The Ambracian Gulf, also known as the Gulf of Arta or the Gulf of Actium, and in some official documents as the Amvrakikos Gulf (), is a gulf of the Ionian Sea in northwestern Greece. About long and wide, it is one of the largest enclosed gulfs in Greece, and due to its ecological importance is one of the National Parks of Greece. The towns of Preveza, Amfilochia (formerly Karvassaras), and Vonitsa lie on its shores.
Name
The gulf takes its name from the ancient city of
Ambracia located near its shores. Its alternative name comes from the medieval (and modern) city of Arta, located in the same place as ancient Ambracia.
Geography
The entrance to the gulf is through a -wide channel between Aktio (ancient
Actium) on the south and
Preveza on the north; a recent road tunnel connects the two. The gulf is quite shallow, and its northern shore is broken by numerous
, large parts of which form an
estuary system. The Louros and
Arachthos River rivers drain into it; for this reason it is warmer and less salty than the Ionian, and a current flows from the gulf into the sea. It is rich in
grey mullet, sole, and
eel, and is also very famous for the local variety of large shrimp (gabari, in Greek γάμπαρη).
Sea turtles and dolphins regularly make an appearance, while it contains lagoons very important for birds.
History
The Ambracian Gulf was the site of the Battle of Actium, in which
Augustus' forces defeated those of
Mark Antony and
Cleopatra. Battle of Preveza, which
Ottoman Empire admiral Hayreddin Barbarossa defeated the Holy League's admiral
Andrea Doria, held on the very same gulf in 1538 . From Greek independence (Treaty of Constantinople, 1832) until the Second Balkan War (Treaty of Bucharest, 1913), the gulf formed part of the border between the Kingdom of Greece and the
Ottoman Empire.
The remains of numerous ancient cities lie on its shores: Nicopolis, Argos Ippatum, Limnaea, Preveza and Olpae.
Ecology
The Ambracian gulf is one site in the
European Union 'life transfer' project restoring
Seagrass meadow to combat climate change and enrich
biodiversity
Transportation
Since 2002, the northern and southern sides at the mouth of the gulf are connected by the Aktio-Preveza Undersea Tunnel. The tunnel greatly shortens the travel distance across the gulf, which used to be possible only by ferry. The Aktion International Airport (airport code PVK) is built near the Gulf's entrance and serves the region.
Sources
-
James Wolfe, "Observations on the Gulf of Arta, Made in 1830" Journal of the Royal Geographical Society of London 3:77-94 (1833) at JSTOR
External links
