Pogon, Albania

Pogon

Πωγώνι
Pogon Πωγώνι
Municipal unit
	Pogon
	Coordinates: 40°8′N 20°21′E / 40.133°N 20.350°E
Country	Albania
County	Gjirokastër
Municipality	Dropull
Area
• Total	177.6 km2 (68.6 sq mi)
Population (2011)
• Total	432
• Density	2.4/km2 (6.3/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal Code	6007

Pogon (Albanian: Pogon or Pogoni, Greek: Πωγώνι, Pogoni), is a former commune in the Gjirokastër County, southern Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became a subdivision of the municipality Dropull.^[2] The population at the 2011 census was 432.^[3] It consists of seven villages which are mostly Greek speaking: Poliçan; Skore; Hllomo; Sopik; Mavrojer; Çatistë and Selckë of which Poliçan is the administrative center.^[4] The administrative unit of Pogon is inhabited by ethnic Greeks.

Demographics

Greek is spoken in Poliçan, Skore, Hllomo, Sopik, Mavrojer and Çatistë and those villages along with Drymades on the Greek side of the border comprise the sub-region of Paleo-Pogoni (Old Pogoni),^[5] part of the wider region of Pogoni. Traditionally Greeks of Pogoni in Albania practised endogamy by intermarrying within their group, although occasionally brides from Zagori were taught to speak Greek.^[5] Poliçan is the northernmost Greek-speaking village in the Pogoni area, as villages north west of Poliçan are Albanian-speaking, while those south of Poliçan are Greek-speaking.^[6] Selckë, part of a wider region of Lunxhëria, is traditionally inhabited by an Orthodox Albanian population^[5] as well as later Aromanian migrants, while the rest of the villages belong to the Greek minority zone.^[7]

History

In 15th century Pogon came under Ottoman rule and became part of the Sanjak of Ioannina.^[8] It was a nahiya centre as "Pogun" at Pogun kaza (Its centre was Voştina) in Ergiri sanjak of Yanya Vilayet till 1912. As part of Albania, the municipality is part of the recognized Greek Minority Zone.^[9]

Historically each village of Pogon has its own variation of traditional costumes and dresses.^[5] The area is part of Pogoni, a region that also includes parts of nearby Pogoni on the Greek side of the border.

Culture

The villages of Pogon (except Selckë) are part of the wider Pogoni region, which is divided between Greece (40 villages) and Albania (7 villages).^[10]^[6] Polyphonic singing, although shared among several ethnic groups, tends to be mostly identified with the Pogoni area.^[10]

Notable people

Sophianos (-1711), local Greek-Orthodox bishop and scholar.
Pandeli Sotiri, (1842–1892) Albanian patriot, main contributor to the modern Albanian alphabet.

References

^ "Kodi Postar, Qarku Gjirokastër" [Postal Code, Gjirokastër County] (PDF). Posta Shqiptare. 2017.
^ "Law nr. 115/2014" (PDF) (in Albanian). p. 6371. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
^ 2011 census results Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine
^ Greece – Albania Neighbourhood Programme Archived 2012-03-27 at the Wayback Machine
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Hammond, Nicholas Geoffrey Lemprière (1967). Epirus: the Geography, the Ancient Remains, the History and Topography of Epirus and Adjacent Areas. Oxford: Clarendon Press. p. 29. ISBN 9780198142539. "Pogoni, or Paleo-Pogoni as the people call it, consists of seven Greek-speaking villages nearly 3,000 ft. above sea level (Poliçan, Skorë, Hlomo, Sopik, Mavrojer, Çatistë, and the Greek side of the frontier, Drimadhes).... The Pogoniates normally only marry within their own group, but occasionally a bride may be taken from Zagorië and she is taught Greek."; p. 213. "Selck, an Albanian speaking village of some thirty-five houses"
^ ^a ^b Hammond 1967, pp. 213 "With a population of 2,500 Poliçan is the largest village in the long-rift within the double range of Nemerçkë. The villages to the north-west are Albanian-speaking, while those to the south speak Greek as their mother tongue. Poliçan therefore regards itself as the most northerly village of the area Pogoni."
^ Malo, Foto, Emra vendesh në krahinën e Lunxhërisë (Toponyms in Lunxhëri region) (in Albanian), Tribuna, archived from the original on 2014-04-30, retrieved 2013-08-29
^ H. Karpat, Kemal (1985). Ottoman population, 1830-1914: demographic and social characteristics. University of Wisconsin Press. p. 146. ISBN 9780299091606. Retrieved 22 September 2011.
^ Green, Sarah F. (2005). Notes from the Balkans : locating marginality and ambiguity on the Greek-Albanian border. Princeton, NJ [u.a.]: Princeton Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0-691-12198-7.
^ ^a ^b Tziovas, Dimitris, ed. (2003). Greece and the Balkans : identities, perceptions and cultural encounters since the Enlightenment. Aldershot, England: Ashgate. p. 196. ISBN 9780754609988. Although it characterizes many local communities and ethnic groups, such as Vlach and Albanian speakers, it tends to be mostly identified with the Pogoni area, which, ironically enough, is divided between Greece and Albania, seven villages belonging to the latter. Of the rest, about forty villages belong to Greece)

