ÇAMERIA's History History of the region Picture Gallery from ÇAMERIA Gallery Albanian Fighter from Çameria (in the south of Balkans). The only reason this is different from the dress of Albanians in the north of Balkans is the difference of the weather climate..south Balkans is very warm and thus the dress reflects suitability and confort to that..!Althought the kilt(Fustanella) was worn by Albanians on the North of Balkans too.. The Hungarian sociologist, Baron Nopcsa, believed that the Albanian, or Illyrian, kilt became the original pattern for the Roman military dress, and, because of its similarity to the Celtic kilt, he also theorized that the Roman legions in Britain, through the presence of its Illyrian element, probably started the fashion among the Celts (it may also be interesting to note that the Celtic word for "Scotland" is "Alban"). Pictures from Kosturi Kosturi ÇAMERIA's maps Several maps of ÇAMERIA Albanian Islamic WORLD This is a very powerfull link, containing many documents about ÇAMERIA and the ÇAM tragedy, also many links and documents about Kosova, Macedonia and Montenegro Gjergj Katrioti Skenderbeu, the source of pride and inspiration of every Albanian maps Of Ethnic Albania Maps of all the Albanian territories united Arvanites A report on other Albanian populations in Greece Four Albanian Vilayets in 1878 Arberesh Albanians in South Italy, Arbereshet In 1876, an Italian-Albanian Comittee, for the liberation of the Albanians in the East was set up in Milan,with an active sub comittee in the Calabrian town of Cosenza, issued an appeal for Albanian Independence in September of that year. In April 1911, a radical Arberesh laywer from Calabria, Terencio Tocci(Terenc Toci)was touring the region and calling on the clan chiefs to rise up with the moto "Albanians free and Albania for Albanians". A map of Albanian populations in balkans in 1861 This map shows the Albanian populations in 1861 in Balkans Piro...lived between 319 and 272 B.C. Piro was born in Chameria, belonged to the Illirian tribe of Molossians. The icon above is one of the many icons dedicated to Piro Shqiptari and it's found in the south of Italy(Apuglia). The region of Apuglia is populated by Arberesh(Albanians) The fact that such icons are found exactly in a place where Albanians live, might explain, that the first Albanian settlers in Apuglia might have been much earlier than previously thought. According to the legend, Albanian forces from Chameria, led by king Piro fought in South Italy. He fought a series of campaigns against the Romans in (280-275 B.C), along side they had brought many elephands. The icons itself shows that. Leka i Madh(Alexander the Great) Leka i Madh - Alexander the Great was of Albanian roots. Folk Dress worn traditionally by Albanians in the North of Balkans. This dress was worn by Albanians on the south of Balkans also... Kosova Kosova.com UCK/KLA Ushtria Clirimtare e Kosoves Simboli i Shpirtit Luftarak Shqiptar.. Albanian Page Albanian.com Te bashkuar ne luften tone shekullore News from TVP, TVSH and more News from TVP, TVSH, Music etc. Albanian American Civic League More about UCK/KLA www.zik.com View My new Guestbook View my new Guestbook View the old Guest Book View the old guestbook visitor's number

Çameria is situated geographically on the north-west Greece. This beautiful region, has a rich Albanian heretage and it was only in the 1912 that is was annexed unfairly and unjustifiable from Greece. This was the aftermath of the decision of the great powers to give Çameria to Greece, just as the great powers had made similar decisions to give Kosova and other Albanian territories to Serbia, Macedonia and Montenegro. The word Çam is an evolution of the word "t'chiam" which is the name of an ancient river passing right through Çameria(The word T'chamis appears on many ancient Roman and even Hellenic maps, indicating that the word Chameria is older than the word Epirus, and it's used only by us Albanians). Another branch of this river remains to be known to this day as the "lumi i kalamait"( Kalamait River). What's most important is that everything about Çameria is Albanian in every sense of the word. The word Çameria has more of a topological meaning, but Çams have a very strong Albanian ethnicity, tradition and customs. Çameria has a very welldefined ethno-geographical meaning, which is strongly Albanian. A large number of Çam population is situated on the seaside and goes up to the Gulf of Preveza. Another considerable number of towns and villages are situated on both sides of the river of "kalamait". The rest of of the Çam villages and towns are situated in more remote places and often on hills and mountains.. The greek goverment has been very hostile toward Çams and the main reason is the fact that Çams have a very strong Albanian identity. Another reason of the Greek hostilities is the fact that Greeks inhereted a very hostile policy towards us. During the period of time, from 1854 till 1877 the Albanians of Çameria resisted successfully the attacks from Greek "Andartes". During the WWI and WWII the greek troops attacked Çameria again. The (provisional) government of Vlora (Albania) responded by sending Albanian military troops to assist the Albanian population of Çameria , but the decision of the Ambassadors Conference assigned Çameria to Greece. As a result of this decision by the great powers, Greeks forces led by the hateful figure of N. Zervas launched attackes that ended up with many innocent Albanian locals killed. To this day, we Çams in greece are described as bad people from an increasing "safocating" Greek propaganda based on the fact that we refuse to be assimilated as it is the case with some of "Arvanites" in south and central Greece. The today exact number of Albanians of Çameria in Greece is approx. one million people, taking into the account some relativly newly formed Çam villages and towns elsewhere in Greece..if all the number of Albanians in Çameria is added to the number of Arvanites in other areas of Greece, then the total number of Albanians in Greece is around 3.000.000 people. However only Albanians in Çameria call themselves real Shqiptars(Albanians). Arvanites elsewhere in Greece are under greater assimilating preasure from the Greek goverment and Ani-Albanian greek circles.

