake islands in Greece, the other being Agios Achilleios. It is reached by boat from the city of

or by ferry from the nearby shore.

History

The island is mentioned since 13th century when the first monastery, Saint Nicholas Monastery, was built by Michael Philanthropinos, a Byzantine aristocrat, who along with other prominent Byzantine families, left

Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...

after the 1st Fall of the

Crusaders The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and at times directed by the Papacy during the Middle Ages. The most prominent of these were the campaigns to the Holy Land aimed at reclaiming Jerusalem and its surrounding ...

in 1204, to settle in just established

Despotate of Epirus The Despotate of Epirus () was one of the Greek Rump state, successor states of the Byzantine Empire established in the aftermath of the Fourth Crusade in 1204 by a branch of the Angelos dynasty. It claimed to be the legitimate successor of the ...

. Shortly after, Stratigopoulos, another aristocrat of Byzantium, founds the homonym Monastery, which later, during the

Ottoman period The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Central Euro ...

, it was named Diliou Monastery, by the name of the affluent family that maintained it. Though the following years were marked by the constant raids of the

Albanians The Albanians are an ethnic group native to the Balkan Peninsula who share a common Albanian ancestry, Albanian culture, culture, Albanian history, history and Albanian language, language. They are the main ethnic group of Albania and Kosovo, ...

and the conquest of Ioannina by the Ottomans in 1430, however, they did not affect the acne of these Monasteries, that reached their peak in the 16th century. It was then that the extraordinary frescoes were painted. Especially, in the Filanthropinos Monastery, frescoes are a remarkable example of the School of northwestern Greece. In that particular Monastery, there was a great library, including "Kouvaras", a manuscript code containing rare texts on the area's history. Because of the great acne, two more Monasteries were built, that of Saint Nicholas Methodius (later named Saint Eleousa), also with beautiful murals, which, in 1872 and until 1922, was operated as a priestly school, and, on the northeast side of the island, the Prodromos Monastery, built in a rare architectural style. In the 17th century, three last Monasteries were built, that of

Transfiguration of Jesus The Transfiguration of Jesus is an event described in the New Testament where Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is Transfiguration (religion), transfigured and becomes radiant in Glory (religion), glory upon a mountain. The Synoptic Gospels (, , ) r ...

, with Western frescoes, which after the disasters by the Sultan's burning in 1822, belongs to Eleousa Monastery, the Monastery of Prophet Elias, on top of the pine-covered hill in the middle of the Island and the Monastery of Saint Panteleimon where someone can visit the well-maintained cells. In the north cells, a collection of manuscripts and old copies from the Monasteries is kept, while in the south cells the Museum of the (pre) revolutionary period is housed. The little settlement of the island built possibly during 17th century and it flourished in the Ali Pasha Era. In this place, Ali Pasha died in 1822, chased by Ottoman army. The exceptional Late Byzantine Monasteries are seven in number, so much so that the Island is ranked as the 3rd largest monastic state in Greece, after

Mount Athos Mount Athos (; ) is a mountain on the Athos peninsula in northeastern Greece directly on the Aegean Sea. It is an important center of Eastern Orthodoxy, Eastern Orthodox monasticism. The mountain and most of the Athos peninsula are governed ...

and

Meteora The Meteora (; , ) is a rock formation in the regional unit of Trikala, in Thessaly, in northwestern Greece, hosting one of the most prominent complexes of Eastern Orthodox Church, Eastern Orthodox monastery, monasteries, viewed locally as se ...

Historical population

Places of interest

*Filantropinos Monastery or Saint Nicholas: It is built in 1291 or 1292, it is the oldest monastery of the island and it is visitable. It is located south-east of the island's settlement. *Saint Nicholas or Ntiliou Monastery: It is located south of Philanthropinos Monastery, it was built short after this monastery and it is visitable. *St Eleousa Monastery: It is located south of Saint Nicholas Ntiliou Monastery. Initially, the monastery was named Monastery of Agios Nikalaos Methodatos. It was built possibly in 16th century and it is visitable. *Prophet Elias Monastery: It is located in the highest point of the island and it was built possibly during 17th century in place of one oldest church. *Transfiguration of Jesus Monastery: It is located in the southwest part of the island, built possibly at the beginning of the 17th century. *Prodromos Monastery: It is located south-east of the island's settlement, built at the beginning of 16th century. *Saint Panteleimonas Monastery: It is located near Monastery of Prodromos. Ali Pasha was murdered in this place and it is visitable. *Settlement of the island: The settlement is an important sample of traditional Epirotic architecture with stone houses and slate roofs. It is located in the north part of the island.

References

{{Authority control Populated places in Ioannina (regional unit) Ioannina Lake islands of Greece Landforms of Ioannina (regional unit) Islands of Epirus (region)