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Nisyros

Mayor

Christofis Koroneos

Biography

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Nisyros island is actually a volcano and its rocks are similar to those of southwestern Kos.

According to legend, Poseidon, aiding Zeus in the battle against the titans, broke off a piece of the nearby island of Kos and threw it at the fleeing giant Polybotis. The landmass became known as Nisorys and the volcanic activity is the wriggling and breathing of the giant trapped under it. In terms of science, however, we can safely assume that it took hundreds of thousands of years of underwater volcanic activity, for the first peek of the island to emerge from underneath the Aegean sea.

The first pre-Hellenic people to inhabit Nisyros were the Pelasgians. Their successor was Pelasgos, son of Zeus and Niobius. After the Pelasgians, the Kares were conquered and inhabited (Caria was a transport hub between Ionia, Lydia, Lycia and Phrygia) and the Leleges. Eventually, the Carians prevailed and, as excellent sailors and farmers, brought marine art and agriculture to Nisyros.

From 3000 BC to 1500 BC the Cretans live in Nisyros, shaping it according to their own of Cretan culture. The Phoenicians (1500 - 800 BC) were the first competitors and eventual successors of the Cretans. The Phoenicians were not a conquering people and took advantage of timely areas to move their ships and conduct their trade. They did not have their own culture, but they learned the writing and the arts from the Hittites and Egyptians and adapted it to the needs of commerce and shipping. In Nisyros, they established purple shelters for the purpose of shelling for a specific type of shells that produce a higher quality of purple, that is, a deep red paint colour. This is why Nisyros was also called Porphyry. Kos silk fabrics, light, transparent and elegant, were sought after because they were dyed with the purple of Nisyros. The result of years of Phoenician influence was the transformation of Nisyros into a permanent commercial and naval center, which eventually amassed great wealth, relative to its size, and boasts great amounts of naval power.

Greece / Nisyros / Tilos / Culture and Tourism / Welfare and Health

Several Greek islands are COVID-free and anticipating summer

After having the majority of their inhabitants vaccinated, these islands are now COVID-free and ready for the tourist season

Mar 09, 2021 14:13

Svilena Iotkovska

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