The Region

The village Sivota is located in the Epirus region, on the southern coastal border of the prefecture of Thesprotia. Sivota are known since the ancient times, when the naval battle of Sivota between the Corfiots (the people of Corfu) and the Corinthians took place in 433bc. This naval battle, which took place in the sea between Sivota Islands and the Cape of Lefkimi, is considered to be the biggest involving only Greek fleets. According to Thucydides, the cause of this naval battle was the Corinthians’ claim on Epidamnos (now on Albanian soil), a colony of the Corfiots, whose fleet beat the fleet of the Corinthians in a conflict in 435bc, in the sea region outside the coast of Albania. Two years later, in 433bc, a mighty Corinthian fleet, assisted by their allies the Athenians, set sail in order to exact punishment on the Corfiots. Thus followed the naval battle of Sivota, in which a total of 290 galleys participated. 150 galleys were Corinthian, 30 were Athenian, while 110 came from Corfu. Their crew amounted to 58.000 men, since every galley carried 200 men (hoplites, rowers and other crew members). 70 Corfian and 30 Corinthian galleys were sunk, these 100 ships, together with their respective armaments (anchors, amphorae, etc), as well as the armor of the soldiers who set sail on them (swords, arrows, helmets, etc) lay today on the seabed of Sivota. During the Turkish Rule the place was renamed “Mourtos”, named after Prokritos, who depredated the passing merchant ships, and remained so until 1959, when it regained its ancient name of Sivota. Sivota is now a settlement built on a small and narrow bay, on Thesprotia’s cosmopolitan waterfront, overlooking the island complex of St. Nicolaos, Mavro Oros [Black Mountain], Mourtemenos and Bella Vraka, which can be reached by boat. Its lacy, sparkling clean beaches are too many to mention and include Zavia, Mega Ammos, Small Mega Ammos, Pisina, Spilia, Bella Vraka, Zeri, Gallikos Molos, DEI, etc. A point of contact for the national and international jet set, Sivota is the center of attraction for a large number of visitors every year. Sivota of Thesprotia, of the Green and the Blue. Get to know it…