Agia Paraskevi (Greek: Αγία Παρασκευή, Bulgarian and Macedonian: Света Петка: Sveta Petka, Sveta Petka)[1] is a village in the Florina regional unit, Greece. The village of Agia Paraskevi is one of several border villages along the frontier of Greece and North Macedonia with a Slavophone population.[2] The village is a flat agricultural village at an elevation of 612 metres. Agia Paraskevi is neighboured by Dragosh (North Macedonia), Ethnikon, Parori, Kato Kleines, Polyplatanos and Niki.
History
The village is said to have been settled in the 15th century, and was originally one with the villages of Dragosh (in modern-day North Macedonia) and Opshirina (modern day Ethnikon, Florina, Greece). Sources suggest that the original settlers of the village came from Korçë (in modern-day Albania) or Servia (Kozani, Greece).
Churches
Agia Paraskevi has three churches. The oldest house of worship was the chapel of Agia Paraskevi (Sveta Petka) built in 1570 and was a Holy church of the area. In 1827, it was torched and destroyed by Ottoman Turks. In 1886 a small chapel was built at the site, which was enlarged later by the 25th Army of Epiros. The church of Saint Nikola(s) was built in 1856 and for a short time provided a cemetery, however the cemetery was subject to flooding from melting snow, it was relocated to the church of Saint Dimitrios which was erected in 1859.[3]
Notes and sources
- ^ D.M. Brancoff (pseudonym of Dimitŭr Nikolov Mishev), La Macédoine et sa Population Chrétienne, Paris, 1905, р.168-169.
- ^ Riki Van Boeschoten, "Usage des langues minoritaires dans les départements de Florina et d’Aridea (Macédoine)", Strates, Numéro 10 (2001)
- ^ External dedicatory on church buildings