Romani people in Greece
Ethnic group

Ethnic group
Romani people in Greece
Total population
≈ 110,000[1]
Regions with significant populations
Athens and Thessaloniki
Languages
Romani, Greek, Romano-Greek, Balkan Romani
Religion
Greek Orthodox, Sunni Islam, Romani mythology

The Romani people in Greece, or Romá (Greek: Ρομάνι/Ρομά), are called Tsinganoi (Greek: Τσιγγάνοι), Athinganoi (Αθίγγανοι), or the more derogatory term Gyftoi (Greek: Γύφτοι). On 8 April 2019, the Greek government stated that the number of Romani citizens in Greece is around 110,000.[1] Other estimates have placed the number of Romani people resident in Greece as high as 350,000.[2]

History

Origin

The ancestors of the Romani people originated in South Asia, likely from the regions of present-day Punjab, Rajasthan and Sindh.[3][4][5][6][7][8] Linguistic evidence has shown that roots of Romani language lie in what is now India: the language has grammatical characteristics of Indo-Aryan languages and shares with them a big part of the basic lexicon, for example, body parts or daily routines.[9] The language has been significantly influenced by contact with other languages, particularly Persian, Armenian, Byzantine Greek.[10] It's grammar and phonology also reflect South Slavic influence.[11]

Arrival in Europe

A number of words in the Romani language originating from early Armenian indicate that Romanies were in Armenia prior to linguistic changes of the 9th century.[12] From Armenia, they migrated through Anatolia, before arriving in the Balkans—Europe proper—during the Byzantine period.[13] They are believed to have been present in Constantinople by the 9th century, possibly as early as the 7th century.[14][15] The shift in the self-identification of the Romani people from "Doma" to "Roma"/"Romani" is believed to have taken place during the Romanies' arrival and settlement in the Balkans during the Byzantine era. "Roma"/"Romani" is believed to have been influenced by the Medieval Greek word Romaios, meaning Eastern Roman—inhabitants of the Byzantine Empire.[16][17]

The name Gypsy (Gyftos = Γύφτος) sometimes used for the Romani people was first given to them by the Greeks, who supposed them to be Egyptian in origin.[18] Due to their nomadic nature, they are not concentrated in a specific geographical area, but are dispersed all over the country. The majority of the Romanies in Greece yet are Hellenized and Orthodox Christians who speak the Romani language in addition to Greek,[19] or the Romano-Greek language, like the Finikas Romika.[20] There are several other dialects spoken by the Roma In Greece, as the Agios Athanasios-Balkan Romani,[21] the Parakalamos-Romacilikanes,[22] or the Volos Sevlengere Roma.[23] Mostly Muslim Roma who live in Western Thrace speak Turkish and the Rumelian Romani dialect.[24] Sedentary Romanies from the Serres region believe their Ancestors were once taken from Egypt by the Ottomans in 1517 to work of the Land of Turkish Feudallords in Rumelia.[25] Also in Evliya Çelebi's Seyahatname of 1668, he mentioned that, at the time, the Roma from Komotini (Gümülcine) swore their Ancestors came from Egypt.[26] Banyan merchants came once via Indo-Roman trade relations and settled there for a while in Roman Egypt, so their Ancestors may be Doms in Egypt.[27][28][29]

Migration to Turkey

During the Population exchange between Greece and Turkey in 1923, different Muslim Turkish Roma groups from Greece, like the Tütünčides (Tobacco traders/workers)[30] or the Sepetčides (Basketmakers)[31] moved to Turkey, and were called Mübadil Romanlar.[32]

Settlements

The Roma in Greece live scattered on the whole territory of the country, mainly in the suburbs. Notable centres of Romani life in Athens are Agia Varvara which has a very successful Romani community and Ano Liosia where conditions are poorer. Roma largely maintain their own customs and traditions. Although a large number of Roma has adopted a sedentary and urban way of living, there are still settlements in some areas. The nomads at the settlements often differentiate themselves from the rest of the population. They number 200,000 according to the Greek government. According to the National Commission for Human Rights that number is closer to 250,000 and according to the Greek Helsinki Watch group to 300,000.[19]

As a result of neglect by the state, among other factors, the Romani communities in Greece face several problems including high rates of child labour and abuse, low school attendance, police discrimination and drug trafficking. The most serious issue is the housing problem since many Roma in Greece still live in tents, on properties they do not own, making them subject to eviction. In the past decade these issues have received wider attention and some state funding.[19]

