Saturday, August 2, 2014

The Island of Lovers


Milos (Greek: Μήλος), is one of the islands in the Cyclades group.  It is known as the” island of lovers” because in 1820 the statue of the Greek Goddess of love Aphrodite “Venous de Milo was discovered on the island. In the historical times, the Dorians settled the island.  In the summer of 416 BC the Athenians landed an army of 3,000, and took the city that winter. In the aftermath, as was common in antiquity, with cities that resisted sieges, the men were killed, and the women and children were sold to slavery. When Athens was defeated by Sparta at the end of the Peloponnesian War, the survivors returned to their homes.  During the Latin period the island formed part of the Duchy of Naxos.  In 1566, the Venetians handed over the island to the Ottomans who ruled it until 1830 when it joined the independent state of Greece. 
Plaka the main town on the island is located at the top of a hill.
Two young tourists, John and Chloe, visiting the catacombs of Milos.  The catacombs date back to 1-5th century AD and were used a burial site and a place of worship by early Christians.  Visitors of the main chamber of the elders “Presbyters” can see inscriptions of Christian symbols as the word “ΙΧΘΥΣ” a monogram for Jesus Christ.

The fishing village of Klima with its characteristic houses perched at the sea’s edge.
Traditional fishing boats in the harbor of Milos.

2 comments:

  1. "The Duchy of the Archipelago or also Duchy of Naxos or Duchy of the Aegean was a maritime state created by Venetian interests in the Cyclades archipelago in the Aegean Sea, in the aftermath of the Fourth Crusade, centered on the islands of Naxos and Paros.

    The plaka or plateia is the village square, though it can be almost any shape. This usually holds a taverna or cafenion or two, the local civic authority, and an area of trees, often with taverna tables arranged around them. Cement play areas are common. On summer evenings it is usually "the" place to be, and many voltas, or evening walks, end up in the town square. Pláka is the old historical neighborhood of Athens, clustered around the northern and eastern slopes of the Acropolis, and incorporating labyrinthine streets and neoclassical architecture. Plaka is built on top of the residential areas of the ancient town of Athens. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrcKF-SgGQg (cut and paste this website to your browser window to see a beautiful video of Plaka). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e75NPyXzkpw video of Klima.

    These places are so beautiful, but Klima seems small and where do people go besides the water, for food and entertainment?

    ReplyDelete
  2. The Aegean was the highway where Minoans, Phoenicians and later the Greeks and Romans of the classical period, Francs, Venetians, Genovese and many others criss-crossed to conduct their commerce and warfare. Klima is a cute village fishermen built their houses adjacent to sea as it was convenient to conduct their trade. Life was hard and entertainment was secondary in their mind. It now attracts the tourists because of its uniqueness but lacks as you correctly state what it is common in towns a square with a church, a city hall, a police station, restaurants etc.

    ReplyDelete