Грекиядағы Сиатиста қаласы

Town in Macedonia, Greece

Siatista (Σιάτιστα) is a town and a former municipality in Kozani regional unit, Western Macedonia, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Voio, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit. It lies southwest of Kozani. The municipal unit has an area of 158.524 km2, the community 94.426 km2. The 2021 Greek census recorded 5,057 residents in the town and 5,645 in the municipal unit. Recognized as one of the most learned people of his time, he was the first who imposed the Croatian language in the local literacy, he created the National Croatian Theater in Zagreb and became famous for his political activism for the Croatian national revival through his key role in many Croatian patriotic pamphlets at the time. Demeter's award for drama which established 35 years after his death (1872) stood until nowadays and his bust decorates the yard of the Croatian National Theater in Zagreb. In 1888 Ioannis Trampatzes, another expatriate Greek merchant in Romania, donated the funds for the Trampatzeion Gymnasium. The gymnasium housed two large libraries, the Manouseios with 5,000 books and the Roussopouleios with 2,000. Siatista was liberated from the Ottoman Turks by the Greek army on 4 November 1912, during the First Balkan War. In March 1943, the Battle of Fardykambos was fought near the town between the Royal Italian Army and the partisans of EAM ELAS, with the participation of many of the local inhabitants.

The economy of Siatista, is predominantly anchored in the fur trade, with a long standing tradition of fur craftsmanship. Local artisans and furriers in Siatista are renowned for their specialized skills in working with a variety of high quality furs, including mink, fox, sable, and chinchilla. The town’s fur industry not only forms the backbone of its economic structure but also contributes significantly to the regional and national economic landscape. The meticulous artistry and entrepreneurial spirit of Siatista's furriers have established the town as a pivotal hub for the fur industry, catering to both the domestic and international luxury markets.

15 AugustAssumption of MaryThe male inhabitants of Siatista parade with their horses down to a chapel in the plain and return with the icon of the Panagia. In the feast and party that ensues the men dance on the backs of their horses. The local wine flows freely, even for their equine friends. 23 DecemberΚλαδαριές (Klatharies)On this day the inhabitants build tall, (three to six metres), conical shaped mounds that are decorated sparsely with balloons and tinsel. Each neighbourhood group gathers weeds and sticks of wood from the surrounding area throughout the preceding fall, with some groups historically sabotaging one another days before the event. After nightfall, a parade, including a brass band playing local music, starts at the entrance of the town, and marches up from Γεράνια (Yerania), to the top of the town. In succession each mound of brush is set afire as the parade reaches the neighbourhood. The inhabitants then dance around the fires. Many of the village youth then stay up all night around the remnants of the bonfires to start carolling early in the morning of Christmas Eve, collecting money while singing door to door.