Tyrnavos, or formerly Tournavos, is the fifth most populous city in Thessaly and is located in the Prefecture of Larissa. It is the capital of the homonymous province, known for the local tsipouro and ouzo, as well as for the carnival of Dionysian origins, and the only custom in the world, Bourani.
Geographical position
Geomorphology
The Municipality of
Tyrnavos belongs administratively to the Prefecture of Larissa and
is the capital of the homonymous province. It consists of the
municipal districts of Tyrnavos (seat of the municipality),
Argyropouli, formerly Karatsoli, Damasi and Trees, covering an area
of 370,600 acres, while its total population amounts to 16,923
inhabitants, according to the census of 1991. is located in the
western part of the Prefecture of Larissa. In particular, it
borders:
North with the Community of Karya
Northwest with the
Municipality of Elassona
Southwest with the Prefecture of Trikala
South with the Municipalities of Koilada and Larissa and
East
with the Municipalities of Ampelona, formerly Kazaklar and
Giannoulis.
The seat of the municipality is located at an
altitude of 90 m. At the foot of Mount Meluna and at a distance of
16 km NW from the city of Larissa, at the crossroads of highways
that connect the plain of Larissa with Elassona. Also, another road
axis, following the foot of lower Olympus, connects the municipality
with the valley of Tempi.
The relative position of the
municipality in the wider area of the prefecture and the immediate
proximity to the large urban center of Larissa, are an important
factor for its development. The wider area is characterized as
lowland while it is surrounded by hills NE and NW.
The area
of the municipality is crossed by the tributary of Pinios, Evropos
or Titarisios (Xiria), formerly called "Kara deres". The city of
Tyrnavos is built on the left bank of the river, which reaches into
the city, after completing a complete circle, forming the valley of
Potamia, as it descends from its sources to Titaros. From there it
continues to the straits of Rhodia, formerly Moussalar and flows
into Pinios.
In 1928 it had 7,158 inhabitants, it was a
community, to which the settlement of the Mills of Bey belonged with
38 inhabitants. Special mention should be made of the special
ethnological groups that live within the boundaries of the
municipality.
Ecological data
Titarisios
Titarisios
(Xeria) is one of the most important tributaries of the river Pinios
in its main flow or its plain part. The river Titarisios, as
mentioned above, originates from the western slopes of Olympus and,
heading west, southwest, contributes to the river Pinios. Located 70
meters above sea level. The total length of the river is 70 km and
for most of it it is permanently flooded, considered as a continuous
flow.
The main physiognomic vegetation units that are
encountered are the reed societies with the dominant species the
wild reed (Phragmitis australis) and the coastal tree vegetation,
with the dominant plant species the plane tree, the willows and the
poplars. According to the Ramsar Convention Wetland Classification
System, approved at the 4th Meeting of the Contracting Parties in
Montreux in 1999, the Titaris River belongs to the category of
inland wetlands and is characterized as a continuous flowing river,
although often, after its outflow from the catchment area, does not
show a continuous flow. The most important current values of the
river are its irrigation importance which is great, but with
declining efficiency due to the great decline of its water resources
in recent years and recreation, which is of average value. The
wetland has undergone drastic alterations in terms of its features
(abiotic and biotic) with the main causes being the construction of
water flow regulation works as well as the over-pumping of both the
river and the groundwater aquifer, which is enriched almost
exclusively by water. of the river.
The wetland of the
Titarisi river is moderately burdened by the dumping of liquid and
solid waste of the riparian settlements. A typical example is the
existence of uncontrolled solid waste dumping sites of the municipal
districts of Rodia, Vryotopou, Deleria as well as rubble inside the
riverbed until recently. It also receives a low burden from the
liquid waste of handicrafts - processing companies with the main
example being the tomato paste production unit in the area of the
settlement of Rodia. Also, 3 km outside Argyropouli is the lake
"Mati Tyrnavou", which, together with Pinios, are the only wetlands
in the prefecture. Mati is today the only natural lake in Thessaly
and, despite its small area (250 acres), is the core of an ecosystem
with rich flora and fauna.
