Pothia

Kalymnos, Greek: Κάλυμνος; (Turkish: Kilimli; Italian: Càlino) is a Greek island in the south-eastern Aegean Sea. It belongs to the Dodecanese and is located to the west of the peninsula of Bodrum (the ancient Halicarnassos), between the islands of Kos (south, at a distance of 12 Km) and Leros (north, at a distance of less than 2 Km): the latter is linked to it through a series of islets. Kalymnos lies between two to five hours away by sea from Rhodes. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2560x1920, 1112 KB)Photo by KF, July 2005. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2560x1920, 1112 KB)Photo by KF, July 2005. ... For the ship Aegean Sea, see Aegean Sea (oil spill) The Aegean Sea (Greek: Αιγαίο Πέλαγος, Aigaío Pélagos; Turkish: Ege Denizi) is a sea arm of the Mediterranean Sea located between the southern Balkan and Anatolian peninsulas, i. ... The Dodecanese (Greek: Δωδεκάνησα, Dodekánisa, meaning twelve islands; see also List of traditional Greek place names) are a group of Greek islands in the Aegean Sea, off the southwest coast of Turkey. ... Bodrum (formerly Halicarnassus - in Greek Αλικαρνασσός-, and also, during the Middle Ages Petronium) is a Turkish port in MuÄŸla Province. ... Map of the Aegean Sea, showing the location of Halicarnassus (modern Bodrum, Turkey) Halicarnassus (modern Bodrum), an ancient Greek city on the southwest coast of Caria, Asia Minor, on a picturesque and advantageous site on the Ceramic Gulf or Gulf of Cos. ... Port and city view of Kos town on the island Kos. ... Leros (Greek: Λέρος; Italian: Lèro) is a Greek island in the Dodecanese, in the southern Aegean Sea. ... Location map of Rhodes Rhodes (Greek: Ρόδος (pron. ...

The island had in 2001 a population of 16,576 inhabitants. This makes Kalymnos the island of the Dodecanese with the third largest population, after Kos and Rhodes.

Geography

The island is roughly rectangular in shape, with a length of 21 Km and a width of 13 Km, and covers an area of 109 km². Moreover, on the north side there is a peninsula which stretches in direction NW. Kalymnos is mainly mountainous, with a complicated pattern. There are three main chains going from W-NW to E-SE, and a fourth one which innervates the peninsula. The coastline is very irregular, with many sheltered coves. There are some springs, one among them being thermal. The soil is mainly made of limestone, but in the valleys there is a compact bank of volcanic tufa, relict of an ancient volcano, located near the village of Kantouni. The island is mainly barren, except the valleys of Vathi and Pothia, where olives, oranges and vineyards grow. Limey shale overlaid by limestone. ... Tufa is the name for an unusual geological formation. ...

Earthquakes are a frequent occurrence around Kalymnos.

The archipelago of Kalymnos

Kalymnos is neighbored by the small island of Telendos, which was part of Kalymnos, but after a major earthquake 554 A.D. was split and separated from Kalymnos by a strip of water (about 800m wide).

Between Kalymnos and Kos there is the islet of Pserimos which is inhabited and, with an area of 11 km², is one of the largest among the lesser islands of Dodecanese. Near Pserimos lies the islet of Platí, and about 5 Km to the NE there is the small islet of Kalolimnos. Pserimos is a small island in the Dodecanese chain, lying between Kalymnos and Kos in front of the coast of Turkey. ...

