Naoussa: The « Forgotten » Holocaust of 1822

The Revolution in Macedonia and Mount Athos is one of the components of Eminence that has not yet been able to join the total narrative of 1821 although it presents many common elements in the preparation of the revolution and the rest of Greece such as the Peloponnese, Roumeli and Roumeli.

The revolution in Macedonia had much greater difficulties than in Central Greece or Moria mainly because it was the central crossroads of the roads of the Ottoman Empire troops.

This resulted in the immediate and fast mission from Thessaloniki to suppress them.

In Macedonia, revolutionary movements occurred in the areas of Olympus, Pieria, Halkidiki and Vermio during the first two years of the struggle.

Since 1815, the initiation had begun at the Friendly Society of Macedonian chieftains (Ioannis Farmakis, Georgakis Olympiou, Anastasios Karatasou, etc.), such as Kozanitis George Lassanis and economically well -offs such as Emm.

The Ottomans seem to have realized some pre -revolutionary actions in Macedonia.

The friendly, the revolutionary actions in Macedonia considered the course of the revolution in Moria, as they could create ruptures or even problems in the communication of the Ottoman Empire with the southern parts of Greece and help to establish the struggle in the Peloponnese and Greece.

Already, after the beginning of the Greek Revolution in the Danube hegemonies, there was a strong enthusiasm in Macedonia.

The first organized revolutionary effort by Emmanuel Papa was stifled by Pasha of Thessaloniki Mehmet Emen (or Ebu Lubut, ie Ropalos)

Naoussa had tried this harsh tactic as early as 1688 but also in 1705 when hard revolutionary movements were stifled.

At the beginning of the 19th century, the space of Macedonia – there is no province with this name – it is under Ottoman rule. Despite the authoritarian administration and tax oppression, there were pockets of relative autonomy and economic prosperity, such as Naoussa, a city with flourishing crafts and trade.

Naoussa enjoyed self-government privileges and had developed a strong local bourgeoisie, with economic and intellectual activities, having spent a ten-year period of resistance in Ali Pasha’s campaigns from 1795-1805.

At the same time, Greek education flourished in the city, while many residents were initiated into the Friendly Society. Despite its adverse geographical location, it was closer to Constantinople than in the Peloponnese, it participated in the revolution.

The price paid was the total destruction, the massacre of more than five thousand inhabitants, and the sacrifice of « most women of self -sacrifice in the flap of the Stubs to avoid captivity and Islamism ».

The Friendly Society had developed a dense network of executives in the Macedonian area, and especially in Western Macedonia, led by Dimitrios Ipatros (real name Dimitrios Fourkiotis), which prepared the revolution by mobilizing residents and maintaining channels of communication.

It is worth noting that the revolutionary friendly company had decided to integrate the « surrounding province » of ancient Greece to become part of new Greece. Macedonian at that time meant brave and in the general uprising Macedonia could not be missing.

Macedonian George Lassanis was a person in the narrow circle of Alexander Ypsilantis as shown by his appointment to the position of the General Assistant.

For about two years, from the spring of 1821 to the end of 1822, the Macedonians rebelled to shake down Ottoman rule.

Revolutions in Halkidiki, Olympus, Naoussa and Western Macedonia were only some events of national uprising in the Macedonian territories

However, the mobilization of powerful Ottoman military forces resulted in the suppression of the revolution in the Macedonian area.

The Ottoman firman for the suppression of the revolution in Macedonia was clear « we decided as once we were eliminated from the face of the land of this home … »-Estonia was Naoussa-. Thousands of Macedonian fighters and refugees then fled to southern mainland Greece and the islands to continue their struggle there.

After the repression of the uprising in Halkidiki, the turn of the Vermio area had come. In January 1821, Mehmet Emin imprisoned as hostage members of the most important families of the cities of Western Macedonia.

But others, among them the chieftains Anastasios (old) Karatasos and Angelis Gatsos as well as the most powerful qualified of Naoussa Zafirakis Theodosiou, who had the title of Logothetis, refused, promoting various pretexts, to come.

Having been exposed to this act, they decided to preach the revolution, after meetings at the Monastery of Our Lady of Dovras. Vermios Armatolis Tasos Karatasos and Angelis Gatsos had done so again in 1807 and although the revolution then did not succeed.

Next to them was Zafirakis Theodosiou. However, the loss of Pieria and its strategic coastal plain in the Olympus’s curbs that led Kasomoulis to leave the area left Naoussa on its own.

