The Greek craftsmen from Epirus who helped construct the Trans-Iranian Railway

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One of the astir important railway projects successful the satellite is the alleged Trans-Iranian Railway, which was constructed betwixt 1927 and 1938. It connects the Caspian Sea (in the north) with the Persian Gulf (in the south). It is 1,394 kilometers agelong and passes done landscapes of unthinkable beauty. It includes 174 ample bridges, 186 tiny bridges, passes done 224 tunnels, 11 of which are spiral-shaped, and is simply a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The task was constructed betwixt 1927 and 1938, initiated by the archetypal Shah of the Pahlavi dynasty, Reza Shah. Many volition understandably wonderment wherefore we are penning an nonfiction astir the railways of a overseas country. This is due to the fact that among those who worked connected the operation of this large task were galore Greeks, chiefly from the famed Mastorochoria (Craftsmen Villages) of the Ioannina prefecture. But besides Euboeans and Karpathians (Karpathos, similar the remainder of the Dodecanese, was past nether Italian occupation) had a important publication to the operation of the project. Valuable accusation and uncommon information are presented successful the publication “Hellenism successful Modern Iran (1839–2010)” (Poreia Publications, 2010), by Mr. Evangelos Venetis, who deserves overmuch praise! The publication is present hard to find, and we anticipation that acknowledgment to today’s article, a caller variation volition beryllium published, arsenic Mr. Venetis brings to airy wholly unknown, until recently, facts astir Greeks successful Iran implicit the past 170 years (up to 2010).

The determination to conception the Trans-Iranian Railway

Until 1925, Iran had lone 418 kilometers of railway lines. The astir important enactment was that of Tabriz–Jolfa, adjacent the northwestern borders with Russia, and it fundamentally constituted an hold of the Russian railway network. This enactment was completed successful 1913 with the transportation of the archetypal monopoly from General Falchenhagen to the “Russian Discount Bank of Persia” (Banque d’Escomptes de Perse). The enactment was extended with Russian funds by 137 kilometers successful 1 twelvemonth and was handed implicit to Iran successful 1921, expanding its commercialized activities with Russia.

However, the enactment was excessively tiny for the expanding commercialized enactment successful the region. Plans to link Constantinople with the Persian Gulf had existed since 1856 but remained connected paper. When Reza Shah ascended to the throne of Iran (1925), seeking to boost nationalist pridefulness and nonstop a connection of “economic power,” helium decided to conception a modern railway network. Planning for the Trans-Iranian Railway had begun successful 1923 by the Iranian Ministry of Roads, successful collaboration with overseas advisors. It was yet decided that Western companies, successful practice with the Iranian state, would undertake the operation of a 1,394 km railway enactment that would link Bandar-e-Shahpur connected the Persian Gulf with Bandar-e-Shah connected the Caspian Sea. Construction of the task began successful 1927 and was completed successful 1938. It was a large situation for its constructors, arsenic the enactment would walk done upland ranges, deserts, and cultivated lands, crossing lone 2 cities (Ahvaz successful Khuzestan and Tehran).

Construction of the task made important advancement betwixt 1927 and 1929. By the extremity of 1929, 129 km successful the northbound and 249 km successful the southbound were completed. However, problems that arose with the German and American companies that had undertaken the task temporarily halted construction. A caller declaration was yet signed with a Swedish-Danish consortium, which, alternatively of dividends, created subcontracts for 60,000 workers during highest periods of productivity. The enactment was delivered for usage successful 1938, comprising 462 km successful the northbound and 925 km successful the south. Immediately afterward, the web was extended, connecting Mashhad and Tehran with Tabriz and the Soviet railway line, but with the outbreak of World War II, enlargement stopped, though 50% of the enactment had been completed. The British Transportation Service, wrong 15 months, extended the web by 121 km, from Ahvaz to the larboard of Khorramshahr. In aboriginal 1943, the task was handed implicit to the Americans, who managed it until the extremity of World War II. The Trans-Iranian Railway outgo 30 cardinal British pounds (35,000 British pounds per mile). Its financing came exclusively from Iranian resources: 65% from duties connected imported beverage and sugar, 20% from authorities subsidies, and the remainder from loans from the National Bank of Iran. It was precise important for Iran not to edifice to outer borrowing, successful the aftermath of the 1929 Crash.

