Akovos
Encyclopedia
Akovos is a Greek
settlement in the southwest of Arcadia
, located 22 km south of Leontari
around 33 km southeast of Megalopoli, about 37 km from Kalamata
, about 62 km southwest of Tripoli
and northwest of Sparta
. Akovos is in the municipal unit of Falaisia
. Akovos is connected with the road connecting the Leontari-Dyrrachi roads with two accesses with it and the road to the neighbouring Messinia prefecture. Messinia is 2 km to the south.
Akovos is situated in a mountainous area and are made up of forests and grasslands. The mountains cover the area and are made up of rocks with grasslands and bushes along with a couple of forests and grasses and bushes around the areas. Farmlands are within the village area. The mountaintop elevating 1,273 m lies 3 km southwest. It offers panoramic views of the mountains to the north and the east including one elevating 1,197 m to the east. Its main production are olive
s, citrus
, fruits, vegetables and other crops, several common crops are rarely common.
Its residential houses and buildings are within the main road and it is about 400 to 500 m long and 100 to 150 m wide. Much of the houses were stone built until the 1960s. Electricity arrived in the same year. Vehicles arrived in the 1970s, the pavement of the main road and television arrived in the 1980s and computer and internet are rarely known in the beginning of the 21st century and up to date technology are not seen.
and the Greek Civil War
, the population began to decline as residents moved to larger towns and cities and outside of Greece.
Akobos has as many as 17 little churches around the village, and organizes a lot of religious festivals.
1)The festival of Saint George
Westwards and opposite from the village in distance of 3 kilometers roughly, we meet the church of Ag. George, where is realized the big festival of village on 23 April or the second day of Easter. The old church was demolished and an imposing chapel of Byzantine rhythm was built. The Saint George is considered by the old years the protector of village and the homonym festival assembles crowd of world from the around region. In the big grounds of church has been manufactured shelter for the pilgrims. Also in the same space exists slaughterhouse where becomes the sacrifice of ox, the from Ottoman domination custom of "KOYRMPANI" as well as a bookshop where become the preparation and the distribution of meat to the foreigner visitors. hundred years old trees which grow around the church supplement the beautiful landscape and offer shadow to the pilgrims. The legend says that this old custom dates back to the 1600 century and that only foreigners are allowed to eat the meat of the sacrificed ox. Legend also reports the ill fate of those who have ignored the warning. This ritual is kept until this day.
2)The festival of Virgin Mary
Under in the plain of village through big trees appears the church of Virgin Mary. Is a small chapel that celebrates the Death of Virgin Mary on 15 August. A lot of pilgrims assembled assemble each year in order to pray, not only from the Akovo village but also from Kalamata and from Athens. Is considered the second bigger festival after that of Saint George.
3)The festival of the Trinity Church
Near in the chapel of Virgin Mary exists the church of Saint Trinity which celebrates at Pentikosti (40 days after Easter). In the old days in the same place existed an older chapel which was demolished and rebuilt to the beautiful and imposing chapel that we see today. Around the church is a square with Trees and in this space has been manufactured permanent shelter with tables and seats where each year in the feast is offered (boiled goat, village bread, cheese mizithra and wine). All these are realised every year through offers of religious patriots and personal work of members of Cultural Association of Akobos. Afterwards the dinner follows traditional dances with music.
4)The festival of Saint Paraskeyi
At the peak of historical mountain of Drambala or trapezoraxi, is the church of Saint Friday. In the old days existed there a graphic chapel that at the duration of heroic battle of Drambala in 1826 against Ibrahim was used as off-hand hospital. The new chapel is a beautifully Byzantine church. In the memory of the Saint, on 26 July, roasted piglets is offered to all pilgrims.
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
settlement in the southwest of Arcadia
Arcadia
Arcadia is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the administrative region of Peloponnese. It is situated in the central and eastern part of the Peloponnese peninsula. It takes its name from the mythological character Arcas. In Greek mythology, it was the home of the god Pan...
, located 22 km south of Leontari
Leontari
Leontari is a town, seat of the former municipality of Falaisia, in the southwestern part of Arcadia...
around 33 km southeast of Megalopoli, about 37 km from Kalamata
Kalamata
Kalamata is the second-largest city of the Peloponnese in southern Greece. The capital and chief port of the Messenia prefecture, it lies along the Nedon River at the head of the Messenian Gulf...
, about 62 km southwest of Tripoli
Tripoli, Greece
Tripoli is a city of about 25,000 inhabitants in the central part of the Peloponnese, in Greece. It is the capital of the prefecture of Arcadia and the centre of the municipality of Tripolis, pop...
and northwest of Sparta
Sparta
Sparta or Lacedaemon, was a prominent city-state in ancient Greece, situated on the banks of the River Eurotas in Laconia, in south-eastern Peloponnese. It emerged as a political entity around the 10th century BC, when the invading Dorians subjugated the local, non-Dorian population. From c...
