Preveza

Preveza Πρέβεζα
Preveza from the air. The cape of Actium and the airport can be seen in the lower right.
Seal
Preveza
Location within the region
Coordinates: 38°57′N 20°44′E / 38.950°N 20.733°E / 38.950; 20.733Coordinates: 38°57′N 20°44′E / 38.950°N 20.733°E / 38.950; 20.733
Country	Greece
Administrative region	Epirus
Regional unit	Preveza
Government
• Mayor	Christos Bailes
Area
• Municipality	380.5 km2 (146.9 sq mi)
• Municipal unit	66.8 km2 (25.8 sq mi)
Elevation	8 m (26 ft)
Population (2011)
• Municipality	31,733
• Municipality density	83/km2 (220/sq mi)
• Municipal unit	22,853
• Municipal unit density	340/km2 (890/sq mi)
Community
• Population	20,795 (2011)
Time zone	EET (UTC+2)
• Summer (DST)	EEST (UTC+3)
Postal code	481 00
Area code(s)	26820
Vehicle registration	ΡΖ
Website	http://www.dimosprevezas.gr

Battle of Nicopolis (1798)
Part of French Revolutionary Wars (specifically related to French Campaign in Egypt and Syria)
Date 12 October 1798 Location Environs of Preveza, near the ruins of Nicopolis Result Decisive Ottoman victory (Preveza was captured by Ottomans)
Belligerents
French Army Preveza Greek Civil Guard Souliotes	Ottoman Pashalik of Yanina
Commanders and leaders
General La Salchette Captain Christakis commanded the Souliote warriors	Ali Pasha Tepelena Mukhtar Pasha
Strength
280 French Grenadiers 200 Preveza Civil Guards 60 Souliote warriors	7,000
Casualties and losses
Heavily decimated in battle and in the massacre which followed	unknown

Preveza (Greek: Πρέβεζα) is a town in the region of Epirus, northwestern Greece, located at the mouth of the Ambracian Gulf. It is the capital of the regional unit of Preveza, which is part of the region of Epirus. The Aktio-Preveza Immersed Tunnel, the first and so far only undersea tunnel in Greece, was completed in 2002 and connects Preveza to Aktio in western Acarnania in the region of Aetolia-Acarnania. The ruins of the ancient city of Nicopolis lie 7 kilometres (4 miles) north of the city.

There are three different views that have been suggested by scholars as to the origin of the name Preveza (Πρέβεζα in Greek). The view that is widely accepted amongst them, today, is that Preveza means Passage, and the name has reached its form from the Slavic word prěvozъ, through the Albanian word prevëzë -za.

The present municipality Preveza was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following 3 former municipalities, that became municipal units (constituent communities in brackets):

The municipality has an area of 380.541 km², the municipal unit 66.835 km².

In antiquity, the south-southwestern part of Epirus was inhabited by the Greek tribe of Cassopeans, part of a larger tribe, the Thesprotians. Their capital city was Cassope (today, near the village of Kamarina). At the southernmost part of Epirus, king Pyrrhus founded, in 290 BC, the town of Berenikea or Berenike, named after his mother-in-law Berenice I of Egypt., Today, it is believed that Berenikea lies on the hills near the village of Michalitsi, following the excavations by Sotirios Dakaris in 1965. The Ionian Sea, near Berenikea, was the site of the naval Battle of Actium, on 2 September 31 BC, in which Octavian's forces defeated those of Mark Antony and queen Cleopatra of Egypt. The ancient city of Nicopolis (Νικόπολις, "Victory City") was built, nearby, by Augustus to commemorate his victory. The city is believed to have, at its peak, a population of 150,000. In AD 90, Epictetus arrived at Nicopolis, after been banished by the Roman emperor Domitian, and established a school of philosophy. One of his students, Arrian, became a famous historian and recorded all of his works.