Administrative Region : West Greece
Regional unit : Aitoloakarnania
Malataiiko (Μαλαταίικον) Aitoloakarnania
Malataiiko or Malataiika is a semi-mountainous village in the Regional Unit of Etoloakarnania at an altitude of 220 meters [1].
Geography
Malataiiko is located at the confluence of the river Acheloos and Inachos in the old province of Valtos - Etoloakarnania. Until 1968 it was an independent community but according to the Kallikratis plan, together with the Amorgians, Hamoriki and Pratiko constitute the Local Community of Amorgians belonging to the Municipality of Amfilochia [2].
The most important moment in the recent history of the settlement was its flooding of the waters of the artificial lake of Kastraki in 1968. Although the main settlement of Malatikeika was left out of the lake, almost all the arable lands were flooded. Some of the settlements are noted - locations that were completely flooded by the waters: Pratiko (otherwise Preveza), Ambelaki, Gyra, Agios Dimitrios, Babalaki (opposite Babalio), Paloumba, Lachanou etc residents remained after the destruction of the place (4 to 5 families). He experienced complete transport isolation for about 2 years (ie until about 1970) when a road was built to communicate with the Community of Amorgians, with which he merged administratively (then with the "Kapodistrias" Plan), in the Municipality of Inachos [3 ].
Lake Kastraki
History
In the history of the place, the battle of "Malateiko Limeri" took place in August 1806 of Katsantonis [4] with a military unit of Ali Pasha. The five-hundred-strong Albanian detachment under Dervenagas Alus Berati was defeated, leaving 40 dead in the battle, while two Katsantonis lads were killed. Katsantoni's next battle was again near these places, at Listi (near Babalio), where, despite the blows suffered by the three-hundred-strong Albanian Johantara military corps under Dervenaga Bekir Tzougadouro, he nevertheless suffered a serious Katsani injury. The injured Katsantonis ordered a regular retreat. After a month, he arrived in the then Russian-occupied Ionian Islands for treatment of his injury.
One of the most important monuments lost in the water is the Byzantine Church of the Assumption in Preveza. It was a remarkable monument of the Despotate of Epirus, built in the 13th century with an impressive ceramic decoration and ceramic inscriptions on the east side. From them came the dating and the owners of the temple. The murals - as many as possible - were walled off before the flood, and were stored for years in PPC warehouses at the Kastraki Hydroelectric Plant, and others are said to have ended up in Ioannina, others in the Byzantine Museum of Culture and some may be in warehouses. in the castle of Antirrio.
In the other buildings that were lost with the lake, there are 2 watermills, 3 olive mills while two primary schools operated for the last school year in 1967 in Ambelaki and Preveza.
The pedestrian bridge over Inachos had a special construction and history: it was built with ropes tied by plane trees on both sides of the river and with horseshoes like floors and parapets. Despite its great oscillation, it has been safe and has served the last years of the local life. From the natural wealth of the drowned places, the Thermal Baths (Mardacha) of Preveza are noted, which gathered a large number of vacationers until the flood of the place.
The large caves of Preveza were also monuments of nature that were largely flooded by the lake without being fully explored. In the largest cave, the most difficult entrance remains outside the lake but after about 500 meters the sloping cave meets the waters of the lake [5]. Along with the rich natural decoration of the caves, the huge bat colony is interesting. Along with these, other biological species are mentioned that may pose risks (allergies, infections ...) for any aspiring amateur explorers. On the contrary, these caves, for scientists, speleologists, biologists, can and should be studied.
Most of the old inhabitants migrated to Agrinio, usually continuing their agricultural activities, mainly with tobacco cultivation. Fewer ended up in Athens. In recent years, along with the few remaining residents, a few more houses have opened in the village, mostly on weekends, summers or olive picking seasons, from the offspring of forced migration, who have repaired their paternal homes or built from scratch. - in the place, which remains beautiful.
At the foot of the settlement today lies the Lake of Kastraki, which partially restored the beauties that were destroyed by the violent disturbance of nature.
These lost beauties of the Malatya, the lost memories, the recorded and non-recorded antiquities and the destroyed monuments, the consequent violent movement of populations, the violent change of the geography of the place and finally the current -probably universal- challenge utilization of rivers, all together are aspects of the history of the place.
References - Sources
Encyclopedia Nea Domi. Tegopoulos - Maniateas. 1996. p. 248, vol. 3.
"Government Gazette of permanent Population Results", p. 10715 (p. 241 of pdf)
"EETAA-Hellenic Society of Local Development and Local Government SA". www.eetaa.gr. Retrieved July 19, 2019.
"KATSANTONIS", Dimitris Stamelou, published by ID KOLAROU, 1988
"Exploring the caves of the Swamp has revealed illegal excavations." AgrinioNews. June 10, 2014. Retrieved July 19, 2019.
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