Protokklisi ( meaning the first church, ) is a village and a community in the central part of the Evros regional unit in Greece. Protoklissi is in the municipal unit of Orfeas. In 2021 its population was 776 for the community, including the village Agriani. Protokklisi is located about 15 km northwest of Soufli, in the valley of a right tributary of the river Evros.
Population Year Village population Community population 1981 - 1,230 1991 672 - 2001 669 1,120 2011 260 790 2021 306 776
History
The village was founded in the second half of 18th century by Bulgarian settlers from Chirpan.Македония и Одринско: Статистика на населението от 1873 г. София, Македонски научен институт – София, Македонска библиотека № 33, 1995. ISBN 954-8187-21-3. с. 54 – 55. The name of the village during the Ottoman rule was Bashklise (Başkilise in Turkish, Башклисе Bašklise in Bulgarian). In 1830, it had 100 Bulgarian families, in 1878 and 1912 the village had 105 Bulgarian families.Разбойников, Анастас и Спас Разбойников, Населението на Южна Тракия с оглед на народностните отношения в 1830, 1878, 1912 и 1920 година, София 1999, с. 308 According to professor Lyubomir Miletich, the 1912 population contained 100 Bulgarian families.Любомиръ Милетич. Разорението на тракийскитe българи през 1913 година, Българска Академия на Науките, София, Държавна Печатница, 1918, с. 296.
After a brief period of Bulgarian rule between 1913 and 1919, it became part of Greece. As a result its Bulgarian population was exchanged with Greek refugees, mainly from today's Turkey.
People Pano Angelov (Пано Ангелов, 1879–1903), Bulgarian revolutionary leader
See also List of settlements in the Evros regional unit
References