Markos, Arkadia

Markou or Markos is a small mountain village located at the foot of Mount Melikagouro 8 km south of Dimitsana. Markou is located near Zatouna, Arcadia (3 km), on the right side of the gorge of Lousios and has an altitude of 940 m.

According to the latest census, only 23 permanent residents were registered, mainly engaged in animal husbandry and agriculture. This number increases significantly during the fall and winter as groups of hunters select the area around Mark to hunt (wild boars, hares, birds).

From the village of Markou passes the main road that leads to the Monastery of the Philosopher, a monastery that gathers a large number of tourists, and not only, throughout the year, especially during the Christian holidays.

The visitor of the village can plan excursions to the surrounding villages, hiking in the gorge of Lousios and the monasteries of Philosopher and Monastery of Prodromos. In addition, the visitor is given the opportunity to have a unique observation of the starry sky during the night.

Also, from the village of Markou, the visitor is offered a panoramic view of a large area of ​​the Peloponnese, from the plain of Megalopolis to the east, Mount Lycaeus to the south, the entire route of the river Alfeios to the west to the Ionian Sea and Zakynthos.

The houses are full of life on Easter Easter, as most Marcians choose the village to celebrate those days. It is characteristic that on Holy Saturday, the service of the Resurrection can take place from six in the afternoon until 12 in the evening, as the touring priest must attend all the neighboring villages. The call for the opening of the service is made with the bells of the central church. On the Sunday of the Resurrection, the traditional skewering of the lamb takes place in the houses, while most of them visit the other houses to exchange treats, mainly with local goodies. The village receives the largest number of visitors during the month of August, on the occasion of the celebration of the Virgin Mary on August 15, and mainly for the celebration of the beheading of St. John the Baptist, where the main church is, on August 29, where it takes place. the village festival. Tables are set up in the courtyard of the central church of Agios Ioannis and the area of ​​the old school has been turned into a multi-event space. A group of organ players comes with the clarinet as the main instrument and the singer accompanies it with traditional sounds. Traditional dances take the floor, such as tsamikos and sirtos.

Sources

https://web.archive.org/web/20090218005256/http://arcadia.ceid.upatras.gr/arkadia/places/markos.htm

Municipal unit Dimitsana
Community Dimitsana
Dimitsana (Δημητσάνα, η)
Καρκαλού, η
Μονή Αιμυαλών ή Φιλοσόφου, η
Παλαιοχώρι, το
Community Zatouna
Βλόγγος, ο
Zatouna (Ζάτουνα, η)
Markos (Μάρκος, ο)
Community Zygovisti
Zygovisti (Ζιγοβίστι, το)
Community Melissopetra
Melissopetra (Μελισσοπέτρα, η)
Community Panagia
Παναγία, η
Community Rados
Rados (Ράδος, ο)
Community Rizospilia
Κάτω Ριζοσπηλιά, η
Rizospilia (Ριζοσπηλιά, η)