Naxos
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An island of southeast Greece in the Aegean Sea. The largest of the Cyclades, it was famous in ancient times as a center of Dionysian worship. Naxos belonged to Venice and then Turkey before it became part of independent Greece in 1829.
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Naxos
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Largest island (pop., 2001: 18,188) of the Cyclades, Greece. It is about 22 mi (35 km) long and 16 mi (26 km) wide, with an area of 165 sq mi (427 sq km). The capital and chief port, Nxos, on the western coast, is on the site of the island's ancient and medieval capitals. In ancient times, it was famous for its wines and the worship of Dionysus. In mythology, it is where Theseus abandoned Ariadne. In the 7th6th centuries a deep-grained white marble was exported for statuary. It was captured by the Persians in 490 and by Athens in 471 . A Venetian duchy ruled from 1207 to 1566; it was later ruled by the Turks. In 1830 it joined the Greek kingdom. Ruins of a Mycenaean settlement ( Mycenae) have been found there. Nxos produces white wine, citrus, and emery.
For more information on Nxos, visit Britannica.com.
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Substantial in the Cyclades
Location: Greece
Extraordinary Islands > Treasure Islands > One of a Kind
Tourist information: www.gnto.gr">www.gnto.gr
Airports: Naxos (served by domestic flights from Athens on Olympic Airways).
Ship: From Piraeus, daily ferry (6 hr.) and high-speed ferry (4 hr.) www.gnto.gr
Hotels: Hotel Glaros $$ Agios Georgios ☎ 30/22850/23-101; www.hotelglaros.com
Airports: Naxos (served by domestic flights from Athens on Olympic Airways).
Ship: From Piraeus, daily ferry (6 hr.) and high-speed ferry (4 hr.) www.gnto.gr
Hotels: Hotel Glaros $$ Agios Georgios ☎ 30/22850/23-101; www.hotelglaros.com
Santorini (read more) and its spectacular crater apart, the Cyclades islands aren't generally known for their intrinsic natural beauty. There are other attractions—whether nightlife, archaeology, or beaches—that draw visitors to this mostly scrubby Greek archipelago set amid the wine-dark seas of the central Aegean. But green and fertile, hilly Naxos is the exception. It's the largest island in the Cyclades—about three times the size of nearby Mykonos (read more)—and still a place where tourism hasn't ruined the local flavor.
From the moment you land at the ferry port below Naxos town (also known as Chora), it's clear that this isn't just another vacationer-swamped Greek island. The development here far predates tourism, and though visitors will certainly find warm Greek hospitality, the island doesn't depend on summer traffic for its livelihood. Naxos is self-sufficient—agricultural income from olives and fruit pays most of the bills—and you really get the sense that the rhythms of life here are for and by the locals. To get into the swing of things on this island, it's recommended that you stay at least a few days.
Naxos has been continuously inhabited for about 6,000 years, and there are remarkable vestiges of its long and storied past just about everywhere. Architecturally, the island is perhaps best known for its Venetian castles and towers dotting the landscape. These were built from the 13th to the 16th century, when Venice's maritime republic ruled the island. In those days, the wealthy lived in a walled citadel above Chora town called the Kastro. Today, this area is Naxos's main tourist attraction, where visitors can wander among evocative arched alleyways and gaze up at the impressive residences of the powerful Venetian families who lived here 800 years ago. One of the palaces has been converted into the excellent Domus Venetian Museum (☎ 30/22850/22-387,; with exhibits and tours that bring the bygone aristocratic era to life. Earlier art-historical treasures on Naxos include many Byzantine chapels, which have fine frescoes from the 9th to 13th century. In the island's interior, don't miss a trip to the upcountry village of Apiranthos, with its handsome architecture, laid-back pace, and shady plateas (squares) filled with men playing backgammon.
Of course, who plans a trip to the Greek islands without at least some sunbathing on the agenda? Fortunately, Naxos also has some of the Cyclades' best beaches, like Agios Prokopios, Plaka, and Agios Georgios, whose long strip of golden sand comes as a shock after you've seen what passes for a "beach" on most Greek islands. The water offshore is a blissful turquoise, and the seafront is lined with atmospheric tavernas where you can break up the sunning and swimming with some fresh grilled seafood, or a hand-picked salad of local veggies, and a glass of crisp white wine.
