Katavothra, Thesprotia

General and historical data

Katavothra is built at an altitude of 120 meters [2] southeast of Igoumenitsa, close to Margariti. Originally the settlement was known as Liuarati [3], while until 1928 it was called Ligoration [2].

The history of the village seems to have started at the end of the 16th century when the inhabitants of the neighboring Dobra, which was destroyed by a pirate raid, settled in the area. These were later converted to Islam during the 17th century.

Katavothra developed into the seat of the Tsaparis, who for centuries were agades in the area of ​​the plain of Margariti [3]. Well-known members of the family were Suleiman and Hassan Tsaparis, who led two failed campaigns for the subjugation of Souli at the end of the 18th century, [4] and Halimi Tsaparis, who in 1847 took part in the revolution of Zeynel Giolekas. After the failure of this uprising, members of the family were captured and exiled by the Ottoman authorities.

During the Balkan Wars, Katavothra was annexed to Greece, along with the rest of Thesprotia. From the end of 1924 to 1927, Greek refugees from Cappadocia settled temporarily in the settlement. In 1930 a primary school was established and a post office operated. In 1940, according to the results of that year's census, its population was 663, of whom 542 were Tsamids. In late 1944, during the German occupation of Thesprotia, the Muslims of Katavothra left the settlement and fled to Albania.

During the first post-war years, Vlach-speaking nomadic farmers settled in Katavothra in order to fill the void left by the Tsamids. [8]

According to the latest administrative division (Kallikratis Plan) it is the seat of a local community of the municipal unit of Margariti of the Municipality of Igoumenitsa. Ecclesiastically, it belongs to the Diocese of Paramythia, Filiates, Giromeri and Parga. The central church of Katavothra is dedicated to Saints Constantine and Helen. In the village there are the remains of the old mosque of Izet Lavida [3].

Population censuses
Census 1895 1928 1940 1951 1961 1971 1981 1991 1991 2001 2011
Population 718 [9] 543 [2] 663 [2] 188 [2] 393 [2] 335 [2] 297 [2] 278 [10] 258 [10] 250 [1]

References

"Katavothra (the) Municipality of Igoumenitsa Local Community of Katavothra. Thesprotia - Epirus ". dhmos.gr. Municipalities, cities and villages of Greece. Retrieved February 16, 2017. [dead link]
Michael Stamatelatos - Fotini Vamba-Stamatelatou, Abbreviated Geographical Dictionary of Greece, Hermes, Athens 2001, p. 320.
"Debris". margariti-gr.de. Unofficial website of Margariti. Retrieved February 17, 2017.
Panagiotou Aravantinou, Chronography of Epirus. Of the neighboring Greek and Illyrian countries, I went through the events in them from the year of salvation until 1854, From the Printing House of S. K. Vlastos, In Athens 1856, volume A ', p. 159.
Aravantinou, 1856, B ', pp. 411 - 414.
Giannis Mourelou (ed.), The Exit, Center for Asia Minor Studies, Athens 1982, volume BD (Testimonies from the provinces of Central and South Asia Minor), p. 127.
Charitonos K. Lambrou, The Tsamides and Tsamuria, Athens 1949, p. 11.
Asterios I. Koukoudis, Studies on the Vlachs, volume BD. The Dioceses and the Diaspora of the Vlachs, Zitros publications, Thessaloniki 2000, p. 294.
Michalis Kokolakis, The Turkish Statistics of Epirus in Salname in 1895, Workbooks, issue 18, Center for Modern Greek Studies, Athens 2008, p. 311.

"Population Censuses 2001 and 1991". statistics.gr. Retrieved February 27, 2017.

Sources

"Great Greek Encyclopedia" vol.IDI, p.26.

Municipal unit Margariti
Community Eleftherio
Eleftherio (Ελευθέρι, το)
Pyrgi (Πυργίο, το)
Community Karteri
Karteri (Καρτέρι, το)
Community Katavothra
Katavothra (Καταβόθρα, η)
Milokokkia (Μηλοκοκκιά, η)
Community Mazarakia
Kodra (Κόδρα, η)
Mazarakia (Μαζαρακιά, η)
Panaina (Πάναινα, η)
Community Margariti
Kalodiki (Καλοδίκι, το)
Margariti (Μαργαρίτι, το)
Palaiokastro (Παλαιόκαστρο, το)
Community Mesovouni
Mesovouni (Μεσοβούνι, το)
Community Spatharaioi
Morfio (Μόρφι, το)
Spatharaioi (Σπαθαραίοι, οι)