History

Inhabited originally by Carians, during the ancient ages Kalymnos depended on Kos, and followed its history. In the Middle Ages it was Byzantine, and during the XIII Century it was used by Venice as a naval base. In 1310 it became a possession of the Knights of Rhodes, and later (mainly in 1457 and 1460) was often attacked by the Ottomans, which conquered it in 1522. Unlike Rhodes and Kos, during the Ottoman period there was no Turkish immigration to Kalymnos. Location of Caria Caria (Greek Καρία; see also List of traditional Greek place names) was a region of Asia Minor, situated south of Ionia, and west of Phrygia and Lycia. ... Port and city view of Kos town on the island Kos. ... The Byzantine Empire is the term conventionally used to describe the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages, centered at its capital in Constantinople. ... Venice (Italian: Venezia, Venetian: Venexia) is the capital of the Italian regions and has a population of 271,663 (census estimate January 1, 2004). ... The Knights Hospitaller (the or Knights of Malta or Knights of Rhodes) is a tradition which began as a Benedictine nursing Order founded in the 11th century based in the Holy Land, but soon became a militant Christian Chivalric Order under its own charter, and was charged with the care... The Ottoman Empire at the height of its power Imperial motto El Muzaffer Daima The Ever Victorious (as written in tugra) Official language Ottoman Turkish Capital İstanbul ( Constantinople/Asitane/Konstantiniyye ) Sovereigns Sultans of the Osmanli Dynasty Population ca 40 million Area 12+ million km² Establishment 1299 Dissolution October 29...

On May 12, 1912, during the Italo-Turkish War, Kalymnos was occupied by Italian sailors of the Regia Marina. Italy took control of the island along with other islands of the Dodecanese until 1947, when the Dodecansese finally were united with mainland Greece. The Italo-Turkish or Turco-Italian War was fought between the Ottoman Empire and Italy from September 28, 1911 to October 18, 1912. ... The Italian Regia Marina (literally: Royal Navy) dates from the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861 after Italian unification. ...

Economy

Being mostly barren (only 18% of the land can be cultivated), agriculture played always a minor role in economy of the island, except for the valley of Vathi.The island is famous for its citrus fruits.

Kalymnos owned is past wealth to the sea, mainly with trading and boat building. Anyway, the main industry of the island was Sponge fishing. Here the island was the main centre of production in the Aegean, and still now is a traditional occupation with related exhibitions, along with other local folklore, at three local museums. Another industrial activity typical of Kalymnos was the production of painted head scarfs, which were the most original component of the female dress. Lately, the most important activity became tourism. Classes Calcarea Hexactinellida Demospongiae The sponges or poriferans (from the Greek poros pore and ferro to bear) are animals of the phylum Porifera. ...

Since the beginning of last century there has been a very strong emigration abroad (in 1925 the population amounted to 24,000 inhabitants), especially in USA and Australia. It should be noted, that the cities of Tarpon Springs, Florida USA, and Darwin, Northern Territory Australia, both house large Greek communities of Kalymnian descent. Tarpon Springs is a city located in Pinellas County, Florida. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Capital Darwin Government Const. ...

Emborios in the northernmost part of the island

Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2560x1920, 1020 KB)Photo by KF, July 2005. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2560x1920, 1020 KB)Photo by KF, July 2005. ...

Description of the island

The district capital of Kalymnos, situated in a natural amphitheatre, is Pothia, which is the main port of the island. The town features Italianate architecture, a silver-domed cathedral dedicated to Jesus (Christos), the churches of Aghios Nikolaos and Aghios Stefanos and the Monastery of St. Savas, perched on a hilltop overlooking the town. Italianate Architectural Style Italianate Architectural Style Italianate Architectural Style Italianate describes the style of villas introduced in the United States by Alexander Jackson Davis in the 1840s as an alternative to Gothic or Greek Revival styles, featuring a low-pitched or flat roof with a wide, emphatic eave supported by...

Being a mostly barren island with little agriculture, on the island there are few established villages (Vathi being an exception).

The main population lives in town during the winter, and during the summer months migrates to the various holiday resorts around the island.

Massouri is the most touristic location of the island with plenty of hotels and night life. For those who are looking for a quieter place, Panormos, Emborios and Plati Gialos are the answers. The small island of Pserimos is very near to Pothia and has beautiful sandy beaches. Pserimos is a small island in the Dodecanese chain, lying between Kalymnos and Kos in front of the coast of Turkey. ...

Limestone cliffs with a multitude of caves and overhanging areas have made Kalymnos a world class destination for rock climbers; and more specifically for sport climbing. The huge yellow cave full of stalactites above the town of Masouri (The "Grande Grotta") and the long and tall walls that surround it are most popular. The other small hamlets of Kalymnos are Vathy, Myrties, Emborios and the small village of Agios Petros at the north end of the island.