. Akovos is in the municipal unit of Falaisia
Falaisia
Falaisia is a village and a former municipality in Arcadia, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Megalopoli, of which it is a municipal unit. The seat is in Leontari, 5 km north of the village Falaisia...
. Akovos is connected with the road connecting the Leontari-Dyrrachi roads with two accesses with it and the road to the neighbouring Messinia prefecture. Messinia is 2 km to the south.
Geography
Akovos is situated in a mountainous area and are made up of forests and grasslands. The mountains cover the area and are made up of rocks with grasslands and bushes along with a couple of forests and grasses and bushes around the areas. Farmlands are within the village area. The mountaintop elevating 1,273 m lies 3 km southwest. It offers panoramic views of the mountains to the north and the east including one elevating 1,197 m to the east. Its main production are olive
Olive
The olive , Olea europaea), is a species of a small tree in the family Oleaceae, native to the coastal areas of the eastern Mediterranean Basin as well as northern Iran at the south end of the Caspian Sea.Its fruit, also called the olive, is of major agricultural importance in the...
s, citrus
Citrus
Citrus is a common term and genus of flowering plants in the rue family, Rutaceae. Citrus is believed to have originated in the part of Southeast Asia bordered by Northeastern India, Myanmar and the Yunnan province of China...
, fruits, vegetables and other crops, several common crops are rarely common.
Its residential houses and buildings are within the main road and it is about 400 to 500 m long and 100 to 150 m wide. Much of the houses were stone built until the 1960s. Electricity arrived in the same year. Vehicles arrived in the 1970s, the pavement of the main road and television arrived in the 1980s and computer and internet are rarely known in the beginning of the 21st century and up to date technology are not seen.
Population
| Year | Population village | Population municipal district |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 283 | - |
| 1991 | 293 | - |
| 2001 | 246 | 264 |
History
The village used to have a large population before the beginning of the 20th century. After World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and the Greek Civil War
Greek Civil War
The Greek Civil War was fought from 1946 to 1949 between the Greek governmental army, backed by the United Kingdom and United States, and the Democratic Army of Greece , the military branch of the Greek Communist Party , backed by Bulgaria, Yugoslavia and Albania...
, the population began to decline as residents moved to larger towns and cities and outside of Greece.
Akobos has as many as 17 little churches around the village, and organizes a lot of religious festivals.
1)The festival of Saint George
Westwards and opposite from the village in distance of 3 kilometers roughly, we meet the church of Ag. George, where is realized the big festival of village on 23 April or the second day of Easter. The old church was demolished and an imposing chapel of Byzantine rhythm was built. The Saint George is considered by the old years the protector of village and the homonym festival assembles crowd of world from the around region. In the big grounds of church has been manufactured shelter for the pilgrims. Also in the same space exists slaughterhouse where becomes the sacrifice of ox, the from Ottoman domination custom of "KOYRMPANI" as well as a bookshop where become the preparation and the distribution of meat to the foreigner visitors. hundred years old trees which grow around the church supplement the beautiful landscape and offer shadow to the pilgrims. The legend says that this old custom dates back to the 1600 century and that only foreigners are allowed to eat the meat of the sacrificed ox. Legend also reports the ill fate of those who have ignored the warning. This ritual is kept until this day.
2)The festival of Virgin Mary
Under in the plain of village through big trees appears the church of Virgin Mary. Is a small chapel that celebrates the Death of Virgin Mary on 15 August. A lot of pilgrims assembled assemble each year in order to pray, not only from the Akovo village but also from Kalamata and from Athens. Is considered the second bigger festival after that of Saint George.
3)The festival of the Trinity Church
Near in the chapel of Virgin Mary exists the church of Saint Trinity which celebrates at Pentikosti (40 days after Easter). In the old days in the same place existed an older chapel which was demolished and rebuilt to the beautiful and imposing chapel that we see today. Around the church is a square with Trees and in this space has been manufactured permanent shelter with tables and seats where each year in the feast is offered (boiled goat, village bread, cheese mizithra and wine). All these are realised every year through offers of religious patriots and personal work of members of Cultural Association of Akobos. Afterwards the dinner follows traditional dances with music.
4)The festival of Saint Paraskeyi
At the peak of historical mountain of Drambala or trapezoraxi, is the church of Saint Friday. In the old days existed there a graphic chapel that at the duration of heroic battle of Drambala in 1826 against Ibrahim was used as off-hand hospital. The new chapel is a beautifully Byzantine church. In the memory of the Saint, on 26 July, roasted piglets is offered to all pilgrims.