Harman Patil (Editor)

Zagora, Greece

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Country
  
Greece

Regional unit
  
Magnesia

Postal code
  
370 01

Elevation
  
458 m

Municipality
  
Zagora-Mouresi

Administrative region
  
Thessaly

Time zone
  
EET (UTC+2)

Area code(s)
  
24260

Local time
  
Sunday 5:33 PM

Zagora, Greece wwwpelionwebgrimagesusrImage00406710013698198

Weather
  
13°C, Wind E at 10 km/h, 46% Humidity

Zagora (Greek: Ζαγορά) is a village and a former municipality in Magnesia, Thessaly, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Zagora-Mouresi, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit. The municipal unit has an area of 96.101 km2. The biggest village of Mt. Pelion, Zagora was at its commercial and cultural peak in the 8th and 7th centuries BCE.

Contents

Map of Zagora 370 01, Greece

Location

Zagora is located north of Volos and west of Chorefto and is connected to the former by Greek National Road 34.

History

During the course of the 8th century, mainland Greece was subjected to numerous Bulgarian raids. At the end of the century, a large scale Bulgarian military expedition headed by the chieftain Akamir was launched from Belasica. The Bulgarians plundered Thessaly, from their encampment which was located between modern day Volos and Velestino. The Byzantines called those Bulgarians Velegizitas or Vielesti. Volos, Velestino, Zagora and many other placenames in Magnesia originate from that period and are of Slavic origin. The name Zagora comes from the Slavic term Zagorije which means, behind the mountains. First mentions of the settlement under its current name come from the 13th century. In the 14th century Magnesia came under the control of Serbia, subsequent conquests by the Republic of Venice and the Catalans led to a big drop in the local population.

Sights of interest

The library of Zagora, which includes thousands of rare books, is known for holding the original manuscript of "A few seconds" by Fanis Loverdos. Famous scholars, like Dr Dragogiannis, have studied the rare volumes of the library to great extent. The school of Rigas Feraios or Hellenic Museum as it is known, is the oldest school on Pelion. The Patriarch of Constantinople Kallinikos Lapatis and the herald of the Greek Revolution Rigas Feraios were students there.

Education and commercial activity

Zagora has a primary and a secondary school, five churches, six coffee houses,two bakeries, two banks, a post office, and seven squares.

Notable people

  • Patriarch Callinicus IV of Constantinople
  • Yannis Kordatos, scholar
  • Alexandros Pantos, founder of Panteion University
  • References

    Zagora, Greece Wikipedia