On two occasions, the European Committee of Social Rights found Greece in violation of the European Social Charter by its policy towards Roma in the field of housing.[33][34] Furthermore, between 1998-2002, 502 Albanian Roma children disappeared from the Greek Foundation for children Agia Varvara.[35] These cases were not investigated by the Greek authorities until the European Union forced an investigation, which only led to the recovery of 4 children. The children who were sold were presumably sold to human traffickers for sexual slavery or organ harvesting, according to a report submitted by the Greek government to the European Commission.[36][37]

Religion

The majority of the Romanies in Greece are Orthodox Christian like the groups Medvedara (Bear-leader), Katsiveli, Fitsiria, Mandopolini etc., while a small part of them, the Erli/Erlides (Greek: Ερλίδες), and Tourkogyftos are Muslim Roma concentrated in Western Thrace.[38]

Notable Roma from Greece

Kostas Hatzis

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Kampouris, Nick (9 April 2019). "Premier Tsipras Hosts Roma Delegation for International Romani Day". Greekreporter.com. LV: Nick Kampouris.
  2. ^ "Greece NGO". Greek Helsinki Monitor. LV: Minelres.
  3. ^ Melegh, Bela I.; Banfai, Zsolt; Hadzsiev, Kinga; Miseta, Attila; Melegh, Bela (31 August 2017). "Refining the South Asian Origin of the Romani people". BMC Genetics. 18 (1) 82. doi:10.1186/s12863-017-0547-x. ISSN 1471-2156. PMC 5580230. PMID 28859608. Our results show that Northwest India could play an important role in the South Asian ancestry of Roma, however, the origin of Romani people might include the area of Pakistan as well.
  4. ^ Ena, Giacomo Francesco; Aizpurua-Iraola, Julen; Font-Porterias, Neus; Calafell, Francesc; Comas, David (8 November 2022). "Population Genetics of the European Roma—A Review". Genes. 13 (11): 2068. doi:10.3390/genes13112068. ISSN 2073-4425. PMC 9690732. PMID 36360305. Based on genome-wide SNP arrays and whole-genome sequences, it has been determined that the Romani people carry approximately 20–35% South Asian ancestry [4,7], and North-West India constitutes the major source of this component [4,7,54] [...] In general, Romani people carry approximately 65–80% West Eurasian (European, Middle Eastern and Caucasian) ancestry, estimated to have been acquired by extensive gene flow.
  5. ^ Hernández-Arrieta, Stefany (7 August 2023). "The definition of being Romani". Barcelona Biomedical Research Park (PRBB) – El·lipse. Retrieved 16 February 2024. This population [...] migrated from northern India to Europe over 1,500 years ago [...] The Romani community are genetically diverse, and Romani groups established in different locations are highly varied.
  6. ^ Beňo, Matúš (5 November 2022). "Romani disappearing from Roma communities". The Slovak Spectator. Retrieved 16 February 2024. What is the current state of the language? It is used less and less today in Romani communities. The young generation in some localities, such as Humenné, Michalovce, or Trebišov in eastern Slovakia, no longer speak the language at all.
  7. ^ Hancock, Ian F. (2005) [2002]. We are the Romani People. Univ of Hertfordshire Press. p. 70. ISBN 978-1-902806-19-8. 'While a nine century removal from India has diluted Indian biological connection to the extent that for some Romani groups, it may be hardly representative today, Sarren (1976:72) concluded that we still remain together, genetically, Asian rather than European'
  8. ^ Mendizabal, Isabel (6 December 2012). "Reconstructing the Population History of European Romani from Genome-wide Data". Current Biology. 22 (24): 2342–2349. Bibcode:2012CBio...22.2342M. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2012.10.039. hdl:10230/25348. PMID 23219723.
  9. ^ Šebková, Hana; Žlnayová, Edita (1998), Nástin mluvnice slovenské romštiny (pro pedagogické účely) (PDF), Ústí nad Labem: Pedagogická fakulta Univerzity J. E. Purkyně v Ústí nad Labem, p. 4, ISBN 978-80-7044-205-0, archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016
  10. ^ King, Arienne (3 April 2023). "Romani". World History Encyclopedia.