v t e Subdivisions of Dropull municipality
Municipal seat: Dropull
Administrative unit of Dropull i Poshtëm	Derviçan Dhuvjan Frashtan Glinë Goranxi Goricë Koshovicë Grapsh Haskovë Lugar Peshkëpi e Poshtme Peshkëpi e Sipërme Radat Sofratikë Terihat Vanistër Vrahogoranxi
Administrative unit of Dropull i Sipërm	Bodrishtë Bularat Dritë Jorgucat Kakavijë Kërrë Klishar Koshovicë Krioner Likomil Llongo Llovinë Pepel Selo Sotirë Vodhinë Vrisera Zervat
Administrative unit of Pogon	Çatistë Hllomo Mavrojer Poliçan Selckë Skore Sopik

v t e Subdivisions of Gjirokastër County
County seat: Gjirokastër
Municipality of Dropull	Dropull i Poshtëm Dropull i Sipërm Pogon
Municipality of Gjirokastër	Antigonë Cepo Gjirokastër Lazarat Lunxhëri Odrie Picar
Municipality of Këlcyrë	Ballaban Dishnicë Këlcyrë Sukë
Municipality of Libohovë	Libohovë Qendër Libohovë Zagori
Municipality of Memaliaj	Buz Krahës Luftinjë Memaliaj Memaliaj Fshat Qesarat
Municipality of Përmet	Çarçovë Frashër Përmet Petran Qendër Piskovë
Municipality of Tepelenë	Kurvelesh Lopës Qendër Tepelenë Tepelenë

v t e Greeks in Albania
History	Ancient Epirus Chaonians Omphales Dexaroi Despotate of Epirus Revolt of 1567-1572 Revolt of 1854 Revolt of 1878 Himara revolt of 1912 Autonomous Republic of Northern Epirus Northern Epirus Protocol of Corfu Greco-Italian War in southern Albania Morava–Ivan Korytsa Saranda Himara Klisura Pass Trebeshina Italian spring offensive Hill 731 Northern Epirus Liberation Front
Society and culture	Himariote dialect Laiko Vima Polyphonic song of Epirus Postage stamps and postal history Lasso fund Education: New Academy (Moscopole) Zographeion College (Qestorat) Acroceraunian School (Himara) Dhuvjan Monastery (Dropull) Bangas Gymnasium (Korçë)
Geography	Ancient: Chaonia, Parauaea Medieval and modern: Dryinopolis, Kolonia
Settlements¹	Ancient: Phoenice Vouthroton Avlon Apollonia Thronion Amantia Antigonia Antipatreia Oricon Modern: Gjirokastër Korçë Himara Delvinë Sarandë Dropull Pogon Përmet Leskovik Bilisht Moscopole Zvërnec Vlorë Berat Durrës
Organizations	Omonoia Panepirotic Federation of America Panepirotic Federation of Australia Unity for Human Rights Party
Individuals²	Benefactors: Apostol Arsache Evangelos and Konstantinos Zappas Ioannis Pangas Georgios and Simon Sinas Alexandros and Michael Vasileiou Christakis Zografos Literature: Theodore Kavalliotis Katina Papa Konstantinos Skenderis Takis Tsiakos Tasos Vidouris Stavrianos Vistiaris Andreas Zarbalas Politics: Fredi Beleri Georgios Christakis-Zografos Spiro Ksera Vangjel Dule Vasilis Bolanos Military/Resistance: Kyriakoulis Argyrokastritis Dimitrios Doulis Nikolaos Dailakis Konstantinos Lagoumitzis Zachos Milios Athanasios Pipis Ioannis Poutetsis Vasileios Sachinis Georgios Soulios Spyromilios Spyros Spyromilios Sports: Pyrros Dimas Sotiris Ninis Panajot Pano Leonidas Sabanis Andreas Tatos Clergy: Photios Kalpidis Vasileios of Dryinoupolis Panteleimon Kotokos Eulogios Kourilas Lauriotis
¹ Includes localities with a substantial ethnic Greek population, or otherwise with any kind of cultural or other type of significance, historical or current, for the Greek minority in Albania. ² Includes individuals not necessarily of Greek ethnicity but with important contributions to Greek civilization.