Makrochori (, before 1928: Κωνομπλάτη – ''Konomplati'';
and
Macedonian: Кономлади, ''Konomladi''), is a village of
Kastoria regional unit in
Western Macedonia
Western Macedonia (, ) is one of the thirteen Regions of Greece, administrative regions of Greece, consisting of the western part of Macedonia (Greece), Macedonia. Located in north-western Greece, it is divided into the regional units of Greece ...
,
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 ...
.
History
According to a local legend, the village was founded by three brothers who fled from the Ottoman Turks in the village of Tser.
The castle of Makrochori is located 4 km west of the village, is considered a large organized facility. The settlement developed on the bank of the present river , reaches up to a point, its citadel, and hosted an important
mining
Mining is the Resource extraction, extraction of valuable geological materials and minerals from the surface of the Earth. Mining is required to obtain most materials that cannot be grown through agriculture, agricultural processes, or feasib ...
center of
Orestis since in many places volumes of iron ore were found.
A village in
Petrich Municipality
Petrich Municipality is a municipality in Blagoevgrad Province in Southwestern Bulgaria
Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly sout ...
,
Blagoevgrad Province
Blagoevgrad Province (, ''oblast Blagoevgrad'' or Благоевградска област, ''Blagoevgradska oblast''), also known as Pirin Macedonia or Bulgarian Macedonia (), (''Pirinska Makedoniya or Bulgarska Makedoniya'') is a province ('' ...
,
Bulgaria
Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...
, is named
Novo Konomladi (, "New Konomladi"). This is because it was mostly populated by
Bulgarian refugees from Makrochori who moved to Bulgaria after the
Balkan Wars
The Balkan Wars were two conflicts that took place in the Balkans, Balkan states in 1912 and 1913. In the First Balkan War, the four Balkan states of Kingdom of Greece (Glücksburg), Greece, Kingdom of Serbia, Serbia, Kingdom of Montenegro, M ...
of 1912–1913.
The 1920 Greek census recorded 1,031 people in the village and the 1928 Greek census recorded 802 inhabitants.
Following the
Greek–Turkish population exchange
The 1923 population exchange between Greece and Turkey stemmed from the "Convention Concerning the Exchange of Greek and Turkish Populations" signed at Lausanne, Switzerland, on 30 January 1923, by the governments of Greece and Turkey. It involv ...
,
Greek refugee families in Konomplati numbered 2 (11 people) in 1928.
In 1945, Greek Foreign Minister Ioannis Politis ordered the compilation of demographic data regarding the Prefecture of Kastoria.
[.] The village Makrochori had a total of 1,031 inhabitants, and was populated by 1,000
Slavophones with a Bulgarian national consciousness.
[ "Μακροχώριον, Πληθυσμός: 1031, Σλαυόφωνοι: 1000, Συνείδησις Βουλγαρική: ναι"]
Νotable natives
*
Mitre the Vlach (1873–1907),
Aromanian IMARO revolutionary
*
Stoyan Christowe
Stoyan Christowe (also known as Stojan Hristoff) was an American author, journalist and noted political figure in the state of Vermont. Born in what is now Makrychori, Makrochori, Greece, then a part of the Ottoman Empire, he is best remembere ...
(1898–1995), American writer
*
Nikos Gioutsos
Nikos Gioutsos (; 16 April 1942 – 7 November 2023) was a Greek footballer who played as a striker. From the special style of play and the passion together with the dynamism he brought to the matches, the fans shouted the slogan "Έμπαιν ...
(1942–2023), Greek
football striker
In the sport of association football, a forward (attacker or striker) is an Glossary of association football terms#O, outfield position which primarily plays further up the pitch than Midfielder, midfielders and Defender (association football), d ...
References
Populated places in Kastoria (regional unit)
Kastoria
{{WMacedonia-geo-stub