  11. ^ "Romani and Slavic Contact". Encyclopedia of Slavic Languages and Linguistics Online. doi:10.1163/2589-6229_eslo_com_032594. Retrieved 5 October 2025.
  12. ^ "Migration Overview". Rroma Foundation. Retrieved 2 August 2025.
  13. ^ Kenrick, Donald (2004). Gypsies: from the Ganges to the Thames. Interface collection. Hatfield: Univ. of Hertfordshire Press. pp. 27–29. ISBN 978-1-902806-23-5.
  14. ^ Popov, Shakir M. (2023). Marushiakova, Elena; Popov, Vesselin; Kovacheva, Lilyana (eds.). "History of the Gypsies in Bulgaria and Europe: Roma". University of St. Andrews. pp. 15–16.
  15. ^ "Migration Overview". rroma.org. Retrieved 22 February 2025.
  16. ^ Hancock, Ian. We Are the Romani People (Ame sam e Rromane džene). Hatfield: University of Hertfordshire Press, 2002. pp. 6–7. "Some writers have suggested that its form was influenced, during our ancestors' time in the Byzantine Empire (then called Romanía), by the Greek word Romaios ('Roman')"
  17. ^ Cheal, Yvonne (2012). "Beyond the Stereotypes: A review of Gypsies/Roma/Travellers and the Arts in Wales" (PDF). p. 10. The idea that Roma had Indian roots, but crystallised into a cohesive people during the Byzantine period is now gaining credence. The self-ascribed name 'Rom/Roma' is from the Greek-speaking, Christian, Byzantine Empire and was acquired during the population's long stay in Anatolia.
  18. ^ Makris, A. (22 October 2013). "Roma in Greece: Tough Life, Segregation and... Crimes - GreekReporter.com". Greekreporter.com.
  19. ^ a b c "Hellenic Republic - National Commission for Human Rights". Archived from the original on 14 September 2007. Retrieved 19 May 2007.
  20. ^ Sechidou, Irene (2005). "Finikas Romika: A Greek Para-Romani variety". Romani Studies. 15: 51–79. doi:10.3828/RS.2005.3. S2CID 143406618.
  21. ^ Friedman, Victor (January 2012). "Balkan Romani: The Dialect of Ajios Athanasios/Greece (Languages of the World/Materials 481) (review)" (PDF). Romani Studies. 22 (1): 76–85. doi:10.3828/rs.2012.5.
  22. ^ Matras, Yaron (2004). "Romacilikanes—The Romani dialect of Parakalamos". Romani Studies. 14: 59–109. doi:10.3828/rs.2004.3 – via ResearchGate.
  23. ^ "Roma traditional craft: basket weaving — Правозахисний фонд "Розвиток"". www.rozvitok.org. 14 July 2016. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  24. ^ Adamou, Evangelia; Arvaniti, Amalia (2014). "Greek Thrace Xoraxane Romane". Journal of the International Phonetic Association. 44 (2): 223–231. doi:10.1017/S0025100313000376. S2CID 143602944.
  25. ^ Zachos, Dimitrios (2011). "Sedentary Roma (Gypsies): The case of Serres (Greece)". Romani Studies. 21: 23–56. doi:10.3828/rs.2011.2. S2CID 144321480.
  26. ^ Robert Dankoff (1991). "The Earliest Text in Balkan (Rumelian) Romani: A Passage from Evliya Çelebi's Seyah¢a@t na@meh" (PDF). Journal of the Gypsy Lore Society. Fifth Series. 1 (1): 1–20.
  27. ^ Salomon, Richard (1991). "Epigraphic Remains of Indian Traders in Egypt". Journal of the American Oriental Society. 111 (4): 731–736. doi:10.2307/603404. JSTOR 603404.
  28. ^ "India-Egypt trade during antiquity".
  29. ^ "Indians used own cooking pots in Egypt during ancient Indo-Roman trade". The Economic Times.
  30. ^ "Figure 3. The Roma tobacco workers who live in Ortaköy/Beşiktaş with".
  31. ^ "Sepečides / Sevlengere Roma" (in Turkish).
  32. ^ "Unutulan Mübadil Romanlar: 'Toprağın kovduğu insanlar'" (in Turkish). 7 February 2021.
  33. ^ "La Charte sociale européenne" (PDF). Coe.int. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
  34. ^ "La Charte sociale européenne" (PDF). Coe.int. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
  35. ^ Mariam, Nicky (29 August 2013). "Agia Varvara Children Still Missing | GreekReporter.com". Greekreporter.com. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
  36. ^ "Hopiema" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 July 2011. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
  37. ^ "Children, Racism and the Greek State |". 2ndcouncilhouse.co.uk. 19 October 2013. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
  38. ^ "Roma – Sub Ethnic Groups [Rombase]".
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