By Nicolas Bard
Antiparos is a small, rocky island of the South Aegean, located in the heart of the Cyclades, and a breath away from neighboring Paros (less than a naval mile). The oldest settlement of the Cyclades was found on the island of Saliagos, and the island of Despotiko is also of great archaeological interest. The cluster of Antiparos consists of a total of 25 islands, islands and islands!
The central settlement is located in the northeast part of the island, opposite Punta of Paros, with which it is associated with a ferry. The picturesque, historic center is in the Venetian castle of Antiparos, which is connected through the shopping road with the ferry to the coast. Other well -known settlements are the holiday settlement of St. George at the southwestern edge, which has been included in the city plan, Poros and Kampos, while well -known beaches in the wider area are Psaralikas, Sifnikos Gialos, Agios Spyridonas.
The ancient name of the island was “Oliaros”. It is a word of Phoenician origin that a “wooded mountain”. Later the island was named “Antiparos” as it is opposite the popular Paros. The island has volcanic soil and dry climate with plenty of humidity, while its morphology is basically designated lowland, which favors the growth of strong winds, with many small hilly outbreaks. The highest peak is the prophet Elias (301 m) covered by cedars and shrubs. West the coasts are smoother and sandy, while east are rocky, with small bays.
Antiparos is surrounded by a plethora of small uninhabited islands, which are of great historical and archaeological interest, such as the cemetery, the round, the double, the crab, the rheumatoid, the red and black turkey. Particularly known in the international community is Despotiko, an uninhabited island southwest of Antiparos, where excavations have been held in recent years with findings of great archaeological value.
Architecture
As in all the Cyclades, here, architecture dictates strict regulations for the maintenance of Cycladic technique and uniformity, composed of the characteristic white houses with blue doors and windows, courtyard and gardens adorned with bougainvilleas and other flowers. Often these features are in line with the carved stone on the walls, paved alleys and colored fences of the courtyards.
The island’s castle, built in 1440, seems to have a very specific and special architectural style. The houses compose a compact complex with 24 two -storey houses in the castle, 24 one -storey in Xopirgos and 16 two -storey in the outer zone, while there are three churches between the houses, and the old aqueduct. Here you will see the picturesque white houses, with the colored doorways and small courtyards on the back of the castle.
The castle of Antiparos
The Venetian Castle of Antiparos is a characteristic example of the fortified settlements created in the Cyclades during the Venetian occupation in the 13th to 16th century AD. Its construction dates back to the mid -15th century, when Venetian Giovanni Lorentano decided to marry Maria Somaria. In its original form, the castle included the central tower and a residential perimeter, with the residences distributed to a square of continuous construction, at the same time the defensive wall of the fortified settlement. The only entrance was on the ground floor of the house in the southern wing.
Inside the settlement, the main facades of the houses were developed in a three -storey arrangement, while each floor had an independent entrance leading to an outer staircase. Along the way, the settlement was extended externally of the southern wing in the form of a rectangular ring bearing the name “Xopirgos”, as well as within the original enclosure, around the base of the circular tower. This zone of the buildings around the tower leaves a narrowing of the houses of the surrounding walls, called “Rimni”, probably the corruption of the word “romance”, which is the only way to cross residents and visitors to the core of the settlement.
In later years the original architectural style of the castle was amended by the religious element with extensions of Christian worship, the erection of the Church of Christ and the use of the Tower as a water tank. On the contrary, the houses maintained their initial characteristics satisfactorily, despite the collapse of the upper floors, as any intervention requires authorization by the Archaeological Service. Today most houses grow on one to two floors at most and have underground hatches.
The cave
In the center of the island, on the outskirts of the Mount of Antiparos lies the famous cave of the island, one of the most beautiful and mysterious caves in the world. The cave area was used as a natural refuge in the Neolithic era and then, as well as for pottery, but also for the worship of the goddess Artemis, while at the entrance of the site the simple and enchanting temple of St. John of Spiliotis was erected. Inscriptions and engravings to his stalactites and stalagmites testify to his passers -by, such as the inscription of the Holy Bank, the generals of Alexander the Great and King Otto.
In 1673, the French archaeologist Marquis de Dovandel, French Ambassador of Constantinople, stayed in the cave for three days with his five hundred comrades while operating at the Holy Bank on Christmas Day. In 1775 Marquis de Saver came to the cave and later the first king of Greece, Otto.
During the German occupation a part of the cave was destroyed. It is worth noting that the cave was used as a refuge by the National Resistance fighters against the conqueror. One of the earliest references to the historical cave is that of the lyric poet Archilochos of Paros in the 7th century BC.
The cave was fully utilized and was visited after 2000, when railings were installed, appropriate steps, lighting, security cameras and speakers to inform visitors were created.
Beaches
The coasts of Antiparos stand out for their golden sandy beaches and crystal clear waters and for this island it attracts a large number of tourists in the summer. The most famous beaches in the wider area of the central settlement are the fishermen. There are three beaches that are south of the coastal and famous for salty trees that provide shade behind the sand. In the second fisherman there is a beach bar during the summer months. In the northern seaside is the beach of camping, which is accessible by bus and is known for attracting nudists. Agios Spyridonas beach has quite shallow waters and is ideal for children, while Sifnikos Gialos is on the back of the castle, who has been named after the island of Sifnos and is known for the high waves, due to the winds that grow in the area.
Other well -known and accessible beaches are the Livadia, on the west coast, the sandy beach in the pile, Agios Sostis, the beaches of Faneromeni, the beaches in Glyfa, the beach of Panagia (3rd fisherman), in the answer, to St. George. Excursions to the beach of Despotiko take place daily during the summer months with tourist boats, which are also touring the island.
Source :Skai
I am Frederick Tuttle, who works in 247 News Agency as an author and mostly cover entertainment news. I have worked in this industry for 10 years and have gained a lot of experience. I am a very hard worker and always strive to get the best out of my work. I am also very passionate about my work and always try to keep up with the latest news and trends.
