Palaiochori, Tzoumerka
Palaiochori, also Palaiochori Syrrako is a mountain village in the municipality of North Tzoumerka in the Ioannina regional unit, northern Greece. It is built on the western slope of the Athamanika mountains, at 750 m elevation. It is on the watershed between two small rivers that flow toward the Arachthos. Its population is 77 people. It is 4 km south of Vathypedo, 4 km northwest of Prosilio, 4 km west of Syrrako and 19 km southeast of Ioannina.
History
During the Ottoman period and until 1880, Palaiochori formed a single community with current Syrrako, which fell along with other neighboring villages in the province of Malakasi. Palaiochori was split from Syrrako in 1880 by the leader Goulas Anastasios Topalis, despite persistent objections of the people from Syrrako who did not want the separation. The border of the two villages was formed by the ridge of Tsarkos-Priza-Plinos. Traditionally Palaiochori is considered to be the cradle of Syrrako. The direct link is shown by the way of life, manners and customs, the dozens of place names around Syrrako and Palaiochori and the common Aromanian language. An independent section of the Cretan Regiment under leader Trypogiorgos captured Palaiochori from the Ottomans at the end of 1912 and freed its inhabitants from the jail house in Trikas and moved them out even from the Papastathi bridge over the Arachthos river.
Demographics
Palaiochori has an Aromanian population and is an Aromanian speaking village.