Prior to WWI and WW2, the population in Çameria was around 93% Albanian , the rest were other ethnic groups such as Greeks,Vlachs, gypsies, etc.. On the 19th century, 80% of the Albanian population in Çameria was of Moslim Relegion(the process of convertion to islam started in the 18th century) and a 20% Christian Orthodox, however the first world war, found the the Albanian comunity as made up of 50% moslim and 50% orthodox beleivers(this shift happened in a matter of 70 years). After the world wars a fraction of the Moslim Populations was expelled by the Greek special forcies, leaving intact the mainly orthodox Albanian population(50%) and a small fraction of molsims(13%) who by now mostly converted to orthodoxy to survive.The converstion back and forth from one relegion to the other, before the world war I, was common among families!. However both Albanian relegious communities were extrimily close to each-other before the war and to this day, the Greek goverment has not managed to assimilate the Albanians of Çameria. The Albanian language is spoken indoors and outdoors as much as on everyday working places, but the greek govemnet with very little preasure from outside refuses to recognise Albanian minority in greece and refuses to open schools on Albanian language. The region is officially known asEpirus by the Greek goverment, but on the further north western corner of Greece, every single people knows the place as Çameria. Anyone from this region stating that he or she is a Çam, makes a political statment saying that he or she is an Albanian. That's why the greek goverment doesn't know officially the region as Çameria.The heartland of Çameria is also called Thesprotia. Since i am from Çameria, my own opinion is that this region has still an Albanian majority(since many people of other ethnic groups have emigrated away, which has compensated somehow for the displacment of some Albanians during wwi and wwii!) and all the Çams expelled unjustifiably from Greece are very welcomed by all the Albanian people here, there is a UN resolution which asks the Greek govement to repatriate our brothers and sisters back to their homes, where they belog among the rest of us.

This section is dedicated to hundreds of thousands of Albanians from the region of Chameria expelled by force, from the Greek forces in 1944 and residing now in the Republic of Albania and in the memory of 850,000 Cham Albanians sent to Turkey during the period between 1913-44. During the summer of 1944, the neo-nazi forces led by Zervas attacked many villages and towns of Chameria and as a result 9,000 Albanians(including children, women and old folks) were killed indiscriminately. A considerable number of Albanians were expelled and live now in the Republic of Albania.The official number of those Albanian refugees from Chameria is between 150,000 and 300,000. Today they have formed their own Albanian patriotic and cultural association based in Tirana and which is active right across Albania. Among other they are asking from the Greek goverment in Athens-Greece, to be repatriated and their lands and other accets be returned to them as well as compasations for the usage of the lands for the past 50 years. Also they are rallying for the opening of Albanian schools to the Albanians living in Chameria. The policy of expulsion of Cham Albanians from Chameria had started earlier than 1944. Greeks as well as Serbs followed the same pattern in politics with respect to Albanians. Often they had signed documents with the Turkish government for the exchange of Moslims with Christians. During all this not a single Cham Albanian was asked!. As a result of such policy around 850,000 Cham Albanians from Chameria were sent to Turkey, where they are settled in the region of asia minor in Turkey.

(The ancient Illyrian City of Dodona in Chameria) (The ancient Illyrian City of Dodona in Chameria) Marco Bochari(1790-1823), an Albanian suliot(from the heartland of Chameria). A warrior and a Scholar, he composed an Albanian dictionary of 484 Albanian Lexoms of the Suliot dialect of Albanian.This is preserved at the Biblioteque Nationale in Paris(Suplement 251), also a Paris metro station is named after him) Faik Bey Konitza(1875-1942). A great Albanian patriot, born in Konitza in the Pindus Mountains in northern Greece. Hasan Tahsini,a great Albanian Scholar, born in Chameria, founder of the first University in Istambul-Turkey. Francesco Solano, born in 1914 in Calabria. He was a great Arberesh Scholar of Albanian Cham roots. In 1877, Abdyl Frasheri set up a secret Albanian Comittee in Janina(Joannina)-north western Greece, where he had been educated. Fan S. Noli (1882-1965). A great Albanian patriot. Fan S. Noli was born in Northern Greece from Albanian parents and became a distinguisht figure on Albanian history. A great hero of the Albanian cause. Books : Kosova: A short History by Neal Malcolm The Illyrians by John Wilkes The Illyrians, by Stipcevic Arvanites by Irakli KoÇollari The Albanians: An Ethnic History from Prehistoric Times to the Present by Edwin E. Jacques Gjergj Kastrioti-Skenderbeg. The great Albanian hero. A great modern time "Skenderbeg" is needed to free all Albanian territories, which are currently under the slavery of the Greeks, Serbs, Macedonians and Montenegrians. On a very special day in 1912, near our beautiful Flag, united for our united ethnic Albania..