The concern successful Greece during the Interwar play – The Mastorochoria of Epirus

The economical concern successful Greece during the Interwar play was not bully astatine all. The Asia Minor Catastrophe, the accomplishment of refugees, and the 1929 Crash were the 3 main reasons for this. The plains and coastal areas managed to header with the problems better. In Epirus and Western Macedonia, however, the problems intensified. The lone solution was emigration. This time, the operation of the Trans-Iranian Railway, which required craftsmen skilled successful stonework, offered an accidental to craftsmen from the Ioannina prefecture, Western Macedonia, Euboea, and Karpathos to enactment successful Iran with bully pay.

The radical of Epirus, owed to the barren soil, the insecurity caused by bandit raids, and the economical underdevelopment, abandoned agriculture and livestock farming and turned to stonework and iconography. Organized into groups (mpouloukia), they soon gained fame beyond the borders of Epirus. They traveled passim Greece and abroad, creating masterpieces. After finishing their work, immoderate remained successful the places to which they had traveled. These craftsmen were known arsenic koudaraioi, and to pass with each different erstwhile they did not privation others to recognize what they were saying, they utilized a coded connection called koudaritika. Most Epirote craftsmen came from the celebrated Mastorochoria (Craftsmen Villages) successful the Konitsa region, but besides from villages successful the Tzoumerka country and elsewhere. There is immoderate disagreement astir which villages precisely represent the Mastorochoria. However, astir universally, the pursuing villages of the Municipality of Konitsa are mentioned: Pyrsogianni, Vourbiani, Kastaniani (Konitsa), which should not beryllium confused with Kastaniani of Pogoni, though galore judge that the erstwhile was founded by inhabitants of the second who abandoned their colony owed to raids and famines; Plikati, Chionades, from which the celebrated Chioniadites, people iconographers of Epirus, originated; Asimochori, Oxyia, Kefalochori, Theotokos, Drosopigi, Langada, Plagia, Pyrgos, Agia Paraskevi, Amarantos, Pournia, Giannadio, Molista, Monastiri, Agia Varvara, Exochi, Pyxaria, Trapeza, Nikanor, Pigi, Eleftheria, portion the colony of Fourka, though not included successful the database of Mastorochoria, had important contributions of labour to the constructions undertaken by their neighboring villagers.

According to Evangelos Venetis, important Epirote craftsmen besides came from villages of Tzoumerka (the Athamanika Mountains): Agnanta, Ampelochori, Vaptistis, Gouriana, Graikiko, Koukoulia, Ktistades, Melissourgoi, Michalitzi, Petrovouni, Pramanta, Raftanaioi, and Houliarades. Mr. Venetis, successful his enactment “Hellenism successful Modern Iran (1839–1910)”, mentions that it is chartless however truthful galore exceptional chromatic craftsmen came to beryllium successful 1 portion of Epirus. Legends accidental that immoderate families from Vourbiani originated from Constantinople. Indeed, the village’s emblem bore the double-headed eagle. They began gathering their mansions successful Vourbiani and evolved into the champion builders. Pyrsogianni, successful its existent location, has existed since the precocious 17th century, and its archetypal settlers came from Constantinople and Macedonia. However, the root of the inhabitants of these villages from Constantinople belongs much to the realm of fable and little to humanities reality.

The Greek craftsmen successful Iran

A chiseled class was made up of span builders, the gefyropoii (kioproulides < Turk. kopru=bridge). After all, the chromatic bridges of Epirus and Western Macedonia are existent architectural monuments.

At the clip the operation of the Trans-Iranian Railway began, chromatic craftsmen were unemployed, arsenic their past flourishing play was successful the precocious 19th – aboriginal 20th century. When the task successful Iran began, it was not imaginable for quality to scope the mountainous villages of Konitsa. However, successful 1935, nether unclear circumstances, the craftsmen successful Epirus, Western Macedonia, and the remainder of Greece were informed that Iran was seeking craftsmen to enactment successful the continuation and completion of the Trans-Iranian Railway’s construction. This apt happened done Greek engineers moving successful Iran, specified arsenic G. Georgopoulos, and representatives of the Belgian operation institution “Companie Belge de Chemins de Fer et d’ Enterprises.” The beingness of the Swedish-Danish syndicate successful Iran since 1930 whitethorn besides person played a role. Nevertheless, the details of the statement are unknown. The unemployed Epirote craftsmen would beryllium paid precise well. They were accustomed to traveling, adjacent abroad, truthful Iran did not look that distant to them. As always, they near their families behind, and connection would beryllium done letters by post. Epirus and emigration are 2 interlinked words. There is simply a peculiar class of Epirote songs, the alleged songs of emigration. We would urge listening (available successful assorted versions connected YouTube) to the opus “I hide and rejoice” (Alismono kai hairo).

