The history of the lake “comes” from ancient times, we find it in the Turkish occupation, in the time of Ali Pasha, in the reports of the travelers of that time, in modern Greek history, on the front line in 1940, in the struggle of the inhabitants of the village of the same name for his protection
On the Ioannina-Kakkavia national road, 14 kilometers before the border station, the route offers the traveler the beautiful natural landscape of Lake Zaravina, emerging through a forest of oak trees.
The history of the lake “comes” from ancient times, we find it in the Turkish occupation, in the time of Ali Pasha, in the reports of the travelers of that time, in modern Greek history, on the front line in 1940, in the struggle of the inhabitants of the village of the same name for his protection.
The waterscape covers about 300,000 square meters and was created by seismic activity thousands of years ago. The bottom of the lake has a conical shape. Its waters are clear and deepen sharply, while its depth is estimated at 31 meters, maybe more.
The inhabitants of the area, from the depths of time, in order to distinguish their village from the lake, have given it the names Nigeros, of Latin origin according to researchers and historians, and Nezeros, which in Slavic means lake.
However, the question of whether the village of Zaravina got its name from the lake or vice versa cannot be answered with certainty.
Next to the lake passed an old road, the remains of which still exist. It is considered to be part of the road, which in ancient times connected Southern Greece with Argyrokastro, Durres and then with the former Egnatia Road.
In recent years, there were inns on this road, the most famous being that of Zaravina, where the historian and scholar of ancient Greece, the British Nicholas Hammond, had spent the night.
He noted that there “he tasted the delicious fish of the lake”. References to the lake can also be found earlier, in the 19th century, by Francois Pouqueville, consul of France in Ioannina during the time of Ali Pasha. In his notes he writes that the lake is located in the crater of a volcano, due to the conical shape at its bottom, and that Ali Pasha would dig in the area for sulphur.”
Zaravina was at the front line in 1940. There the Italian forces suffered losses after the Greek counter-attack. According to the testimonies of residents, several Italian tanks sank in the lake, which is difficult to verify, due to the morphology of its bottom.
Legends and superstitions
Folk beliefs and legends surround the lake. Some say that it is bottomless, or that at its bottom, there is a rift that connects it to the Drina river.
The president of the Local Community of Zaravina, Giorgos Kalegias, speaking to APE-MBE, says that Lake Zaravina and the radius of 500 meters around it was designated a Site of Special Natural Beauty “as the core of an ecological system” by a ministerial decision of 1983.
Today it is protected by the provisions of Law 3937/11 [ΦΕΚ 60, Ï„. Α] “on conservation of biodiversity and other provisions” and is located within the wider Natura 2000 area with code GR 2130010.
Since the liberation of Ioannina, the Zaravina lake was considered private. With long-standing legal battles, which began in 1989 with the no. 209/2011 decision of the Court of Appeal of Ioannina passed to the jurisdiction of the State.
Zaravina is the summer recreation proposal for the people of Gianni who swim in its cool waters and for the residents of the Pogoni area their comparative advantage, due to its aesthetic and environmental value.
Mr. Kalegias reports that on the hot days of June, July and August, when the villages of the area are filled with emigrants, the lake is crowded. It has become known throughout Europe, since many tourists with their caravans park on its shores.
The coastal areas of the lake are also a suitable place for cultural events. The Municipality of Pogoni, in collaboration with the communities, wishes to utilize them by organizing one concert per year.
“And for this purpose, all the necessary actions must be taken in order to find a solution so that a section of a few acres of the entire area can be utilized, for the benefit of bathers, while at the same time there is respect for the rest of the protected section, in accordance with current legislation” Mr. Kalegias points out and continues: “Committee of the Ministry of the Interior with the request to the Deputy Minister Amyras Georgios to take charge of the matter according to Law 3937/2011”.
RES-EMP
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