According to Nikolaos Filippides, the declaration of the Revolution took place on February 22, 1822, Sunday of Orthodoxy, at the Metropolitan Church of St. Demetrios with festive doxology and swearing -in fighters.

The slogan « Machou in favor of faith and homeland » of the revolution in Naoussa was inspired by Alexander Ypsilantis himself and the revolution in the Danube hegemonies.

In early 1822 Zafirakis, Anastasios Karatasos and Angelis Gatsos organized the troops, sent a letter to Alexander Mavrokordatos and headed Nikolaos Kasomoulis, the later memoir of the Greek Revolution. On February 19, 1822, they declared the revolution. On February 21, 1,800 fighters were attacked against Veria, and the following day, led by Karatasos, they were fortified in the Dovras Monastery. There on March 12, the revolutionaries scored a significant victory over 4,000 Turks.

But the monastery was recovered under Abulubut Pasha, after strong resistance.

This was followed by the siege of the city of Naoussa, which probably lasted in the last two weeks of March 1822.

The defense of which was also strengthened by the Kleftarmos of Olympus Diamantis Nikolaos.

Emin himself took over the leadership of the attack on Naoussa, head of 20,000 men, of whom at least half were a regular army and the rest of the naughty. The city was defended by 4,000-5,000 revolutionaries. Karatasos and Gatsos took seats outside the walls.

The Turks proceeded with great powers and artillery having secured many hostages.

The siege probably began in the last days of March and lasted for 2 weeks.

The Ottomans proposed to Zafirakis to submit and receive grace but he refused and the Ottoman forces entered Naoussa with a heavy loss.

All the points of resistance through the walls, churches and others were occupied despite the impressive although few known acts of bravery and self -sacrifice. On March 31, Elen ordered a general raid and left the army of all the inhabitants of Naoussa and their property. On April 6, the Turks entered Naoussa (according to Spyridon Trikoupis on April 11, 12).

Despite the three-day resistance of 500 men in the Tower of Zafirakis, under Zafirakis, Gero-Karataso, Diamantis Nikolaou, the Turks occupied the city after a fierce bombing and body-to-body conflicts. The slaughter followed.

The entrance of the Ottoman army was accompanied by massacres, fires and looting.

The city surrendered to flames and was almost completely destroyed. Over 5,000 people were killed or captured. The female population suffered brutal abuses, and many women, in order to avoid disgust, preferred death.

The most shocking episode of this tragedy is the « Naoussa Zaloggos » women with their children were thrown into the foamy waters of the Arapitsa waterfall, at the site of Sdubani, which ended up in the lake of Paleopyrgos.

Their sacrifice became a symbol of heroism and resistance. The beheading of about 2,000 Naoussaes in today’s martyrdom is another incident of Emin’s incredible cruelty.

Dozens of prisoners of revolutionaries and hostages were drawn to Thessaloniki and beheaded while the women of the protagonists Zafirakis and Karatasou were tortured publicly and were executed while the children of Karatasou and Gatsos were sold.

During the attempt to escape the warriors in Vermio, Zafirakis and the son of the older Karatasos, Giannakis, were killed. Many residents then took the road to refugee (villages of Pelion, Drama),- the particular rhythm of the folk song « Makrinitsa » captures the story of the massacre from those who left the refugee- while Gero-Karatasos, Angelis Gatsos

At the same time, other pages of self -sacrifice and heroism were written. With the occupation of Naoussa, the revolution was essentially erased in Macedonia, although the Greeks did not cease to harass the Ottomans in the area.

Immediately the city of Naoussa was designated a Muslim and one hundred Muslim families settled. It was only after 1830 the installation of Rajades (even non -Nausaia) was allowed and the new life of the city begins.

N. Anastassopoulos, From the slaughter of Chios to the exit of MessolonghiAthens, 2020, pp. 50-59

G. Vlachodimou, “The events in Naoussa. The construction of the Macedonian Zalongos »in V. Gounaris-D. Libinos, Unknown aspects of ’21Thessaloniki, 2021, pp. 35-61

V. Gounaris, « Macedonia » in P. Kitromilidis-K. Tsoukalas, The Greek Revolution. DictionaryAthens, 2025, pp. 243-261.

Th. Veremis-G. Koliopoulos-i. Michaelides, 1821. The creation of a nation-state, Athens, 2018, pp. 137-141

Takis Baitsis, « Hypatros and Zafirakis: Life the Meeting and the End of Two Men » in Niausta (TX 66), 1994, p. 20-22.