On October 29, 1935, a radical of 35–50 craftsmen gathered successful Ioannina. Fifteen of them came from Pyrsogianni. E. Venetis lists each the names of those who went to Iran. Among them was 30-year-old Georgios Tzoulis with his 20-year-old woman Konstantina, and the 12-year-old (!) Orestis Tzimas, from Kerasovo (Agia Paraskevi) of Konitsa, who lived successful Iran for respective years, got married, and had 12 children. Two of them were calved successful Tehran (1956 and 1959). It appears that Tzimas aboriginal returned to Greece with his family. Along with the Epirotes, determination was astir apt besides the 25-year-old V. Partalis from Voio, Kozani.

According to the craftsmen’s accounts, without escort oregon guidance from the operation company, they departed (probably from Preveza) for Piraeus. There, they bought tickets from the “Karagiannis” question agency. On October 31, 1935, they boarded the Romanian vessel “Tatsia.” They traveled successful the ship’s holds nether unspeakable sanitary conditions. Finally, connected November 4, 1935, they arrived successful Beirut. Trucks from the operation institution awaited them astatine the port. From Beirut, crossing the mountains of Lebanon, they reached Damascus the adjacent day. There, they stayed for 4 days. They attended a work astatine a section Orthodox religion and continued their travel by autobus toward Baghdad, done the desert. The way was peculiarly unsafe owed to gangs and bandits that plagued the area. Midway done the trip, they stopped to remainder and past boarded a bid to the Iraq-Iran border. Upon arrival, Iranian authorities conducted a thorough inspection.

In summation to the Epirotes, astatine the aforesaid clip oregon a small earlier, different Greeks had been hired for the operation of the railway successful Iran. They came from Western Macedonia, Thessaly (including the Jewish-origin civilian technologist Leon Sabtai from Larisa and the foreman Eleftherios Iliadis from Nees Pagases, Magnesia), Euboea, Samos, and Italian-occupied Karpathos. Notably, among the Dodecanesians who worked successful Iran was the Mayor of Olympos, Karpathos, Michail Chiotis. Lastly, miners (especially skilled successful placing explosives successful underground galleries) and builders besides went to Iran. E. Venetis lists them by name. However, we bash not cognize their places of origin.

The enactment and enactment of the Greeks successful Iran

Unfortunately, not galore details are known astir the enactment and enactment of the Greeks successful Iran. Initially, they were transferred to Bijar, successful Iranian Kurdistan, and were sent into the tunnels. The crushed the Iranians invited the Greeks was their operation expertise utilizing chromatic arsenic a gathering material. The railway required craftsmen for the operation of bridges, some tiny and large, tunnels, etc., successful mountainous oregon semi-mountainous regions wherever determination was chromatic to beryllium carved. Thus, the Greeks chiefly worked successful Northern and Central Iran. The beatified metropolis of Qom successful Iran is besides known for its stone, which is inactive quarried contiguous from the neighboring upland ranges. In adjacent Gardaneh (120 km southbound of Tehran), it was decided to physique a three-arched span to link the elevations formed by the rocky desert. This span was a large task connecting Tehran and the metropolis of Saveh successful the northbound with Qom successful the south.

The Greek craftsmen lived successful makeshift accommodations. Gradually, they built their dormitories and different indispensable buildings for their stay. In fact, successful photographs of the time, 1 tin spot successful the Epirote worksite chromatic structures built successful their homeland’s accepted architectural style. There were besides different workers surviving successful shacks. The Greeks besides worked successful the Bavisi and Boroujerd regions.

Evangelos Venetis believes that the operation of the span successful Gardane lasted astatine slightest six months. Along with the bridge, the Greek craftsmen built tiny and debased supporting bridgeworks successful the aforesaid country with the intent of smoothing the narration betwixt the enactment and the ground. These bridgeworks are preserved to this day. Another determination wherever the Greek craftsmen worked was the Mazandaran portion of Northern Iran and the country of Shahrood. They posed a situation owed to their precocious altitude and rugged mountainous terrain. There, the Greeks collaborated with overseas colleagues and constructed bridges and tunnels successful the areas of Veresk, Sari, and the surrounding locations. The bridges varied successful span and had a tallness of 25–30 meters. The tunnels built by the craftsmen from Epirus are preserved successful fantabulous information to this day. They were built with chromatic connected slopes 200 meters precocious from the ground. The stones were hewn with exceptional skill, and the joints betwixt them uncover the peculiar attraction and professionalism of the craftsmen. The Epirotes besides went to the quarries but lone to springiness instructions. The section radical worked successful them for precise debased wages.

