HIMARA

Himara is a nice, traditional village of the Eastern Inner Mani, over the historic bay of ancient Tefthroni, today named Kotronas (center of the Municipality of eastern Mani) and the other tower-villages around.

Its name appears for the first time – accordingly to the scientific research of K. K. Komi – in the notebook of the practical doctor from Lagia Mr. Papadakis  (1715) and later in the historical poem of Nikita Nifakis as Τvillage shining like the moonΥ!  Close to the village, at Vlistiko location, where there are the Himara source as well as the old church, there are the ruins of the old settlement (Paliohora), quoted by the Duce Never (1618).  In this same book there is a reference to another old settlement of Mani Mavrianos.  That means that the region of Himara is inhabited for centuries.

We are wondering about its name and the relation between the village and the village Himara at North Epirus. There is the same architecture -tower villages- and the same the laments too. Who were first installed in the region of Mani, when and where?

The first residents of Himara where three Maniates friends and fighters too: Hasanis, Zervogiannis and Tavoularis. From these three come the families of today Mihalakos, Thomakos, Goulakos, Stefanakos, Alevisakos, Koursarakos, Fotakos, Lekarakos, etc.  There are some important monuments at Himara today: the church Agios Nikolaos close to the central road. Agios Georgios, at the historical location Trikefali. There is also Agia Barbara, and Panagia Eniameri ( 9 days Virgin Mary). The priest of the village is papa- Panagiotis Zagoriannakos, coming from Drosopigi a village of the Inner Mani. he was attracted by this village and is working hard there.

How is Himara today? There are only a few residents (35 to 40!). Recently there was the water supply installation from Agia Marina springs of the eastern Taygetos.

2 years ago, a marriage between two young person’s took place at the village; Politimi B. Mihalakakou from Himara and Georgio Bourazani from Kokala – eastern Mani, after a long time of thirty years!  The public school of Himara is closed 25 years ago. What could we do to make this village alive?

G.P. Dimakogiannis