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Syros (Greek: Σύρος), or Siros or Syra is a Greek island in the Cyclades, in the Aegean Sea. It's located 78 nautical miles south-east of Athens. The island features towns including Ermoupoli and Ano Syros. Ermoupoli is the capital of the Island and the Cyclades. It has always been a significant port town and during the past century even more significant than Pireus. Image File history File links Information_icon. ... The Cyclades, from the Greek Κυκλάδες, (circular, modern Greek Kykládes; see also List of traditional Greek place names) form an island group south-east of the mainland of Greece. ... For the ship Aegean Sea, see Aegean Sea (oil spill) The Aegean Sea (Greek: Αιγαίο Πέλαγος, Aeyéo Pélagos; Turkish: Ege Denizi) is a sea arm of the Mediterranean Sea located between the southern Balkan and Anatolian peninsulas, i. ... Ermoupoli (Greek: Ερμούπολη - Ermoúpoli), also known as Syros is a town in eastern Greece. ... Ano Syros (Άνω Σύρος) is a municipality on the island of Syros, in the Cyclades, Greece. ... Piraeus, or Peiraeus (Modern Greek: Πειραιά(ς) Pireá(s), Ancient Greek / Katharevousa: Πειραιεύς Pireéfs) is a city in the prefecture of Attica, Greece, located south of Athens. ...

Ermoupoli and Ano Syros

Port of Ermoupoli

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Ermoupoli

Ermoupoli, the "Queen of the Cyclades", stands on a naturally amphitheatrical site, with neo-classical buildings, old mansions and white houses cascading down to the harbour. The City Hall, where Miaoulis Square lies ringed with cafes and with seating areas under palm trees, has a grandeur all of its own. The "City of Hermes" has numerous magnificent churches, the most interesting of which are Metamorphosis, Koimisis, St Demetrius, Three Hierarchs, Anastasis, Evangelistria and St Nicolas. The Archaeological Museum has a collection of notable finds and the Municipal Library contains numerous interesting and rare editions. The quarter of the town known as Vaporia, where the sea captains lived, is of special interest. Along its narrow streets stand numerous neo-classical mansions.

Ano Syros

Ano Syros is the second town of the Island and was built by the Venetians at the beginning of the 13th century on the hill of San Giorgio, north-west of Hermoupolis. Ano Syros maintains its enchanting medieval atmosphere. Innumerable steps between narrow streets and houses with coloured doors lead you to the top of the town, which makes for some adventurous exploration.^[1]

The medieval settlement of Ano Syros is not accessible by car, the town is serviced mostly by marble steps. The distance from the harbour up to the main entry point of the town is approximately 3500 metres. The Catholic basilica of San Giorgio dominates Ano Syros. The church was constructed during the 13th century. From here the visitor enjoys a panoramic view of the neighbouring islands of Tinos, Delos, Mykonos, Paros and Naxos.

History

Ancient Times

During Roman times the capital of Syros was situated in the area of contemporary Hermoupolis. At the end of ancient times, the barbaric raids and the plague of piracy, which had scourged the Aegean for many centuries, led Syros to decline. In the Byzantine years Syros constituted together with the rest of the Cycladic islands, part of the Aegean Dominion. After the overthrow of the Byzantium by the Venetian/Francs in 1204, Syros came under Venetian domination and was included in the Ducat of the Aegean. Meanwhile amphitheatric Ano Syros was inhabited. During the Latin period, the majority of the local community were Roman Catholics, but maintained the Greek language. During the reign of almost three and a half centuries of the Ducat of the Aegean, Syros had a singular feudal regime.

Ottoman Times

In the middle of the 16th century, the Ottoman fleet occupied the island and the Ducat fell apart. However, the negotiations of the local authorities with the Ottoman Empire led to the offer of substantial privileges to the Cycladic islands such as the reduction of taxation and religious freedom.

At the same time, following an agreement between France and the Vatican with the Ottoman authorities, the Catholics of the island came under the protection of France and Rome. A privilege that was maintained for centuries. After the second half of the 17th century a period of economic recovery of the Aegean began, which reached its height during the transition from the 18th to the 19th century. The special regime of the islands allowed the development of local self-government. The decline of piracy since the beginning of the 19th century had as a result the gradual liberation of the sea routes of the Eastern Mediterranean.

