Concept

Delvinë

Summary
Delvinë (Delvinë or Delvina, Δέλβινο); is a town and a municipality in Vlorë County, southern Albania, northeast of Saranda. It was formed in the 2015 local government reform by the merger of the former municipalities Delvinë and Vergo, which became municipal units. The seat of the municipality is the town Delvinë. The total population is 7,598 (2011 census), in a total area of . The population of the former municipality in the 2011 census was 5,754. The town is built on a mountain slope. It has a mosque, a Catholic church, a Protestant church, and an Orthodox church. Nearby are the remainders of a medieval castle. To the southwest of the city is the site of ancient Phoenice, which was declared an Archaeological Park in 2005. The town's population consists of a majority of Albanians and a substantial Greek minority. Other communities include Balkan Egyptians and until WWII, Jews. There is little local employment apart from that provided by the state, and Delvinë benefits little from the tourist boom in Saranda. The Albanian toponym Delvinë (Delvina) is connected to the Albanian dele, delmë, meaning 'sheep'. Linguist Xhelal Ylli translates Delvinë as 'white sheep'. In Greek it is known as Δέλβινο, Delvino and in Turkish as Delvine. In antiquity the region was inhabited by the Ancient Greek tribe of the Chaonians. In the Middle Ages, Delvinë was part of the Despotate of Epirus. After defeat of the Slavic tribes in 616, when they unsuccessfully besieged Thessaloniki, one of the tribes (Vajunites) migrated to Epirus. Until the 14th century this region in Epirus was referred to as Vanegetia, from the name of this Slavic tribe. Similar toponyms like Viyanite or Viyantije survived until the 16th century when they were replaced with the name Delvinë. The separate Sanjak of Delvina was established in the mid-16th century due to the need to secure Ottoman control in the region towards potential Venetian infiltration from nearby Butrinto and to control the rebellious zone of Himara.
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