Malakasi is a village and a former municipality in the Trikala regional unit, Thessaly, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Meteora, of which it is a municipal unit. The municipal unit has an area of 157.534 km2. Population 612 (2021). The seat of the municipality was in Panagia.

Municipal unit

The municipal unit of Malakasi includes the settlements of Korydallos, Malakasi, Panagia, Pefki and Trygona.

Geography

The village is part of the wider Zagori region, between Epirus and Thessaly.

History

The village takes its name from the Malakasii, an Albanian tribe or clan that moved to the area from central Albania in the 14th century. The name most probably refers to the Albanian Malakasii tribe's region of origin in the plain of Mallakastër in southern Albania.

Ottoman period

During the Ottoman period, Epirus and Aetolia-Acarnania were divided into five armatolikia: Malakasi, Tzoumerka, Xeromero, Lidorikion, and Venetiko. In May 1871, Malakasi was the seat of the Malakasi nahiye of the Ioannina kaza.

Demographics

The village is inhabited by "Vlachs" (Βλαχι), who are called Malakasi and inhabit the villages from Malakasi to Gardiki.