Almopia

Name and history

The name Almopia (Ancient Greek: Ἀλμωπία, Almōpia) derives from the Almopes (Ἀλμῶπες), the tribe that originally inhabited the area during Antiquity. The Almopes traced their descent to the eponymous mythological figure of Almops, son of Poseidon and Helle. According to Thucidydes, the Almopes were expelled from the region when it was incorporated into the ancient Macedonian kingdom during the reign of Alexander I (r. 498–454 BC). The 2nd-century astronomer and geographer Claudius Ptolemy records three cities in the region in his Geography: Horma (Ὅρμα), Europos (Εὔρωπος) and Apsalos (Ἄψαλος).

In the early Byzantine period, the area was renamed to Enotia (Greek: Ενωτία) after a nearby fortress, probably in the vicinity of modern Notia. The name was revived between 1915 and 1927 for the Greek province as well.

In the later Middle Ages, the area was known as Moglena (Greek: Μογλενά, Macedonian: Меглен, Bulgarian: Мъглен), from the Slavic word for "fog". Until the early 11th century, Moglena was a province of the First Bulgarian Empire. Captured by the Byzantine emperor Basil II in 1015, it is attested as the seat of a bishopric in 1020, and as capital of its own theme in 1086. The area remained under Byzantine rule until the aftermath of the Fourth Crusade, when it was captured by Tsar Kaloyan of the Second Bulgarian Empire.

In Ottoman times, the region was also known by its Turkish name Karacaova or Karadjova ("Black Valley", Greek: Καρατζόβα).

Until the Greco-Turkish War (1919–1922) and the population exchange between Greece and Turkey in 1924, Pomaks inhabited a large part of the regions of Moglena.

Municipality

The municipality Almopia was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following 2 former municipalities, that became municipal units:

Province

The province of Almopia (Επαρχία Αλμωπίας) was one of the three provinces of Pella Prefecture. Its territory corresponded with that of the current municipality of Almopia. It was abolished in 2006.