Due to its crucial geographical position Syros became known as a maritime way-point. Moreover the special social, religious, and institutional conditions prevailing on the island led the Syriots to neutrality at the beginning of the Greek Revolution in 1821. As a result, Syros became a secure shelter during the Revolution and attracted many Greek refugees from Asia Minor, Chios,Spetses,psara,Aivali,Smyrna,Kydonia,Kassos and other places. The newcomers, mainly mariners and tradesmen, gave a new dynamism to the island which together with its demographic and economic development, was transformed into an administrative and cultural centre.

In 1822-1865 Ermoupoli was rebuilt in a Neoclassical style, merging Greek Classism with elements of the Renaissance. Many landmarks such as the City Hall (designed by the famous German architect Ernst Ziller),the theatre Apollon by the Italian architect Campo (a miniature version of La Scala di Milano), the main Library, the General Hospital of Syros (Vardakeio-Proio), (www.vardakeio.gr),Miaoulis square and more.

Most public buildings, Churches, Schools, stadium and many mansions were built in the same elegant and neoclassical style, making Ermoupoli at the time, a very modern city with a unique character. As a result Syros changed almost overnight from a rather quiet island into a vigorous centre of crafts, industry and production. Also, due to its large excellent port at Hermoupolis it became a major centre for ship building and refitting. Neorion was the first shipyard of Greece. To this very day (2005) it remains a place where many ships are serviced and refitted. Ermoupoli (Greek: Ερμούπολη - Ermoúpoli), also known with its formal name as Ermoupolis latinized Hermoupolis is a city in eastern Greece. ...

There is a British Cemetery in Syros at Ermoupoli where various people are buried including many seaman and servicemen who died in the Cyclades region, particularly during the Second World War. Many Embassies and Consulates of countries such as France, England, Italy, The Netherlands and the Scandinavian Countries connect Syros with other European Capitals. Ermoupoli (Greek: Ερμούπολη - Ermoúpoli), also known as Syros is a town in eastern Greece. ... Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: God Save the King/Queen Capital London Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Unification    - by Athelstan AD 927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq mi  Population    - 2005 est. ... Motto: Je Maintiendrai (Dutch: Ik zal handhaven, English: I Shall Uphold) Anthem: Wilhelmus van Nassouwe Capital Amsterdam1 Largest city Amsterdam Official language(s) Dutch2 Government Parliamentary democracy Constitutional monarchy  - Queen Beatrix  - Prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende Independence Eighty Years War   - Declared July 26, 1581   - Recognised January 30, 1648 (by Spain... Scandinavian can mean: a resident of, or anything relating to Scandinavia any North Germanic language a chess opening, Scandinavian Defense the aviation corpotation Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

Because of the Venetian domination from the Middle Ages onwards, the islanders were once exclusively Roman Catholic. However, due to immigration from other islands, Catholics now constitute some 40% of the population. The great majority of the population are Greek Orthodox. They live side by side very peacefully. Intermarriage between denominations is very common in Syros. The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... Greek Orthodox Church can refer to any of several hierarchical churches within the larger group of mutually recognizing Eastern Orthodox churches: the Orthodox Church of Constantinople, headed by the Patriarch of Constantinople, who is also the first among equals of the Eastern Orthodox Communion. ...

The Pope's Island

The DIOCESE OF SYRA (SYRENSIS).("The Pope's Island") was a Latin diocese, suffragan of Naxos, comprising the Island of Syros in the Aegean Sea. The island has an area of about thirty-one square miles and 32,000 inhabitants today. It was first called Syra, then Syros or Siros, and appears in ancient times to have been inhabited by the Phoenicians. It was the country of the swineherd Eumaeus who described it at length (Odyssey, XV, 403 sq.) and of the philosopher Pherecydes, the teacher of Pythagoras. It possessed two leading cities, Syros (now the modern Ermoupoli) and another city on the western coast where stands to-day Maria della Grazia.

