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Preveza

Preveza is a town in north-western Greece. It is the capital of Preveza prefecture, which is part of Epirus periphery.

A new tunnel - the first and so far only undersea tunnel in Greece - which runs between Preveza and Aktio, connects the town to Thesprotia and Lefkada and western Aetolia in Aitoloakarnania. Preveza lies near the western part of the Ambracian Gulf. The ruins of the ancient city Nicopolis lie 5 km north of the city. Its population per the 2001 census is 17,724.

History

Preveza was not populated during classical antiquity but there is evidence that it served as a sea port in the days of King Pyrrhus of Epirus. On September 2, 31 BC, the naval battle of Actium took place just off its coast, between the fleet of Octavian and the combined fleets of Mark Antony and Cleopatra VII. In commemoration of his victory, Octavian built Nicopolis ("Victory City") nearby.

Preveza itself was built around the 11th century as a fishing village. It was part of the Despotate of Epirus for most of the Middle Ages until it was conquered by the Ottoman Turks in 1449.

It became part of Greece on October 21, 1912, during the First Balkan War, when Turkish forces surrendered it to Colonel Panagiotis Spiliadis.

After the Germans left Preveza in September 1944, both the nationalist EDES and the communist EAM guerrilla forces sought to occupy it. A battle ensued that lasted ten days.

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