Ano Poroia

Ano Poroia  is a village in Greece, located in Macedonia. The population was 1,529 people (2001). The name literally means "Upper Downpour" in contemporary Bulgarian.The village is located 55 km and 30 km respectively to the Northwest of the town of Serres and to the west of Sidirokastro. It is at the foot of the Belasitsa (Beles or Kerkini) at an altitude of 380 m. Lake Kerkini (Butkovsko lake) is to the south of Ano Poroia.

Ano Poroia was founded in the end of the 18th century (c.1800),by Vlachs (at the most) of Pindus mountain after expulsions led by Ali Pasha of Ioannina. During the 19th century the village was one of the largest and developed in Demirhisar Kaza of the Serres Sandjak. The main occupation was farming (tobacco, flax, cotton, barley, rye), sericulture, and commerce. The population was composed of Bulgarians , Vlachs and Turks.

In "Ethnographie des vilayets d'Adrianople, de Monastir et de Salonique" (issued in Constantinople in 1878 and concerning the population in 1873) it was written that Gorni Poroi was a village, and had 320 households with 1,000 Bulgarians and 60 Vlachs. Gustav Weigand -German linguist and specialist in Balkan languages (esp.Bulgarian and Aromanian)- passed during early 20th century.He mentions 750 households.450 of them Bulgarian,200 Vlachic and 100 Turkish.