The largest villages are Galissas, Finikas, Vari, Mana, Kini and Posidonia. The island played no role in antiquity nor in the Christian epoch, it was not even a diocese at a time when even the smallest island possessed its bishop. Devastated several times during the Middle Ages with the other Cyclades by the Sicilians, Arabs, Turks, and Venetians, it was definitively conquered by these last in 1204 under the leadership of Marco Sanudo. They kept it until 1522 when the corsair Barbarossa took possession of it for the Turks. During the Othoman Empire Syros came under the protection of France and the Vatican. For that reason Syros was named in history "THE POPE'S ISLAND". After 1821 it was annexed to the Hellenic kingdom. The Venetians established there a Latin bishopric which was subject to the Archbishopric of Athens until 1525, afterwards to that of Naxos. The list of titulars may be found in Le Quien (Oriens christianus, III, 865-868) and in Eubel (Hierarchia catholica medii aevi, I, 492; II, 267; III, 324). The most celebrated among them is the Venerable John Andrew Carga, strangled by the Turks in 1617 because he refused to become a Muslim and because he was helping the Greek revolutionairies hiding on the Island (Pétridès in "Revue de l'Orient chrétien", V, 407-422). From the occupation of the island by the Turks in the sixteenth century, the Greeks established there a metropolitan: Joseph (Le Quien, op. cit., II, 233) is the earliest known, with Symeon who died in 1594 (Ampelas, "Histoire de Syros", 411) and Ignatius in 1596 (Miklosich and Mueller, "Acta patriarchatus constantinopolitani", V, 461). The island became for the most part Catholic (Ricaut, "Histoire de l'estat présent de l"Eglise grecque", 361; Hilaire de Barenton, "La France Catholique en Orient", 171-173).

Greek Fight for Independence

Syros took no part in the Greek revolt of 1821 however was inundated with refugees from Chios, Spetses, Psara, Aivali, Smyrna, Kydonia, Kassos, Asia Minor and other parts of Greece. They flocked to the Island and founded the town of Ermoupoli, which rapidly became the leading port of Greece. Ermoupoli was designed by well known European architects such as Ziller and Campo. Since 1870 the ports of Piraeus and Patras have taken greatly from its commercial importance. The diocese numbers 9000 Catholics, 21 secular priests and 8 regulars, 7 parishes, 7 churches with a resident priest, 3 without a priest, and 56 chapels. The Capuchins and Jesuits have each an establishment; the Sisters of Charity, 2 houses, one of which is a hospital; the Sisters of St Joseph of the Apparition have a boarding school and St George, a De La Salle boys Public School.

With the foundation of the Greek State the Catholic population of the island were Hellenized and changed their Latin family names to Greek. The family name Vuccino to Voutsinos, Russo to Roussos, Vacondio to Vakondios, Daleggio to Dalezios, Freri to Freris just to mention a few. However, there was no problem of integration between the old residents of Syros, mostly Roman Catholics and the newly arrived refugees, mostly Greek Orthodox. The island returned to peace and tranquility, Syros became known as a cross-roads in the Aegean and as an international commercial center linking Western Europe and the Mediterranean sea to the East. In 1822 began the construction of the first buildings and in 1824 the first Orthodox Church Metamorphosis and the largest Greek Sanatorium was constructed.

Economy

Since 1830 the commerce of fabrics, silk, ship building, leather and iron developed on Syros and at the same time a powerful banking system was created. During 1831 Syros played a prominent role in the establishment of the new Greek Constitution. Under Ioannis Kapodistrias (Giovanni Capo D'Istria) the first President of the new state, the population of Hermoupolis had reached 13,805 residents and the city had evolved into a seat of Government. It had a Commercial Court of Law, a Post Office (one of Greece's fisrt), insurance brokerages, the first Public School, a branch of The National Bank, Art Gallery, Museum, Library, a Social Club for the elite society etc. However, in 1854 cholera and a series of other epidemics unfortunately plunged Syros into mourning. A number of charitable institutions for Public Health and Social Services were established during this period: Orphanages, Poorhouses and a mental hospital. The tremendous growth and development of Hermoupolis continued and until 1860 Syros was the most important commercial harbour in Greece. Together with commerce and ship building, construction and public works were also developed. The renowned Greek Steamship Company was founded in 1856. The European architects (mainly Germans and Italians) and also Greeks who participated in the design and planning of Hermoupolis respected the classical and ancient Greek architecture and harmonized it with the romanticism of the West. Ermoupoli enjoys the greatest density in the neoclassical history of architecture. The prosperity of Syros was connected with an important development of social and cultural life. The evolutionary cycle was completed with the creation of the first industrial units during the decade of 1860-1870. Then followed a period of decline, as sailing gave way to steam, the importance of the geographical situation of the island was reduced, and Piraeus harbor finally took the predominant position in Greece. There was no earlier steamship company in Greece. ...

Galissas Beach

Beginning at the end of the 19th century and for several decades a temporary economic recovery took place, due to the development of the textile industry (“Foustanos-Karellas-Velissaropoulos & Co”). The second world war dealt a serious blow to Syros, as in every economic centre in Greece. However, already since the eighties, along with the generalized economic recovery and the rise of the living standards in Greece, elements of improvement appeared with tourism as its central axis. At the same time the reopening of the Neorion shipyards, as well as a number of other activities, indicate that Syros is on an upward trend. Ermoupoli today has 7 elementary schools, 4 Gymnasiums (high schools), 2 technical schools and the Aegean University with a department of fine Arts and system design, with a proposed future addition in Applied Arts and Visual Arts. The Syros airport, the Aegean casino, the frequent passenger boat transportation system and all other modern amenities are helping to attract many domestic and foreign tourists to the island year round. Economic recovery is back once again to this modern and cosmopolitan oasis, with two civilizations and two religions. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1536x1024, 854 KB) Summary Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Syros ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1536x1024, 854 KB) Summary Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Syros ...

Famous people of Syros

• Emmanuel Roidis
• Markos Vamvakaris (1905 - February 8, 1972), musician
• Manos Eleftheriou, lyricist
• Pherecydes of Syros, philosopher
• Antonio Gregorio Vuccino (Voutsinos) A.A. (1891-1968), Archbishop of Corfù, Zante and Cefalonia, Greece.
• Pantoleon A. Foustanos, industrialist

This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... 1905 (MCMV) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... February 8 is the 39th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... Pherecydes of Syros (in Greek: Φερεχύδης) was a Greek thinker from the island of Siros, Magna Graecia of the 6th century BC. Pherecydes authored the Heptamychia, one of the first attested prose works in Greek literature, which formed an important bridge between... Antonio Gregorio Vuccino (8 May 1891 – 23 April 1968) of Corfu, Zante and Cefalonia was born in Galissas, Syros of Greece. ...

Demetrios Vikelas

Demetrios Vikelas (February 15, 1835 – July 20, 1908) was the first president of the International Olympic Committee from 1894 to 1896. Demetrius Vikelas, also known as Bikelas (February 15, 1835 – July 20, 1908) was a Greek businessman and the first president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) from 1894 to 1896. ... Bold textralf is gay IOC redirects here. ...

He was born in Ermoupoli. Vikelas represented the Pan-Hellenic Gymnastic Club at the 1894 Paris congress convened by Pierre de Coubertin, where the modern Olympic Movement was founded. Originally, it had been De Coubertin's idea to hold the first celebration of the modern Olympics in Paris in 1900, but Vikelas convinced him and the newly created IOC that they should be held in Athens. As the constitution of the IOC at that time required the IOC president to be from the country which would host the next Games, Vikelas became the IOC's first president. Ermoupoli (Greek: Ερμούπολη - Ermoúpoli), also known as Syros is a town in eastern Greece. ... Baron Pierre de Coubertin Pierre de Coubertin (January 1, 1863 – September 2, 1937), born as Pierre de Frédy, was a French pedagogue and historian, but is best known as the founder of the modern Olympic Games. ... Athens (Greek: Αθήνα, Athína IPA: ) is the capital and largest city of Greece. ...

After these first Olympics, which proved a success, Vikelas withdrew from the IOC and turned his attentions elsewhere. He died in Athens, aged 73. Today, the Sports Center (Stadium) in Ermoupoli, which seats 2000 people, with an Olympic-size swimming pool, four tennis courts, two gym halls, basket and volleyball courts, track and field, floor football court and soccer field, bears Demetrios Vikelas' name. 50 meter indoor swimming pool A swimming pool, swimming bath, or wading pool is an artificially enclosed body of water intended for recreational or competitive swimming, diving, or for other bathing activities that involve swimming, e. ... A tennis net Tennis is a game played between either two players (singles) or two teams of two players (doubles). Players use a stringed racquet to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponents court. ... Sara Giauro shoots a three-point shot, FIBA Europe Cup for Women Finals 2005. ... Volleyball is an Olympic sport in which two teams separated by a high net use their hands, arms, or (rarely) other parts of their bodies to hit a ball back and forth over the net. ... A womens 400 metre hurdles race on a typical outdoor red rubber track. ... Football (soccer) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ...

See also

• List of islands of Greece

This is a list of some of the 1400 islands of Greece, of which 227 are inhabited. ...

Notes

1. ^ "Virtual walk through Ano Syros in panoramic shots".

