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Zagorochoria - UNESCO World Heritage List

                           

 

Crucial for the bid of Ioannina to become European Capital of Culture in 2021 is the recent news that the Ministry of Culture has applied to UNESCO to have Zagorochoria be included in UNESCO's list of World Heritage.(see below for reference to this announcement). The area is Known for its traditional villages high up in the mountains, including Mono Dentri where Angelopoulos made some of his most famous films.

View of Mono Dentri                                          @hf 30.12.2014

                          

 

In the village Ano Pedina can be found up the slope many of these houses build out of stone, and nearly at the end of the road at the top:

Oreste's House

Ano Pedina, Zagori

Tel. +30 26530 71202

Mob. +30 6944394193

www.orestishouse.gr

info@orestishouse.gr

 

Road leading up to Pension Orestis

      

 

 

 

 

           

 

 

         

 

 

 

These villages and their respective stone houses allow for another aesthetical experience in relation to the serenity of landscape. The well preserved stone houses offer a chance to gather families and friends to share food and company in warm rooms. The fire place alone radiates that extra warmth especially needed when it is bitter cold outside. It snowed during the night from 30th to 31st of December.

                  

 

The next day the water pipe was frozen so that no running water was available while the road had become a kind of ski slope. Out of precaution, it had been wise to have parked the car 400 meters further down at the Platia, rather than drive up all the way to Oresti Pension.

 

 

 

 

At the end of 2014, this area has seen a transition from dry weather conditions to snow covering the upper areas of the mountain ranges as far as the eye can see.

          

 

At this spot looking down towards Aristi there can be found a monument reminding of 'historical wounds' caused by Greek resistance fighting German occupation.

      

The monument itself testifies to what has always been a deeper meaning of the mountains: a kind of protection against invaders. In the past, these were the pirates and later on there came the various occupation forces. Given the history of Ioannina and area which was only liberated from the Ottoman Empire in 1913, it meant another kind of approach to freedom as national entity. It is really the other halve of Greek history too often not told when there is only focus on freedom having been gained in 1821.

                       

 

 

Reference:

http://greece.greekreporter.com/2014/12/19/greece-to-propose-zagori-for-unesco-world-heritage-list/

The Greek culture ministry announced that it intends to officially sponsor the traditional villages of Epirus’ Zagori district in northwestern Greece as a Greek ‘cultural landscape’ to be added to the UNESCO World Heritage list. The ‘Zagorochoria — North Pindos National Park’ area have been on the UNESCO Tentative List for the last two years, which is one of the conditions for inclusion in the list of World Heritage Sites.

“It is with great joy that the culture and sports ministry announces its decision to finalize its proposal for the inclusion of Zagori in the UNESCO World Heritage Monuments List,” said Culture and Sports Minister Costas Tassoulas at a conference held at the culture ministry on Thursday, attended by ministry general secretary Lina Mendoni and Zagori Mayor Vassilis Spyrou.

The traditional stone built villages of the remote and mountainous Zagori area are among the best preserved traditional settlements in Greece and situated in an area of exceptional natural beauty, including features such as the Vikos Gorge and Voidomatis River.
In order for a cultural landscape to be included in the UNESCO World Heritage list, it must have proven exceptional global value and its authenticity and integrity must be protected. There must be a comparative study comparing the site with others, both included and not included in the UNESCO list, a definitive boundary and protection zone, a written management plan and guarantees for its effective implementation. It also calls for a record of factors likely to affect the cultural good, either positively or negatively, and measures to protect the monument in emergency situations.
(source: ana-mpa)

 

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