Mavrochori

It was in existence at least from 1380[5] and is denoted, under the name Mavrobo, in the British Baldwin & Craddock Map of Greece which was published on 1 January 1830.[7] The name Mavros, together with the name Krepeni, is found in a title deed executed by Serbian nobleman Nikola Bagaš.[8]

In the end of the 18th century the patriarch of the Mavrovitis family moved his people from the nearby Krepeni village to Mavrovo in order to avoid a plague pandemic, and it is believed that people were frequently moving between Krepeni and Mavrovo.[5]

The Monastery of Panagia Mavriotissa, originally named Mesonisiotissa (meaning "in the middle of the island"), was built near the village.[5]

Mavrochori had a historical relationship with both the Mavriotissa monastery as well as with the nearby village of Krepeni.[5]

During Ottoman rule, Mavrovo was populated by Christians and Muslims, it had one Greek school and one Muslim school and five inns.[9]

The Greek census (1920) recorded 1062 people in the village and in 1923 there were 450 inhabitants (or 45 families) who were Muslim.[10] Following the Greek-Turkish population exchange, in 1926 within Mavrovo there were refugee families from Asia Minor (55), Pontus (19) and one other from an unidentified location.[10] The Greek census (1928) recorded 1065 village inhabitants.[10] There were 72 refugee families (320 people) in 1928.[10] There were two mosques and two Muslim cemeteries in the village, later all destroyed.[11]

• Konstantinos Papastavrou, Greek chieftain of the Macedonian Struggle[12]
• Filippos Petsalnikos, Greek politician, served as Speaker of the Hellenic Parliament[13]