Turio ( Greek: Θούριο , tour. Urlu ) is a village in Greece located in the northern part of the Evros prefecture, between the cities of Orestiada and Didimotica . Located a few kilometers from the Greek-Turkish border, which runs along the Evros River. The village is located at an altitude of 30 meters above sea level and is located in a lowland on a fertile plain.
| Village | |
| Turio | |
|---|---|
| Greek Θούριο | |
| A country |  Greece |
| Periphery | East Macedonia and Thrace |
| Nome | Evros |
| History and Geography | |
| Center height | 30 m m |
| Timezone | and |
| Population | |
| Population | 706 (2001) people ( 2011 ) |
| Nationalities | gagauz |
| Official language | Greek |
| thourio.gr | |
Content
Geography
The village is located 4 km west of the right bank of the Maritsa River and 8.5 km from Orestiada on the E 85 road.
History
At the site of today's village of Turio during the Ottoman Empire was the Turkish village of Urlu. The population exchange between Greece and Turkey in 1923 led to the fact that the locals left for Turkey, and the Gagauz refugees of the Christian faith moved to their place. Gagauz came to Urla from Eastern Thrace from the village of Sharaplar (European part of Turkey). The Gagauzians still live in Turio and in the vicinity of the burnt villages. In the early years, the inhabitants of Turio were engaged in agriculture, but later some of them were involved in trade, others were artisans. Some of Turio's inhabitants then migrated to other parts of Greece, but the great outcome was in the 1960s, when almost half of the village’s population went to Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Brazil, Australia and other countries. Currently, more than 700 people live in the village and are engaged in agriculture, trade or are employees of the private or public sector.
Population
Gagauz live in the village. In the twentieth century there were several thousand inhabitants, but by 2001 the number of inhabitants had fallen to 706 people. According to unofficial data, in 2010 there were 600 people left.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1991 | 722 |
| 2001 | 706 |
Religious affiliation Orthodox Christians.
Social Activities and Folklore
The village is connected by bus line to the nearby district center. There is a church in good condition, a town hall, a school, a football team with a youth section, a shop and a bar.
There is an interesting Gagauz folk Christmas “camel custom”, which is celebrated after Christmas (December 31 evening). Two young people put on a wooden structure made of mulberry tree wrapped in carpets, rabbit or sheep skin, dried red pepper is used instead of their tongue, many bells are also tied and this all turns into a “camel”. People in a noisy crowd, led by a camel, go home, sing and dance "camel dance." Instead, the owners of the house treat guests with wine and various treats. Dancing in front of the house, accompanied by guides .
After people with a camel enter the courtyard of the house, they sing the following song (one of the versions):
Chick Chorbaji, Chick Chorbaji. Virgo Geldy Kapuna. Yılık Getyor, Salyk Getyor. Khristozun dudu gunyu, haber verior.
It is believed that the holiday is dedicated to the Virgin Mary, who, according to local beliefs, wore the baby Jesus on a camel. According to another version, St. Nicholas (Santa Claus) always came on a camel. According to the third version, the custom is a memory of Turkish times, when the sultan drove the collected tax on camels, which people scoffed at.