Mount Tomorr
Tomorri Mountain National Park Parku Kombëtar i Malit të Tomorrit | |
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Mount Tomorr | |
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Location | Central Albania |
Nearest city | Berat |
Coordinates | 40°40′30″N 20°09′35″E / 40.6750°N 20.1597°ECoordinates: 40°40′30″N 20°09′35″E / 40.6750°N 20.1597°E |
Area | 24,723 ha |
Designation | Mountain Forest |
Established | 2012 |
Mount Tomorr is a large mountain located in modern-day southern Albania. Its highest peak, called Çuka e Partizanit, reaches a height of 2,416 m (7,927 ft). The mountain is part of the Tomorri Mountain National Park with an expanded area of 24,723 hectares, and located east of the towns of Berat, Poliçan, and Osum river not far from the Osum Canyon.
In 2012, the Albanian government declared Mt Tomorri a national park (Albanian: Parku Kombëtar i Malit të Tomorrit) with an expanded area of 24,723 hectares. Many endangered species are free to roam and live in this area such as bears (Ursus arctos), wolf (Canis lupus), and birds of prey. Mount Tomorr offers various sports such as hiking, horse or donkey riding, canoeing, and skiing.
History
In the classical period, Mount Tomorr was originally known as Mount Amyron (Greek: Άμυρον); Amyron was a central feature of the region of Dassaretis, which was named after its inhabitants the Dexari, a tribe of Epirus belonging to the Chaonian group of northwestern Greeks.[1]
Religion, folklore and literature
Mount Tomorr is a sacred site to both Christians, who climb it on Assumption Day (August 15) to honor the Virgin Mary, and the Bektashi, who honor Abbas ibn Ali during an annual pilgrimage on August 20–25.[2]
In Albanian folklore, Mount Tomorr is anthropomorphized and associated with the legendary figure of Baba Tomor, envisioned as an old giant with a long flowing white beard and four female eagles hovering above him and perching on his snow-covered slopes.[2] According to German folklorist Maximilian Lambertz, Baba Tomor is the remnant of an Illyrian deity.[2]
Legend of Baba Tomor[2]
The cult of Mount Tomorr can be found in the Rilindja period of Albanian literature where authors such as Konstantin Kristoforidhi, Naim bey Frashëri, Anton Zako Çajupi, Asdreni, Hilë Mosi, and Ndre Mjeda devoted their works of prose and poetry to Father Tomor.[2]
References
- ↑ Hammond 1994, pp. 422–423; Hammond & Griffith 1972, p. 94.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Elsie 2001, "Tomor, Mount", pp. 252–254.
Sources
- Elsie, Robert (2001). A Dictionary of Albanian Religion, Mythology, and Folk Culture. New York, NY: New York University Press. ISBN 978-0-8147-2214-5.
- Hammond, Nicholas Geoffrey Lemprière; Griffith, Guy Thompson (1972). A History of Macedonia: Historical Geography and Prehistory. I. Oxford, UK: Clarendon Press.
- Hammond, N.G.L. (1994). "9d. Illyrians and North-West Greeks". In Lewis, David Malcolm; Boardman, John. The Cambridge Ancient History, Volume 6: The Fourth Century BC. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. pp. 422–443. ISBN 0-521-23348-8.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tomorr. |
- Tomorri Mt Hiking Trails Expanded and Improved
- Berat County Administration of Protected Areas Official FB Page
- TMNP on Albanian Tourist (English)