#sarakatsani

Young woman attending the annual meeting of the Sarakatsani, a traditionally nomadic Greek tribe dwelling in the mountains of Greece and other South Balkan countries. The meeting takes place in Pertoúli, Thessaly. 

Karakachani Annual Gathering near Sliven, Buglaria, 2016 - Ivo Daskalov

There were two wo types of konaki: the rounded hut and the elongated or double hut. The rounded huts were most common; walls woven from pliable branches and roofs covered with layers of straw, reeds, and grass. A central wooden pol, which supported these layers, is then placed during the construction and then removed when the hut is completed. It was affective againts rain and insulates against temperature fluctuations. The elongated huts, mostly found in the mountains, offered expanded space and enhanced stability against harsher weather. The shape of the huts is mostly due to the circular enclosure of the fire and the way people gathered around the fire to warm themselves. The construction of konakia was mostly done by women.

Sarakatsani women constructing hut. Carsten Hoeg

"Strong fir branches are staked deep into the soil to construct the perimeter vertical frame. The circular base and the other horizontal layers leading to the roof and the roof dome are made of flexible beech tree wood while the outer layers of the hut are covered with whatever protective material the area provided, e.g. rye straw, various foliage such as ferns, dense layers of bushes, reeds or fir branches. Without nails at their disposal, all the joints are tied with wicker: a hard-to-find material which grows close to water, near rivers and fountains. Its thin and flexible shoots acts as a simple rope of sorts. Practicality aside, beautiful and fragrant wicker is believed to repel evil and is associated with healing and many cult beliefs dating back to ancient times. In the case of the Sarakatsani, wicker is also used to make crosses that are placed above the main entrance of the hut as well as the top of the domed roof, becoming a kind of amulet and protecting the house from evil forces."

Karakachani/ Sarakatsani from Kotel, Bulgaria

Greek fashion designer Eleni Koubi promotes her modern dress with traditional Sarakatsanic fashion in the background, as this dress is based on the basic principles of that clothing. She calls this fashion line "Couture Grecque". From her page: