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Yanina (Ioannina)

According to a text by the historian Procopius, Ioanina was founded in 527 by the emperor Justinian.

Its first period of prosperity began in 1204 when Michael Komninos founded the Despotate of Epirus and Yanina was established as the region 's intellectual centre. In 1430 it surrendered to the Turks.

During the reign of Ali Pasha (1788-1822), it enjoyed a new period of economic and intellectual growth, as his court became a pole of attraction for restless spirits (Kollettis, Vilaras, etc.) and future military leaders of a revolutionary Greece (Karaiskakis, Botsaris, Androutsos, etc.).

But for Yanina the modern era of its long history did not really begin until its liberation by the Greek army on 12 February 1913 and Epirus became part of the Greek state.

The modern city

It is built on the hillside 500 metres above Lake Pamvotis. Its lovely scenery and historic monuments make sightseeing fascinating, enhanced further by the pleasure of watching its jewellers and wood carvers at their traditional crafts.

Yanina's Archaeological Museum contains exhibits of the most significant finds from all over Epirus. The Municipal Museum, housed in the former mosque of Asian Pasha, has fine collections of jewelry, textiles and traditional costumes. Finally, the Folk Art Museum of the Society for Epirot Studies possesses a great many examples of local crafts.

No visit to Yanina would be complete without a trip to the islet (Nissaki) in the middle of the lake; small boats make the short journey frequently. The islet also has two major sihts: the Philanthropinon Monastery with its Byzantine frescoes, depicting among other subjects Seven Sages of antiquity: and the PreRevolutionary Mseum.

At Mouzakei (13 km. from town) the Vrellis Museum contains waxen effigies of personalities and scenes from the period preceding the Revolution (1611 -1821).

Four kilometres north of Yanina is the Perama Cave, one of the most stunning horizontal caves in the Balkans.

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