A cluster of traditional, picturesque villages on Mount Pindos in Epirus, known as the Zagorochoria (or villages of Zagori), was inducted onto UNESCO’s World Heritage List.
“It is the first time that a cultural area of Greece that comprises an outstanding example of our modern cultural heritage is listed,” Culture Minister Lina Mendoni said, hailing the decision made by the World Heritage Committee during its 45th session in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
“All Greek listings so far are related to ancient Greece or Byzantium,” she added.
Mendoni said that UNESCO “recognised the outstanding ecumenical value of the Zagori architecture as an excellent example of survival and mutual influence of the Byzantine and Ottoman architecture.
It recognised the authenticity and integrity of the area as key ingredients to be included on the World Heritage List.”
She also thanked everyone who helped, adding that the listing “is an invitation and expression of obligation towards Greece to keep this heritage intact.”
In its description of the Mount Pindos villages, UNESCO said:
“Located in a remote rural landscape in northwestern Greece, small stone villages known as Zagorochoria extend along the western slopes of the northern part of the Pindus mountain range.
"These traditional villages, typically organized around a central square containing a plane tree and surrounded by sacred forests maintained by local communities, showcase a traditional architecture adapted to the mountain topography. A network of stone-arched bridges, stone cobbled paths, and stone staircases linking the villages formed a system that served as a political and social unit connecting the communities of the Voidomatis River basin.”
The extended session of UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee is taking place in Saudi Arabia from September 10 to 25.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis welcomed the inclusion of Zagorochoria in the list on social media on Wednesday.
The Greek premier noted that this inclusion justifies both the culture ministry’s efforts and those of the Epirus Regional Authority. Moreover, he noted that this goal was also his own personal commitment since 2019.
Από χθες τα Ζαγοροχώρια κατέχουν τη δική τους θέση στον κατάλογο Παγκόσμιας Κληρονομιάς της @UNESCO. Δικαιώνεται, έτσι, μία κοινή προσπάθεια του Υπουργείου Πολιτισμού και της Περιφέρειας Ηπείρου. Αλλά και μία προσωπική μου δέσμευση από το 2019. pic.twitter.com/lVqXlKzshe
— Prime Minister GR (@PrimeministerGR) September 20, 2023
READ MORE: Discovering Zagori: a mountainous expanse of stunning beauty.
