Dryinopolis orDryinoupolis (Greek:Δρυϊνόπολις or Δρυϊνούπολις) is a historical region in southwesternAlbania and northwesternGreece inEpirus. The heartland of this region is the valley of theDrino (Greek: Drinos) river andDropull/Dropolis. AGreek-Orthodox bishopric under this name was established at 449 AD as well as atheme (district) of theByzantine Empire and theDespotate of Epirus (10th-14th century). Today the name of Dryinopolis is preserved in the local metropolitan bishopric of theChurch of Greece for the Greek part of the region, while the Albanian part is under the religious jurisdiction of the metropolis of Gjirokaster of theAutocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania.
The region of Dryinopolis is located on the valley of Drino river.[1] Inc. 1000 it came under the control of the Bulgarian army ofSamuel,[2] but Byzantine control was restored at 1018/1019.[3] As part of the Byzantine Empire Dryinopolis formed a minor theme during the reign of EmperorBasil II (r. 976–1025).[1] Basil also established a garrison there under the command of astrategos.[4]
According to the history ofJohn Skylitzes, the creation of the theme of Dryinopolis, as well as of nearbyKoloneia, and the settlement there of Byzantine prisoners of the Bulgarian army aimed at the strengthening of the Byzantine positions in Epirus against future enemy attacks from central and western Macedonia. The Bulgarian threat temporarily vanished after theannexation of theFirst Bulgarian Empire.[5]
After thesack of Constantinople by theCrusaders in 1204, the region came under the control of theDespotate of Epirus, a Greek successor state of the Byzantine Empire. Dryinopolis formed one of the themes of the Despotate. During the late 14th century Dryinopolis was contested between the Despotate of Epirus and the AlbanianZenebishi clan.[6] In 1399 the Greek population of Dryinopolis joined theDespot of Epirus,Esau, in his campaign against various Albanian and Aromanian tribesmen.[7] Prior to the Ottoman conquest of the region in 1418, it was controlled byJohn Zenebishi (1411-1418).[8][9]
The bishopric of Dryinopolis was already established at 449 AD and its bishop participated in the proceedings of theEcumenical Council of Ephesus.[1][10] It was initially under the jurisdiction of theMetropolis of Nicopolis, while later it was asuffragan of theMetropolis of Ioannina.[1]
Its seat was initially located in Adrianoupolis on theDrino Valley. After its destruction by theOstrogoths ofTotila in the 6th century, it was transferred to nearby Episkopi (modern village of Peshkepi).[11] Inc. 1020 it was part of theArchbishopric of Ohrid.[1] In 1185 after the destruction of the town of Episkopi by theNormans, the seat was moved to Gardiq inCepo region and in early 15th century it was transferred to Argyrokastron (modernGjirokastër).[10]
Themenaion of the bishopric records that a number ofSipahi soldiers were registered by the Ottomans in the region during the first decades of Ottoman rule. In the same period, according to a local chronicle, Islamization attempts and massacres were perpetrated by the Ottoman units which stopped after theFall of Constantinople to the Ottomans (1453).[12] During the prelacy of bishop Dositheos (1760–1799) a total of 70 churches were erected and extensively repaired.[13]
The bishopric of Dryinopolis was part of the metropolis of Ioannina under the jurisdiction of theEcumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.[10] In 1832 it was merged with the nearby Diocese of Cheimarra and in 1835 it was promoted to a metropolitan bishopric.[14]
After the defeat of theOttoman Empire in theBalkan Wars (1912-1913) the metropolitan bishop of Dryinopolis,Vasileios, presided at thePan-Epirotic conference that organized the defense ofNorthern Epirus against possible attacks by Albanian units.[15] Later in 1914 Vasileios participated together with the rest of the local Orthodox metropolitan bishops in the formation of theprovisional government of Northern Epirus.[16] DuringWorld War I the region came under the control of the Italian army (1917) which implemented anti-Greek policies and expelled Vasileios from the region.[17]
The metropolitan bishopric was vacant with the incorporation of most of the region in the Albanian state. In 1937, with the official recognition of theAutocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania, theMetropolis of Gjirokaster was founded. The later consisted of the areas of Dryinopolis that belonged to the Albanian state.[18] The Greek part of the region came under the religious jurisdiction of theChurch of Greece and theMetropolis of Dryinopolis, Pogoniani and Konitsa, which preserved the older name.[19]