Ioannina capital of Epirus; is a modern city full of historical landmarks. Its lovely scenery and historic monuments make sight see fascinating, enhanced further by the pleasure of watching its jewelers and wood carvers at their traditional crafts. The ancient Dodoni represents the grand Ancient Theater and the Oracle, which is the second most important in entire Hellenic history after the Oracle at Delphi.

The population of Ioannina is 160 000 inhabitants. During the reign of Ali Pasha (1743-1822), the city enjoyed a new period of economic and intellectual growth, as his court became a pole of attraction for restless spirits.

There were more than 2000 shops and small manufacturing enterprises. The city still remains lively with its trading, economic, and cultural values of Epirus.

Ioannina may have taken name and site from a monastery of St. John the Baptist. The city is built on the hillside, above Lake Pamvotis at an altitude of 500 m above sea level and 436 km distance from Athens. Ioannina with its region is the biggest and most populated city of Epirus, a magical place full of evergreen mountains where the nature makes the visitors speechless by the endless beauty. The city is located approximately in the middle of Epirus at the banks of Lake Ioannina, and it serves as the capital of this country.

The ancient theater at Dodoni was built between 297BC and 219BC during the reign of King Pyrrhus of Epirus, one of the largest amphitheaters in entire Helenia, with seating capacity for 17,000 people and Mount Tomaros in the Background. The surrounding area is scattered in the lush flora of fir tress and pine trees, and typical Epirus houses. Wild goats and deer still browse on its precipitous cliffs, where eagles and vultures nest. To the west the Ioannina Lake stretches, its coast a diverse blend of modern resorts, lagoons and river deltas, of which the latter two forms an important system of wetlands. Winter sport lovers will be eager to conquer Mount Metsovo, also have a skiing center at Karakoli and Profiti Ilia.

Ioannina’s Archaeological Museum contains exhibits of the most significant finds from all over Epirus. The Municipal Museum, housed in the former mosque of Ali Pasha, has fine collections of jewelry, textiles and traditional Epirus costumes. In the middle of the lake Ioannina is located the islet Nissaki with its two majors sits, the Philanthropinon Monasteries with its Byzantine frescos rebuild during the Ali Pasha reign, and the park of Ali Pasha.

History

Ioannina appeared in writings left behind from Procopius, who stated that Ioannina was ruled by the emperor Justinian in 527. Nevertheless, the first indications of human presence in the area, harking back to 40.000 B.C., were discovered in the surrounding caves and lake Ioannina proving that life continued without a break up to the Mesolithic era (6000 B.C.), This is confirmed by finds from the prehistoric settlement of surrounding villages, which also date to the Middle - Neolithic (5000 B.C.), while other artifacts, mainly stone axes with a hole on one side and pottery, belong to the Bronze Age or Early Helladic period (2500 B.C.).

With the start of the Middle Helladic period (1.900 - 1.550 B.C.) the first Illyrian tribes, the Thesproti, settled in Epirus, followed by the Molsosi and the Chames. The Suliots and the Arvanitis of Parga are directly descendants of the ancient tribe Molsosi, and the Arvanitis from Ioannina and Arta are directly descendants of the ancient tribe Chames. In 800 B.C. the Corinthians who spoke same language as other tribes of Epirus, founded colonies in the area, such as Amvrakia, Apollonia, Epidamnos and others. These colonies initiated contact between the Epirotes and their culture of southern Peleponnisos.

In the 5th century, Tharypas, the King of the Molsosians, united the various clans into a federation and endeavored to introduce his people to culture by inviting scholars and artists from all over the country to his court. At the end of the 4th century B.C., Arybbas came to the throne and gave his niece Olympias in marriage to Philip II of Macedonia. Their son was Alexander the Great. After a period of unrest, Pyrrhus ascended to the throne of Epirus. In 280 B.C. he decided to mount a campaign against the Romans, but following some impressive but exhausting victories he was defeated by the more powerful state and returned to Epirus, from where he continued his attacks.

With the subjection of Epirus by the Romans, the Roman Senate ordered the destruction of seventy Epirote towns. Later, most of the region ‘s inhabitants were forced to settle at Nikopolis, built by Octavian (Augustus) to celebrate his victory at Actium (31 B.C.) over the fleets of Anthony and Cleopatra.  In 369 A.D., the Goths led by Alaric attacked and conquered the region. In 550 great numbers of Slavs immigrant came to the region, resulting in the establishment of Slavic tribes on Epirot soil. In 1108 the Normans raided the area with Bohemond at their head. Its first period of prosperity began in 1204 when Michael Komninos founded the Despotate of Epirus and Ioannina was established as the region’s intellectual center.

After the organization of all the tribes of Epirus to join the crusades, in April 1204, the Crusaders occupied Constantinople and dismembered the Byzantine Empire. Michael Komninos Doukas then founded the Despotate of Epirus with Arta as its capital. Later, with the resurgence of Byzantine power, Ioannina became an independent Byzantine province, thus entering into a period of prosperity for the whole region.

But in 1431 Ioannina surrendered to the army of the Sultan Murad II. In 1618, after an abortive rising led by Dionysus ‘Skylosophos’ the fanatical bishop of Trikkala, the Christians were expelled from the citadel and their churches destroyed. The Ottoman occupation lasted more than 400 years. On 21 February 1913, the Greek army entered Ioannina

As we have seen, the life in Ioannina has its origin well before the dawn of history. The region witnessed all the ups and downs of Ancient Hellenic and Illyricum, Rome, Byzantium and the modern era, gaining a uniquely individual sense of history and culture.