Coordinates: 39°52′N 20°00′E / 39.867°N 20°E
| Sarandë / Saranda | |
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  Sarandë / Saranda
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| Coordinates: 39°52′N 20°00′E / 39.867°N 20°E | |
| Country |  Albania |
| County | Vlorë County |
| District | Sarandë District |
| Government | |
| - Mayor | Edmond Gjoka (PD) |
| Elevation | 0.8 m (3 ft) |
| Population (2008) | |
| - Total | 32,000[2] |
| Time zone | Central European Time (UTC+1) |
| - Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) |
| Postal code | 9700 |
| Area code(s) | 085 |
| Car Plates | SR |
Sarandë or Saranda (from Greek: Άγιοι Σαράντα, Agioi Saranda,) is the capital of the District of Sarandë, Albania, and is one of the most important tourist attractions of the Albanian Riviera. It is situated on an open sea gulf of the Ionian Sea in the Mediterranean, 2 nautical miles from the Greek island of Corfu. The city of Saranda has a population of about 32,000 inhabitants (2008 estimate). Near Sarandë are the remains of the ancient city of Butrint, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
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History
In antiquity the city was known by the ancient Greek name of Onchesmos (or Anchiasmos) [1][2][3] and was inhabited by the Greek [4] tribe of the Chaonians. Onchesmos flourished as the port of the Chaonian capital of Phoenice[5][6] (modern-day Finiq). In 552 CE it experienced repeated attacks from the Goths[citation needed].
Its current name comes from the name of the Byzantine monastery of the Άγιοι Σαράντα (Agioi Saranta) literally meaning "Forty Saints" in Greek, after the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste, traditionally commemorated by the Orthodox Church on 10 March.
The town was included under the newly formed Albanian state in 1913, under the terms of the Protocol of Florence.[7]. It was occupied twice by Greece in 1913 and 1914-1916, by Greek insurgents of the Autonomous Republic of Northern Epirus in 1914 and by Italy between 1916 and 1920[8]. Saranda was again occupied in 1939 by Italian forces and was a strategic port for the fascist forces of Italy. It was then temporarily called "Porto Edda" in honor of Edda Mussolini, the eldest daughter of Benito Mussolini, during which time Albania was annexed to Italy. In the meantime, it was also known by the Italian name Santi Quaranta (Forty Saints). During the Greco-Italian War the Greek army occupied a large area of southern Albania (called "Northern Epirus" by the Greeks) and the city came under Greek rule on 6 December 1940 until the German invasion in Greece and the consequent withdrawal of the Greek army in the spring of 1941.
Economy
Given its coastal access and Mediterranean climate, Saranda has become an important tourist attraction since the fall of Communism in Albania. Saranda as well as the rest of the Albanian Riviera, according to The Guardian, "is set to become the new 'undiscovered gem' of the overcrowded Med."[9] Tourism is thus the major economic resource, while other resources include services, fisheries and construction. The unemployment rate according to the population census of 2008 was 8.32%. It has been suggested that family tourism and seasonal work during the summer period help mitigate the real unemployment rate.
Demographics
In 1990 the inhabitants of the city of Saranda were 15,700. This figure has nearly doubled, especially due to uncontrolled movements after 1997. According to municipal sources, approximately 32,000 inhabitants are currently living in the city. According to a survey conducted by the Albanian Committee of Helsinki, currently, the Albanian population numbers about 26,500, while Greeks form the rest of the population about 3,500 (although they counted 7,500 Greeks in 1990).[10][11] Saranda is considered one of the two centers of the Greek minority in Albania,[12][13] Gjirokaster being the other.
Notable People
- Niko Kacalidha - Poet, Writer, ex state Minister.[14]
- Luiza Xhuvani - Actress[15][16][17]
- Lefter Agora - Singer[18][19][20]
- Vangjel Agora - Actor/Director[21][22][23]
Gallery
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 Coastline near Sarandë |
 Corfu in the background |
 Blue Eye (Syri Kaltër) |
References
- ^ Strabo, The Geography, Book VII, Chapter 7.5: "...these mountains one comes to Onchesmus, another harbor, opposite which lie the western extremities of Corcyraea."
- ^ Bowden, William. Epirus Vetus: The Archaeology of a Late Antique Province. London: Duckworth, 2003, ISBN 0715631160, p. 14. "Anchiasmos (Onchesmos)"
- ^ Hodges, Richard. Saranda - Ancient Onchesmos: A Short History and Guide. Butrint Foundation, 2007. ISBN 9994394363
- ^ Hammond, N.G.L. Philip of Macedon. London, UK: Duckworth, 1994. "Epirus was a land of milk and animal products...The social unit was a small tribe, consisting of several nomadic or semi-nomadic groups, and these tribes, of which more than seventy names are known, coalesced into large tribal coalitions, three in number: Thesprotians, Molossians and Chaonians...We know from the discovery of inscriptions that these tribes were speaking the Greek language (in a West-Greek dialect)."
- ^ Talbert, Richard J.A. and Bagnall, Roger S. Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World, 2000, p. 815. "harbor, cape or town in Epirus between Onchesmos and Bouthroton."
- ^ Eidinow, Esther. Oracles, Curses, and Risk Among the Ancient Greeks. Oxford University Press, 2007. ISBN 0199277788 "Onchesmos was the principal port of Phoinike, the capital of Chaonia,..."
- ^ Ruche, Pyrrus. Albanians captive
- ^ Edith Pierpont Stickney. Southern Albania or northern Epirus in European international affairs, 1912-1923 Stanford university press, 1926.
- ^ [1] 2009's hot new beach destination: Albania, www.guardian.co.uk
- ^ http://www.humanrights.coe.int/Minorities/Eng/FrameworkConvention/StateReports/2001/albania/Albania.htm
- ^ Pettifer, James. The Greek Minority in Albania - In the Aftermath of Communism. Conflict Studies Research Center, July 2001, ISBN 1-903584-35-3 - p. 11, "In 1991, Greek shops were attacked in the coastal town of Saranda, home to a large minority population, and inter-ethnic relations throughout Albania worsened."
- ^ Pettifer, James. The Greek Minority in Albania - In the Aftermath of Communism. Conflict Studies Research Center, July 2001, ISBN 1-903584-35-3 - p. 12, "The concentration of ethnic Greeks in and around centres of Hellenism such as Saranda and Gjirokastra could guarantee their election there, but nowhere else in the country is success for an Omonia-based candidate possible."
- ^ Human rights in post-communist Albania, Fred Abrahams, Human Rights Watch, p.119 "The town of Saranda has an ethnic Greek population large enough to warrant a school, but one still does not exist".
- ^ http://www.osce.org/documents/pia/2001/10/242_en.pdf
- ^ http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1008493/
- ^ http://lajme.parajsa.com/Kulture/id_24381/
- ^ http://people.theiapolis.com/actress-6P2Z/luiza-xhuvani/
- ^ http://lajme.parajsa.com/Intervista/id_230/
- ^ http://www.shekulli.com.al/news/51/ARTICLE/19024/2007-12-12.html
- ^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Festivali_I_K%C3%ABng%C3%ABs_11
- ^ http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1322085/
- ^ http://www.infoshkodra.com/content/view/1534/2/
- ^ http://www.sgourosmp3.com/Sakharov-Sgouros.htm "Vangelis Agoras, Actor/Director, National Theater of Agioi Saranta"
See also
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Sarandë |
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