Zarko
Encyclopedia
Zarko is a village in the Farkadona
municipality, Trikala Prefecture
, Greece
. Zarko had a 2001 population of 1,498. Zarko is located southwest of Tyrnavos
, west of Larissa
, north-northeast of Karditsa
and east of the city of Trikala
. Zarko is located in the Thessalian Plain, the mountains dominate the north.
There is also loads of speculation regarding the source of its current name. Some people say that many roe deer
(zarkadia, Greek: ζαρκάδια) used to live around the area, while others believe that this is actually the name (Zarko) of a Yugoslavia
n General
who helped in a way to liberate the whole area.
The fact is that it all started thousands of years ago as archaeological excavations in the wider area brought up buildings of a prehistoric settlement, probably of around 6500-5800 BC.
During the Turkish occupation years Zarko was one of the main centres of the wider Thessaly
area. There was more than a 5000 population and there was a Greek
, a Turkish
and a Jewish area. Zarko's people were mainly working in the fields producing cotton and they were quite capable of producing fabrics of the highest quality; in the late 19th century the 'Zarkina pania' (cotton fabrics of Zarko) were well-known in the area.
Zarkos was not Greek until the liberation of much Thessaly
as well as the modern south-eastern Arta Prefecture
in 1881. Now-days you can still see the Turkish and the Greek forts that were built in the 19th century in order to define the borders between the 2 countries.
After World War II
and the Greek Civil War
, the population steadily declined as residents moved to larger towns and cities. Many people also left as immigrants to countries like Germany
and the United States
.
In the mid 50’s Zarko was the very first village in the area to start modernising the traditional way of agriculture
. It introduced the first ‘fabric made water-pipes’ that were used in order to water the cotton fields, as well as bringing in the area the first tractors.
Electricity and automobiles arrived in the 1960s, it was linked with pavement in the late-20th century while television arrived in the 1970s. Internet and computers arrived in the late-1990s.
A special note needs to be done regarding the 12th century St. John’s monastery
which is located around 2 kilometres north of Zarkos. Deserted for many years it is now reconstructed and occupied with nuns.
Farkadona
Farkadona is a municipality in the southeastern Trikala peripheral unit, part of Thessaly in Greece. Its 2001 population was 2,387 for the town and 15,881 for the municipality. The Larissa peripheral unit is to the east and the Karditsa peripheral unit to the south...
municipality, Trikala Prefecture
Trikala Prefecture
Trikala is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the region of Thessaly. Its capital is the town of Trikala. The regional unit includes the town of Kalampaka and the Meteora monastery complex.-Geography:...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. Zarko had a 2001 population of 1,498. Zarko is located southwest of Tyrnavos
Tyrnavos
Tyrnavos is a municipality in the Larissa regional unit, of the Thessaly region of Greece. Tyrnavos is the prefecture's third largest community within the Larissa prefecture. The town is near the mountains and the Thessalian Plain. The river Titarisios, a tributary of the Pineios, flows through...
, west of Larissa
Larissa
Larissa is the capital and biggest city of the Thessaly region of Greece and capital of the Larissa regional unit. It is a principal agricultural centre and a national transportation hub, linked by road and rail with the port of Volos, the city of Thessaloniki and Athens...
, north-northeast of Karditsa
Karditsa
Karditsa is a city in western Thessaly in mainland Greece. The city of Karditsa is the capital of Karditsa peripheral unit.Inhabitation is attested from 9000 BCE. Karditsa ls linked with GR-30, the road to Karpenisi, and the road to Palamas and Larissa...
and east of the city of Trikala
Trikala
Trikala is a city in northwestern Thessaly, Greece. It is the capital of the Trikala peripheral unit, and is located NW of Athens, NW, of Karditsa, E of Ioannina and Metsovo, S of Grevena, SW of Thessaloniki, and W of Larissa...
. Zarko is located in the Thessalian Plain, the mountains dominate the north.
Population
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1981 | 1,825 |
| 1991 | 1,711 |
| 2001 | 1,498 |
History
Zarko's initial name was Fayttos (Φαϋττός), however still it is not clear at which exactly point the name changed to Zarko.There is also loads of speculation regarding the source of its current name. Some people say that many roe deer
Roe Deer
The European Roe Deer , also known as the Western Roe Deer, chevreuil or just Roe Deer, is a Eurasian species of deer. It is relatively small, reddish and grey-brown, and well-adapted to cold environments. Roe Deer are widespread in Western Europe, from the Mediterranean to Scandinavia, and from...
(zarkadia, Greek: ζαρκάδια) used to live around the area, while others believe that this is actually the name (Zarko) of a Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
n General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
who helped in a way to liberate the whole area.
The fact is that it all started thousands of years ago as archaeological excavations in the wider area brought up buildings of a prehistoric settlement, probably of around 6500-5800 BC.
During the Turkish occupation years Zarko was one of the main centres of the wider Thessaly
Thessaly
Thessaly is a traditional geographical region and an administrative region of Greece, comprising most of the ancient region of the same name. Before the Greek Dark Ages, Thessaly was known as Aeolia, and appears thus in Homer's Odyssey....
area. There was more than a 5000 population and there was a Greek
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
, a Turkish
Turkish people
Turkish people, also known as the "Turks" , are an ethnic group primarily living in Turkey and in the former lands of the Ottoman Empire where Turkish minorities had been established in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Romania...
and a Jewish area. Zarko's people were mainly working in the fields producing cotton and they were quite capable of producing fabrics of the highest quality; in the late 19th century the 'Zarkina pania' (cotton fabrics of Zarko) were well-known in the area.
Zarkos was not Greek until the liberation of much Thessaly
Thessaly
Thessaly is a traditional geographical region and an administrative region of Greece, comprising most of the ancient region of the same name. Before the Greek Dark Ages, Thessaly was known as Aeolia, and appears thus in Homer's Odyssey....
as well as the modern south-eastern Arta Prefecture
Arta Prefecture
Arta is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the Epirus region. Its capital is the town of Arta.-Geography:The regional unit of Arta is located north of the Ambracian Gulf. The main mountain ranges are the Athamanika in the northeast, the Pindus in the east, and Valtou in the...
in 1881. Now-days you can still see the Turkish and the Greek forts that were built in the 19th century in order to define the borders between the 2 countries.
After World War II
World 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 steadily declined as residents moved to larger towns and cities. Many people also left as immigrants to countries like Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
In the mid 50’s Zarko was the very first village in the area to start modernising the traditional way of agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
. It introduced the first ‘fabric made water-pipes’ that were used in order to water the cotton fields, as well as bringing in the area the first tractors.
Electricity and automobiles arrived in the 1960s, it was linked with pavement in the late-20th century while television arrived in the 1970s. Internet and computers arrived in the late-1990s.
A special note needs to be done regarding the 12th century St. John’s monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
which is located around 2 kilometres north of Zarkos. Deserted for many years it is now reconstructed and occupied with nuns.