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| The Ancient Bridge in Arta |
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| Courtesy of Iliriapress |
| The city of Arta is located in the southern part of Epiros, and it is situated on the north of the Ambracian golf. It is used as a gateway between Epiros and Peloponnese. It covers an area of 1862 km2. The city of Arta represents a dwelling place for more than 100 000 people, and the people that live in and around the city of Arta are indigenous and autochthonous Arvanitis, even though, there is only 14% gypsy minority known as Greeks. In 200 B.C. was an immigration process where some thieves from Egypt arrived in and around the city. Mostly, the people are Arvanitis or Albanians and have preserved their ancient traditions. The name of the city Arta is an Arvanitis name that in English language means golden. Or the place that offered everything therefore it was called golden place or in Albanian, Arta. Among Albanians, many girls have been named Arta after this city. |
| As the entire Epiros, the city of Arta is situated in a mountainous region. The highest peak Mount Valto with the height of 1852 m. above sea level. Above mountains are two lakes, Sykia which is a pound of the river Aheloos, and the Aratos, a basin of the river Aratos. At the mouth of the rivers, the lagoons which are rich in fish and where different species of water birds live creates a panoramic view. The name Sykia is derived from Albanian words “Sy” meaning eyes, and it has to deal with the eyes of the mountain. The name Aheloos is derived from the name “Ah” meaning a special wood. The name Aratos is derived from Albanian name “ara” meaning valley or working land, and it has to do the river that waters the valley or the farm. However, there is a working land surrounded by mountains woods. |
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| The principal agricultural products are citrus fruits, beans, olives, walnuts and cotton. Typical Albanian’s product. In ancient times all the ways to Turkish empower, mostly Albanians lived in a mountainous region. The electrical power is generated in the region by rich waters in the hydraocentrals. In addition, the juices, a secret receipt of the region, developed the fruit juices’ industry. The rich fishing estuaries of the Ambracian gulf, the fertile grounds of the valley, and an active merchant and agricultural communities provide the backbone of the local economy. |
| A walk around or through the city will reveal a number of archaeological sites such as numerous ancient Albanian archifacts, Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman empire monuments, most prominent of which is the stone wall that protected the city from invaders since ancient times. In any Albanian village, today, the villagers build the walls around their houses in order to be protected from animals or invaders. In fact, the bottom part of the wall consists of the cyclopean stones of ancient Ambracia, and the top part is built from smaller stones in Byzantine style. This reveals that the wall was renovated during the Byzantine times. The city of Arta is built on the ruins of ancient Ambracia, and its history spans all the way to prehistoric life of ancient Arvanitis or Albanians. Ambracia was named after the legendary Amazani son of Melaneus and Oechalia. The Albanian word “Ama” means give me, and the word or the name “zani” means voice. The name Ambracia is derived from Albanian name “Ambar” meaning a storage place or the place that has everything stored in. Also, in this ancient time the rich fisheries, active farming, and variety of marchand and trade were backbone of the economy. |
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| The city of Arta has a rich history dating since ancient time, but it flourished during the Byzantine times. In ancient time, the city of Arta was called Ambracia, and it was found by Corinthians in 625 BC. When Corinthians arrived peacefully met the Molsosi tribe, an ancient Epiros or Arvanitis settlement. The city was so wealthy that its port was able to provide many ships to its ally Sparta during the Peloponnesian War. The city population increased time to time. In this had contributed and arrival of gypsies, people from Egypt, who arrived in the region during 200 BC. Mostly, they were thieves, political immigrants, and wealthy people that they could not express themselves in the ancient Albanian language, but they used the royalties’ language, Latin. The royalties, and Nobel people wanted to distinguish themselves from the ordinary people. Therefore, they spoke the learning language, the Latin language. In 295 BC, Pirros, the king of Epiros, had chosen Arta as the capital of his kingdom, Molsosi. In 189 BC, the Roman general, M. Fulvius, besieged the city after long and sturdy resistance, the town was obliged to surrender and accept roman guard with a lot of guarantied conditions. With the foundation of the neighboring town Nikos in 31 BC by Octavianus Augustus, many inhabited even after the Nikos settlement. The city of Ambercia remained for centuries as an important economical and industrial city. The city reemerged during the Byzantine period under the name of Arta. Its expansion justifies the choice of Mihail Doukas to make it the capital of the Epirus which he founded himself in 1204 AD. The last name Doukas is still found among Albanian families in Albania, Kosova, Ilirida, and Epiros. During this time, Doukas build a lot of flourishing churches. In 1416 AD, the town was governed by the Albanian family the Toskas, which last name is still dominant among Albanians, but the end of the ruling by the family Toskas came in 1499 when Arta was occupied by the Turks. During the period of the Ottoman domination, the city of Arta increased into an important commercial center, the population of the mountainous parts of the region increased to a typical Albanian families and Klans. Beside the financial activity, the region became a prolific cultural center: in 1500 was founded the first Albanian school of Arta, and in 1662 was founded the Manolaki School by the Albanian musicians studied in Rome, and lead to Arvanities revolution lead by the Ali Pasha of Tepelena. One of the most important Arvanities revolutionary was Nikola Skoufa born in village of Kompoti, near Arta. The name “Kompoti” is derived from Albanian name “kompot” which in English language means fruit juice. During the 1870, all the Arvanities tribes including the pasha Ali Pasha of Tepelena gathered in a meeting, and they have decided their strategies against the Ottoman Empire. Unfortunately, the gypsies known as Greek did not fight with the Turkish. The Gypsies known as Greeks turned their rifles and weapons against Albanians, Jewish and other non Turkish and Gypsies. |
| The Gypsies’ terrorist and an orthodox priest Germano, massacred a lot of innocent people under the command of Turkish generals. In 1822 the Arvanities revolution joins and the gypsies known as Greek. Unfortunately, Arvanities were betrayed by the garbigopoluses or gypsies known as Greeks and the battle of Peta became the slaughter of many Arvanities by the Turks. Many gypsies known as Greeks were paid by the Turks. Later, the Turks executed the gypsies known as Greeks. The name “Peta” is derived from Albanian name for a delicacy food “Peta” similar to a pizza. The liberation of Arta and of the regions situated east of the Arahtos river finally took place in 1881, and the war was lead by the Arvanities chiefs of families. In 1912, the gypsies known as Greeks made a vote. The vote was which will be the official language of Greece, Albanian or Gypsies language Greek. Unfortunately, the Greek terrorists paid two Turkish people and won the election. However, it was agreed that the state will be joined between Arvanities and Greek because the population was split, 70% of Greek was Arvanities, 20% were gypsies known as Greeks, 5 % were Turkish, and 5 % of Slavic origin. Moreover, all Arvanities were betrayed, because today no Arvanities or Albanian language is official in Greece. In 1940, the area was surrounded by German forces and Italian forces. The peaceful people, handled whatever it took to survive the occupations. The communist forces from Albania, Yugoslavia, Russia, and gypsies terrorists known as Greek, attacked the city of Arta destroying almost everything. The villages around suffered heavy losses. The village of Komeno which was burned to the ground by the gypsies known as Greek occupying forces is a testament to the scarred history of the area. The Albanian Jewish settlement was totally wiped out. The wealth from Arvanities or Albanian Jewish was taken. Mainly, the Jewish community in order to save themselves and their families from brutal killing of German and Greek forces fled into save haven Albania and with Albanian Ships went all around the world, mostly in UK and USA. |
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