▁named ▁their ▁town ▁Bal la ▁after ▁the ▁can non ball ▁that ▁saved ▁them ▁from ▁the ▁Tur ks . ▁ ▁Indeed , ▁whether ▁or ▁not ▁the ▁myth ▁of ▁the ▁village ' s ▁found ing ▁is ▁true , ▁the ▁location ▁of ▁Bal la / P ef ko ▁saved ▁it ▁from ▁Turkish ▁occupation . ▁The ▁orientation ▁of ▁the ▁village ▁was ▁very ▁strateg ic , ▁as ▁it ▁is ▁hidden ▁between ▁two ▁r ises ▁making ▁it ▁very ▁hard ▁for ▁the ▁Tur ks ▁and ▁other ▁occup iers ▁to ▁find . ▁Bal la / P ef ko ▁was ▁a ▁major ▁center ▁of ▁gu err illa ▁resistance ▁activities ▁against ▁both ▁the ▁Tur ks ▁and ▁the ▁Germ ans , ▁the ▁latter ▁who ▁found ▁the ▁village ▁and ▁burn ed ▁it ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁vill ager ' s ▁activities ▁in ▁resist ing ▁the ▁Naz i ▁occupation . ▁The ▁village ▁was ▁also ▁partially ▁destroyed ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s ▁due ▁to ▁rock sl ides , ▁but ▁later ▁re built . ▁ ▁Nik itar as ▁and ▁P erd ios ▁Nik itar as , ▁a ▁hero ▁of ▁the ▁Greek ▁Revolution ▁known ▁as ▁" Τ ο υ ρ κ ο φ α γ ο u ς " ▁or T our k oph ag os ▁or ▁" e ater ▁of ▁Tur ks " ▁successfully ▁hid ▁in ▁Bal la ▁when ▁they ▁were ▁being ▁h unted ▁by ▁the ▁authorities . ▁The ▁old ▁stone ▁houses ▁where ▁the ▁hero es ▁stayed ▁still ▁stands . ▁It ▁is ▁owned ▁by ▁the ▁N iar hos ▁family , ▁having ▁mi rac ul ously ▁surv