The distinct ecosystem units that appear in the wider area of
the project are the rural areas with annual plants and the
community of wild animals and birds. Arable crops with annuals as
ecosystems are subject to quite intense interventions, since in
addition to the use of chemicals we also have the disruption of the
soil structure with deep plowing that allows leaching and drifting
of soils in sloping areas. The fact that the crops are mainly dry
(wheat, barley) reduces the tendencies of soil degradation. The
situation in areas with this type of agricultural interventions is
rather stable, but significant energy inputs are required to
maintain their reproductive capacity.
The animal biocommunity
of wild mammals is very poor in species, as its enemies are many and
the habitats are constantly fragmented by roads and reduced by the
expansion of urban space. Seasonally there is an increase of some
species or extinction of others, events that disrupt the food chain.
The bird and fish fauna are also in an unstable state and with a
rather declining course, since they show the same problems as the
animal community. The study area is poor in important or rare
elements of nature, so there is no protected site or element.
Flora
In the wider study area, the flora that grows in the
riparian area of the Titarisi River, parallel to the curb of the
slowly flowing river, is formed in the following different
physiognomic vegetation units:
Reed vegetation: consists of
succulent macro-plants that form the well-known reeds with the
species reed (Arundo domax) and reed (Phragmites communis).
Alophytic / semi-algae vegetation: it is composed of species such
as: juniper (Jungus maritimus), honeysuckle (Salicornia herbacea)
and wild spinach (Chenopodium heinricus).
Vegetation of sand
dunes and sandy shores: species such as Salvola (Salsola kali),
Amaranthus retroflexuw and Portulaca oleracea are found.
Fir tree
vegetation and evergreen broadleaf shrubs with the species Kavul
(Populus nigra), plane tree (Platanus orientalis), poplar (Populus
alba), elm (Ulmus campestris) and willow (Salix alba)
Vegetation
of wet meadows: with main representatives the wild mint species
(Mentha longifolia) and various species of clover (Trifolium spp.).
Phryganic vegetation: represented by the various species of
milkweeds (Euphorbia spp.).
In parts of the perimeter zone of the
wetland there are almond tree crops, while a significant area is
covered by industrial crops of tomatoes, sugar beets (Beta vulgaris
var. Altissima), cereals, watermelons (Citrulus lanatus as well as
asparagus), asparagus (asparagus) from pastures, grasslands, etc.
Fauna
There are no specific studies on mammal fauna in the
wider area. After on-site visits and discussions with the locals,
and in combination with the general reports and the existing lists
concerning the wider area of the wetland (which is adjacent to the
valley of Tempi, only 23 km away), there are 22 species of mammals.
Six of them are protected by Presidential Decree 67/80 (Government
Gazette 23 / A 30-1-1981), 11 by the Berne International Convention
and six by Directive 93/43 / EU (EEL206 of 22-7-1992 ).
Regarding the mammal fauna, the importance of the area lies in the
fact that the Tempi valley, with which the study area is adjacent,
is the natural link of Olympus, Ossa and the Pinios Delta,
particularly important areas for mammals. .
As observed, the
populations of some species were severely disturbed by the work on
the gas pipeline in the Tempe Valley.
There is no specific
publication or research on the populations of amphibian and reptile
species in the area. From general bibliographic reports and reports
of inhabitants of the area as well as from the CORINE-BIOTOPES
program of the European Union, which refer to the wider area of
Kato Olympus, Ossa, Delta Pinios and the Valley of Tempi, the
following results emerge: A total of 30 species of amphibians and
(there may be many more). Of these, 21 species are protected by the
P.D. 67/80, 17 of the Berne International Convention and 6 of
Directive 92/73 EEC. Of the 30 species mentioned, 8 are endemic to
our country.
The valley of Tempi is from an ecological point of view part of a
wider ecosystem that includes the aesthetic forest of Ossa, the
forest complex of Kato Olympus and the Delta and the aquatic habitat
of the river Pinios. The total number of bird species recorded in
the whole area is 254. Of these, 123 breed in the area while 131
visit the area in search of food or pass through it during migratory
periods. The Valley of the Temples, together with its Delta, at the
foot of the mountains Kato Olympus and Ossa (Kissavos) have been
included in the network of the most important areas for birds in
Greece. Many species of birds have been recorded in the Tempi
wetland, some of which nest in the area and other species visit it
on their food search journey or during migratory periods.