External links

• Accomodation in Syros
• Syros Website
• GoGreece Syros site
• Ermoupoli
• Mini Football Fields in Syros
• Info about sailing and marinas on Syros. Includes plans and nautical charts
• Syros virtual tours with over 600 panoramic images and virtual walk-throughs.
• History, information, photos, map of the island

Coordinates: 37°27′N 24°54′E The Cyclades, from the Greek Κυκλάδες, (circular, modern Greek Kykládes; see also List of traditional Greek place names) form an island group south-east of the mainland of Greece. ... Amorgos (Greek: Αμοργος) is the easternmost island of the Greek Cyclades island group. ... Andros, or Andro (Greek: Άνδρος), an island of the Greek archipelago, the most northerly of the Cyclades, approximately 10 km (6 miles) south east of Euboea, and about 3 km (about 2 miles) north of Tinos. ... Ano Syros (Άνω Σύρος) is a municipality on the island of Syros, in the Cyclades, Greece. ... Drymalia (Δρυμαλία) is a municipality on the island of Naxos, in the Cyclades, Greece. ... Ermoupoli (Greek: Ερμούπολη - Ermoúpoli), also known as Syros is a town in eastern Greece. ... Exomvourgo (Εξώμβουργο) is a municipality on the island of Tinos, in the Cyclades, Greece. ... Ios (Greek: Ίος) is an island in the Cyclades group in the Aegean Sea. ... Kea, also known as Gia (Κέα / Τζια in Greek), Tzia and Keos (Ancient: Κέως), is an island of the Cyclades archipelago, in the Aegean sea, in Greece. ... Korthio (Κόρθιο) is a municipality on the island of Andros, in the Cyclades, Greece. ... Kythnos or Kithnos (Greek: Κύθνος) is a Greek island in the Western Cyclades between Kea and Serifos. ... Milos (formerly Melos, and before the Athenian genocide at 415 B.C. Malos; see also List of traditional Greek place names, Greek: Μήλος, not related to the Modern Greek word μήλο = milo for apple which has the same spelling except for the trailing sigma) is a volcanic island in the Aegean Sea. ... Mykonos (windmills) Mykonos Mykonos (hora) Mykonos (hora) Mykonos (Greek: Μύκονος; see also List of traditional Greek place names) or Myconos is an island of Greece and one of the top tourism destinations in Europe. ... Naxos (Greek: Νάξος; Italian: Nicsia; Turkish: NakÅŸa) is a Greek island, the largest island (428 km²) in the Cyclades island group in the Aegean. ... Paros, or Paro (Greek: Πάρος), is an island of Greece in the Aegean Sea, one of the largest of the group of the Cyclades. ... Paestum is the classical Roman name of a major Graeco-Roman city in the Campania region of Italy. ... Satellite image of Santorini. ... Seriphos (or Serifos) is a Greek island in the Aegean Sea, located in the western Cyclades, south of Kythnos and northwest of Siphnos. ... Sifnos (Greek: Σίφνος) is an island in the Cyclades complex in Greece. ... Tinos (Greek: Τήνος; Italian: Tine) is a Greek island situated in the Aegean Sea. ... Ydrousa (Υδρούσα) is a municipality on the island of Andros, in the Cyclades, Greece. ... 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. ... Anafi is a Greek island in the Cyclades. ... Antiparos (Greek:Αντιπαρος, anc. ... Donoussa was an ancient village in the prefecture of Achaea Donoussa (Greek: Δονούσα) or Donousa, also Denousa or Denoussa, Donoussa in the ancient times, Stenosa or Spinosa. ... Pholegandros, or Folegandros, is a small Greek island of the Aegean Sea, which, together with Sikinos, Ios, Anafi and Santorini, forms the southern part of the Cyclades. ... Irakleia (Ηράκλεια) is an island and a community in the Cyclades, Greece. ... Kimolos is an island in the Aegean Sea, at the south-west part of Cyclades at a distance of 1,6 km north-east of Milos, has 769 inhabitants (2001 Greek Census) and includes administratively the uninhabited islands Polyaigos (literally translated Many-Goats), Agios Georgios and Agios Efstathios. ... Pori The Beach Of Pori Windmill // History There are two versions, as far as the name of the island is concerned. ... Santorini Oia Coast by day Oia (Οία) (pronounced Ia) is a community on the island of Thera, Santorini, in the Cyclades, Greece. ... Panormos (Πάνορμος) is a community on the island of Tinos, in the Cyclades, Greece. ... Schoinoussa is a Greek island in the Cyclades. ... Sikinos is a Greek island in the Cyclades. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...