Reference notes

• Bertarelli, L.V. (1929). Guida d'Italia, Vol. XVII. Consociazione Turistica Italiana, Milano. 

External links

• Kalymnos travel guide from Wikitravel
• Kalymnos municipality official site

Coordinates: 36°59′N 26°59′E Wikitravel is a project to create an open content, complete, up-to-date, and reliable world-wide travel guide. ... The Dodecanese (Greek: Δωδεκάνησα, Dodekánisa, meaning twelve islands; see also List of traditional Greek place names) are a group of Greek islands in the Aegean Sea, off the southwest coast of Turkey. ... Afantou (Αφάντου) is a municipality on the island of Rhodes, in the Dodecanese, Greece. ... Archangelos is a village on the island of Rhodes. ... Astipalea Astipalea (or Astypalea or Astypalaia, Αστυπάλαια) is a Greek island with 1. ... Attavyros (Αττάβυρος) is a municipality on the island of Rhodes, in the Dodecanese, Greece. ... Chalki (Halki, Khalki; Greek: Χάλκη) is a Greek island in Dodecanese archipelago in the Aegean Sea, some 6 km west or Rhodes. ... Dikaio (Δίκαιο) is a municipality on the island of Kos, in the Dodecanese, Greece. ... Ialysos (Greek: Ιαλυσός), also known as Trianta, is the second-largest town on the island of Rhodes (Ρόδος, Rhodos) in Greece. ... Irakleides (Ηρακλείδες) is a municipality on the island of Kos, in the Dodecanese, Greece. ... Kallithea (Καλλιθέα) is a municipality on the island of Rhodes, in the Dodecanese, Greece. ... Kameiros is a city on the island of Rhodes, lying on a peninsula on the northwest coast of the island. ... Karpathos (Greek: Κάρπαθος, Turkish : Kerpe, Italian :Scarpanto, Latin :Carpathus; see also List of traditional Greek place names) is the second largest of the Greek Dodecanese islands, in southeast Aegean sea. ... Kasos is a Greek island in the Dodecanese. ... Port and city view of Kos town on the island Kos. ... Lipsi, viewed from the harbour Leipsoi (Greek: Λειψοί, also: Lipsi) is an island south of Samos and to the north of Leros in Greece. ... Leros (Greek: Λέρος; Italian: Lèro) is a Greek island in the Dodecanese, in the southern Aegean Sea. ... Acropolis of Lindos: the restored stoa Lindos (Greek Λινδος;) is a town and an archaeological site on the east coast of the island of Rhodes (Rhodhos) in the Dodecanese Islands in south-eastern Greece. ... Kastellórizo (Greek:Καστελλόριζο) or Meis in Turkish, is a small Greek island placed in the Eastern Mediterranean at location . ... Satellite image of Nisyros island, an active volcano Nisyros (Greek: Νίσυρος; also transliterated Nissiros; see also List of traditional Greek place names) is a volcanic Greek island located in the Aegean Sea. ... Skala viewed from the Monastery of Agios Ioannis Theologos, one of the UN World Heritage Sites. ... Petaloudes (Πεταλούδες) is a municipality on the island of Rhodes, in the Dodecanese, Greece. ... Rhodes (Greek: Ρόδος - Ródos) is the main city of the Greek island of Rhodes, in the Aegean Sea. ... South Rhodes (Νότια Ρόδος) is a municipality on the island of Rhodes, in the Dodecanese, Greece. ... Yialos, Symi Harbour, seen from Chorio Symi (Greek: Σύμη, also transliterated Syme or Simi; Turkish Sömbeki; see also list of traditional Greek place names) is a small but historic Greek island. ... View over Livadhia, the port and main village on Tilos Tílos (Greek: Τήλος; ancient form: Telos, Turkish: Ä°lyaki; Italian: Piscopi) is a small Greek island located in the Aegean Sea. ... Agathonisi (Αγαθονήσι) is a small island located the most northerly point of the Dodecanese prefecture in Greece. ... Olympos (Όλυμπος) is a community on the island of Karpathos, in the Dodecanese, Greece. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...