Of
the above species, 118 are found in the wetland of Titarisi, due to
its close proximity to the valley of Tempi throughout the year, 24
only in summer and 6 species only during winter.
No special
studies have been done for the fish fauna of the Titarisi river.
Nevertheless, from publications in EKBY and reports of fishermen of
the area, it is concluded that: In the fresh waters of Titarisi it
has been found that there are 37 species of fish, while the presence
of another 11 species is probable. Titarisios, with its deposits and
the sludge that it carries together with the Pinios river to the
sea, creates a very rich food system which preserves many species of
fish. Thus, in addition to river fish, in the large freshwater fish
collection of this area appeared the retro species Acipenser sturio
(cod-sturgeon) which spawns and grows in rivers to later descend to
the coastal areas where it lives, and the pelagic , migratory
species Alosa fallax nilotica (sardine), which also belongs to the
category of retro, river urchins. The species Nemacheilus barbatulus
(oilseed) and Sabanejewia aurata balcanica (gold needle), which is
characterized as an endangered species, have also been observed.
Population characteristics
Total population
The total
population of Tyrnavos is 16,900 inhabitants, ie it is an urban
area, it is the second most populous new municipality in the
prefecture of Larissa and has 6.3% of the inhabitants of the
prefecture. Most of them (12,451) live permanently in Tyrnavos,
which was previously a municipality, while Dendra has the fewest
inhabitants with only 1,072 inhabitants. The settlement of Kedra in
the community of Damasi existed in the 1981 census with only 4
inhabitants and was then abandoned.
Population over the
centuries
Tyrnavos was from the very old years a developed and
numerous area. Evidence of the existence of habitation in the place
of the present city exists from the late Byzantine period. During
the 14th century, this settlement probably shrank a lot or was
abandoned for a while, due to the successive raids of Serbs,
Albanians, Catalans and Turks, which stopped in 1423 with the final
conquest of Thessaly by the Turkish general Turahan. Turahan
re-established the city and settled for a long time in the area,
which was given to him as a gift by the Sultan.
This was
followed by the great prosperity of Tyrnavos, which around the 17th
and 18th centuries reached 4,000 houses, ie about 20,000
inhabitants. Most of them were Greeks. E. Brown, who visited the
city in 1666, gave the impression that it was very important, as he
had seen 18 churches and 3 mosques.
With the advent of the
19th century came the final decline of Tyrnavos. From the diary of
the English traveler W. Leake we learn that in 1806 Tyrnavos
included 1,500 families, of which 70 were Turkish. The reasons
attributed to the desolation are: several consecutive years of
plague, the First Russian War, which brought the Albanians en masse
to Thessaly, and most recently, the rule of Ali Pasha, which forced
the Turks to flee. The six (6) mosques that existed until then in
Tyrnavos, show the size that the Turkish population had reached and
then decreased. According to F. Puckeville's diary, in 1815 only
3,000 Greeks and some Turks lived in the city. Two years later, in
1817, Larissa Ioannis Oikonomou mentions that in Tyrnavos there were
only 1,000 houses, 14-15 churches, 2 monasteries and 5-6 mosques.
In 1836, Ioannis Leonardos visited Tyrnavos, who states that
despite what the city suffered from the campaigns against the
Greeks, it always remains prosperous with 3,000 Greek inhabitants.
The remaining Turks were only 100, and of the six mosques that
existed 20 years ago, only 2 survived. In 1860, according to Nick's
tour. Magni, Tyrnavos numbered 4,500-5,000 inhabitants, of whom only
100 were Ottomans and the rest were Greeks. Twenty years later Nick.
Georgiadis states that 1,000 Greek families and 100 Ottoman families
lived in the city.
On September 1, 1881, Tyrnavos was
liberated by the Turks. The municipality of Tyrnavos was formed with
the NW. of March 31, 1883. It was classified in the 2nd class with a
population of 8113 inhabitants and headquarters in Tyrnavos. With
the B.D. of September 27, 1890, the municipality of Tyrnavos was
classified in the first class with a population of 11,485
inhabitants. Population growth continued in the following years.