A1961 monumental sculpture by George Zongolopoulos, commemorating the Dance of Zalongo. It is located at 700 meters altitude on Mount Zalongo. The monument depicts six abstract female figures holding hands. It is 18 meters in length, 13 meters high and is made of concrete supported by 4,300 whitish limestone blocks. The construction took six years, from 1954 to 1960.
The Dance of Zalongo refers to the mass suicide of women from Souli and their children during the Souliote War on December 16, 1803. After being trapped by Ottoman Albanian troops, near the village of Zalongo in Epirus, modern Greece, then Ottoman Empire, about 60 women decided to turn towards the cliff’s edge together with their infants and children rather than surrender. According to tradition they did this one after the other while dancing and singing.
Featured Image: Monument of Zalongo / Image: via vimeo.com
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