Ἀπειρωτᾶν
The "Stories of Epirus People" or "Ἀπειρωτᾶν" was created with an intention to offer young adults a space for sharing cultural heritage stories about Ioannina and the region of Epirus. The stories come from local people who are in connection with our communities for many years and like to share with us about the culture, history and little secrets of our region. Below you will find stories, galleries and videos created by our volunteers.
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Muslim community in Ioannina. Past and present by by Nadjaha Maidi
20/06/2022
The story of the city of Ioannina gathers multiple histories in time, such as different religions, different languages and different races.
How is it really? Ioannina is a city located in the northwest of Greece, it is the most important city of Epirus. The name of the city of Ioánnina comes from the name of the builder of the fortress, a certain Ioannis. It was founded by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian in the 6th century.
In 1326 Orhan son of Osman I (the head of this empire) captured all the Byzantine territory with his army. The Ottoman Empire had the conviction to conquer as much territory as possible. In 1354 the Ottomans landed in Europe for the first time. Three centuries later their expansion was at its peak and the empire covered several regions including Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria, Egypt, Hungary, Romania, Macedonia, Jordan, Palestine and more...
The Other Greece, a documentary by Elise Signol and Mathys Cousin
5/8/2022
Documentary about Epirus: Intention note by Elise Signol and Mathys Cousin
12/05/2022
Who we are?
We are two french folks and in March 2022, we discovered Greece for the first time. From France, we already had images from this country in mind: postal cards from Santorini, countless islands, Athens Acropolis, scorching heat, and the sea so blue. What a surprise to cross mountains with snow-covered pines to reach Ioannina. We will spend six months as volunteers coming from another country in this region of Epirus that we know nothing about. Still, as soon as we did our first walks and meetings, the richness of the landscapes and the stories slowly revealed themselves to us, giving way to a feeling of excitement and the wish to discover more.
What is our project?
And so, the desire of sharing our discovery was born. Our project is to shoot a short or mid-length documentary about Epirus in Greece, to enhance this unknown region. Landscapes are as majestic as they are rugged because omnipresent mountains and forests are not favorable to agriculture and human occupation. However, traces of civilization in Epirus date back thousands of years, and it has been and will always be a territory rich in history and traditions. We hope to show how humans have tamed this wilderness, from Ancient Greece to Modern times.
Dowload the PDF to discover more about the project.
Photo book of Ioannina by Ömer Can Kulakcı
12/04/2022
My name is Can, I'm a European Solidarity Corps volunteer from Turkey. During my stay at the Youth Center of Epirus, I decided to create a photo book where I collected the most impressive and beautiful corners of the city of Ioannina.
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