Malakasi

This article is about a village in Thessaly, Greece. For the medieval Albanian tribe, see Malakasioi.

Malakasi (Greek: Μαλακάσι) is a village and a former municipality in the Trikala regional unit, Thessaly, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Meteora, of which it is a municipal unit.^[2] The municipal unit has an area of 157.534 km².^[3] Population 612 (2021). The seat of the municipality was in Panagia.

Malakasi Μαλακάσι
Municipal unit
Malakasi Location within the regional unit
Coordinates: 39°48′N 21°20′E
Country	Greece
Administrative region	Thessaly
Regional unit	Trikala
Municipality	Meteora
Area
• Municipal unit	157.5 km2 (60.8 sq mi)
Population  (2021)[1]
• Municipal unit	612
• Municipal unit density	3.9/km2 (10/sq mi)
• Community	134
Time zone	UTC+2 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+3 (EEST)
Vehicle registration	ΤΚ

Municipal unit

The municipal unit of Malakasi includes the settlements of Korydallos, Malakasi, Panagia, Pefki and Trygona.

Geography

The village is part of the wider Zagori region,^[4] between Epirus and Thessaly.

History

The village takes its name from the Malakasii, an Albanian tribe or clan that moved to the area from central Albania in the 14th century.^[5][6][7][8] The name most probably refers to the Albanian Malakasii tribe's region of origin in the plain of Mallakastër in southern Albania.^[9]

Ottoman period

During the Ottoman period, Epirus and Aetolia-Acarnania were divided into five armatolikia: Malakasi, Tzoumerka, Xeromero, Lidorikion, and Venetiko.^[10][11]

In May 1871, Malakasi was the seat of the Malakasi nahiye of the Ioannina kaza.^[12]

Demographics

The village is inhabited by "Vlachs" (Βλαχι),^[13] who are called Malakasi and inhabit the villages from Malakasi to Gardiki.^[14]