In the operation of the Trans-Iranian Railway, the Greeks collaborated with Italians, Serbs, Bulgarians, Albanians, and others. Therefore, we bash not cognize precisely however galore projects they completed successful Iran. Nevertheless, their publication to the operation of this immense task was significant. Unfortunately, 3 Greek craftsmen—Vasilis Byrkos and Apostolis Papagiorgis from Pyrsogianni, and Xanthopoulos (no archetypal sanction mentioned by E. Venetis)—lost their lives owed to dysentery.

The…temptations for the Greeks successful Iran – The return

The Greek craftsmen spent astir of their clip astatine the operation sites. Their dormitories were located nearby. They ate the rations provided by the institution and did not navigator arsenic they utilized to successful the enactment gangs. In the aboriginal days of their beingness successful Iran, they would often suffer their mode and until they became acquainted with the area, they utilized to people signs. They observed the solemnisation of important holidays, adjacent Carnival. The westernized quality of Reza Shah’s authorities allowed them to portion alcoholic beverages, adjacent though Iran is simply a Muslim country. The Iranians were hospitable and willingly helped the Greeks. Correspondence with their families was a occupation for astir since they were illiterate. The maestro craftsman and the fewer literate ones bore the load of penning the letters. The regular wage of the craftsmen was 50–70 rials, a important magnitude for the time. A ample portion of their net was sent to their families successful Greece—usually collectively, successful 1 envelope oregon sack for information and applicable reasons. The Epirotes met successful Iran with different Greeks astir whom we cognize little. The Greeks remained successful Iran for astir 3 years. The charming Iranian women were a temptation for the young Epirotes. Most… did not output to the temptations. However, 2 Greeks, during the operation enactment successful the Mazandaran province, met section women and joined them. They stayed successful Iran and settled successful Tehran. In 1938, the Trans-Iranian Railway was completed. Following the reverse way from the 1 they had taken successful 1935, they returned to Greece. There were immoderate issues regarding the outgo of the Epirote craftsmen. Eventually, they received a sum, smaller than the pre-agreed amount. The Belgian institution paid them the remaining wealth upon their instrumentality to Greece.

The relation of the Trans-Iranian Railway successful World War II

The Greek craftsmen participated successful the operation of a task with aggregate significance—strategic and nationalist successful quality for Iran. The Trans-Iranian Railway marked, for the Asian country, the modulation from the pre-industrial epoch to the modernization of its system and society. Iran accrued its geopolitical beingness successful the portion and became an planetary proscription hub. The Trans-Iranian Railway played an important relation successful World War II. During the German cognition “Barbarossa,” the Allies were capable to transmission ammunition from the Persian Gulf to the defending Soviet Union and power the result of the warfare connected the Eastern Front. Relevant bibliography: Robert W. Coakley, “The Persian Corridor arsenic a Route for Aid to the USSR” successful Greenfield, Kent Roberts, “Command Decisions.”

The “Museum of Epirote Craftsmen” plagued by authorities bureaucracy

In Pyrsogianni, 1 of the Mastorochoria (Craftsmen Villages) of Konitsa, a postulation of worldly connected the beingness and enactment of the craftsmen from the Mastorochoria of Konitsa and the broader mountainous portion of Pindus began successful 1976. This worldly was housed successful the schoolhouse of Pyrsogianni aft it ceased operating (due to deficiency of students…). In 1999, the past Municipality of Mastorochoria submitted implicit studies for its funding, aiming for the unique—in Greece—museum of Pyrsogianni to relation arsenic an accumulation and league center. Unfortunately, this was not achieved. A new, broad exertion for inclusion successful the LEADER programme of the LAG “EPIRUS S.A.” was submitted by the Municipality of Konitsa (which present included the Mastorochoria) successful 2014 (Project Application File for the “MUSEUM OF EPIROTE CRAFTSMEN”). Although each the requirements were met, the governmental alteration successful 2015 and the bureaucracy did not let the inclusion of the “MUSEUM OF EPIROTE CRAFTSMEN” successful LEADER. Unfortunately, it seems that for immoderate officials, the prefecture of Ioannina does not see Konitsa and Pogoni. The Epirote craftsmen were worthy ambassadors of Greece successful galore parts of the world. Let the State yet instrumentality attraction to fulfill a minimal portion of its indebtedness to the distant regions of the prefecture of Ioannina. The backing and afloat cognition of the “MUSEUM OF EPIROTE CRAFTSMEN,” astatine a clip erstwhile others are throwing parties with authorities money, would beryllium a bully start…