The gallery of the month is a serie of photos taken during our camper trip on Greece’s mainland, in the land of the Souliots. Souli (Greek: Σούλι) is a municipality in Epirus, northwestern Greece. It was originally settled by both Greek and Albanian refugees who sought refuge in the mountainous terrain from the Ottomans, coming from areas such as Laberia in what became Albania and Thesprotia in what became Greece. In early modern times, it was inhabited by about 12,000 Souliotes. More photos of Greece’s mainland can be found on SmugMug in the folder Greece.
Land of the Souliots
Land of the Souliots
Land of the Souliots
Land of the Souliots
Land of the Souliots
Land of the Souliots
Land of the Souliots
Land of the Souliots
Land of the Souliots
Land of the Souliots
Land of the Souliots
Land of the Souliots
Land of the Souliots
Land of the Souliots
Land of the Souliots
Land of the Souliots
The Dance of Zalongo refers to the mass suicide of women from Souli and their children during the Souliote War of 1803, near the village of Zalongo in Epirus, in the then-Ottoman Empire. It occurred on 16 December 1803. In order to avoid capture and enslavement, the women threw their children first and then themselves off a steep cliff, committing suicide. According to the legend, they jumped down the precipice one after the other while singing and dancing. More photos can be found on our SmugMug photo site.
