Kipi (Ioannina)

Kipi (Κήποι), also known as Baya (Μπάγια) is a Greek village in the region of Zagori. It belongs to the municipality of Tymfi ( Ioannina Prefecture). The greek name derives from the many gardens in the surrounding areas (Greek Κήποι=Gardens). The name "Baya" is slavic and means "warm (and low) place". The village has the lowest latitude of all Zagori villages. It is built on a rocky hill, in the southern end of Vikos Gorge.

History and Culture


Kipi was once the centre of Zagori.After the Balkan Wars and the liberation of Epirus in 1913, the people of Kipi demanded that Kipi becomes the capital of Zagori, because it is the most central village and because it once was the "capital".

In Kipi, the traditional architectural style of Epirus is well preserved, with stone built roads and dwellings. Not far from the villages lies a three arched stone bridge, of the 18th century. Kokoris Bridge is also a unique tourist attraction of today, on the local road to central Zagori, just out of the village.

Today, the museum of the famous collector Agapios Tolis is located in Kipi, where more than 40.000 exhibits are included.