Naxos's central location in the Cyclades, a new airport, and frequent ferry connections from north and south make it very easy to incorporate into any Greek islands itinerary. Accommodations tend to be small, independent affairs with quirks (there are no real resort hotels here), so don't come expecting five-star luxury and amenities.
Columbia Encyclopedia:
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Naxos
Náxos (näk'sôs, năk'sŏs), island (1991 pop. 14,838), c.160 sq mi (410 sq km), SE Greece, in the Aegean Sea; largest of the Cyclades. Náxos, the chief town, is on the western shore. The fertile island produces fruits, olive oil, and a noted white wine. It has been a source of white marble, emery, and granite since ancient times. Náxos is famous in mythology as the place where Theseus abandoned Ariadne. It was a center of the worship of Dionysius. The island was colonized by the Ionians and in 490 B.C. was captured and sacked by the Persians. It was a member of the Delian League, but after an unsuccessful attempt to secede was captured (c.470 B.C.) and became a tributary to Athens. Náxos passed to Venice in 1207 and was the seat of a Venetian duchy until 1566, when it fell to the Ottoman Turks. It became part of independent Greece in 1829.
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For other uses, see Naxos (disambiguation).
| Νάξος | |
|---|---|
 The city of Naxos |
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| Geography | |
| Coordinates | 37°5′N 25°28′E / 37.083°N 25.467°E |
| Archipelago | Cyclades |
| Area | 429.785 km2 (165.9409 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 1,003 m (3,291 ft) |
| Highest point | Mt. Zeus |
| Country | |
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Greece
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| Region | South Aegean |
| Regional unit | Naxos |
| Capital city | Naxos (city) |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 18188 (as of 2001) |
| Density | 42 /km2 (109 /sq mi) |
Naxos ([pronunciation?]in Greek, Νάξος, pronounced [ˈnaksos]) is a Greek island, the largest island (429 km² (166 sq mi)) in the Cyclades island group in the Aegean. It was the centre of archaic Cycladic culture.
The island comprises the two municipalities of Naxos and Drymalia. The largest town and capital of the island is Hora or Naxos City, with 6,533 inhabitants (2001 census). The main villages are Filoti, Apiranthos, Vivlos, Agios Arsenios, Koronos and Glinado.
Naxos is a popular tourist destination, with several easily accessible ruins. It has a number of beautiful beaches, such as those at Agia Anna, Agios Prokopios, Alikos, Kastraki, Mikri Vigla, Plaka, and Agios Georgios, most of them near Hora. Naxos is the most fertile island of the Cyclades. It has a good supply of water in a region where water is usually inadequate. Mount Zeus (1003 metres) is the highest peak in the Cyclades, and tends to trap the clouds, permitting greater rainfall. This has made agriculture an important economic sector with various vegetable and fruit crops as well as cattle breeding, making Naxos the most self-sufficient island in the Cyclades. Naxos is also known within Greece for its potatoes.
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Mythic Naxos
According to Greek mythology, the young Zeus was raised in a cave on Mt. Zas ("Zas" meaning "Zeus"). Homer mentions "Dia"; literally the sacred island "of the Goddess". Karl Kerenyi explains (speaking as if he were an ancient Greek):
| “ | This name, Dia, which means 'heavenly' or 'divine', was applied to several small craggy islands in our [Aegean] sea, all of them lying close to larger islands, such as Crete or Naxos. The name "Dia" was even transferred to the island of Naxos itself, since it was more widely supposed than any other to have been the nuptial isle of Dionysus. (Kerenyi 1951 pp. 271–272) | ” |
One legend has it that in the Heroic Age before the Trojan War, Theseus abandoned the princess Ariadne of Crete on this island after she helped him kill the Minotaur and escape from the Labyrinth. Dionysus (god of wine, festivities, and the primal energy of life) who was the protector of the island, met Ariadne and fell in love with her. But eventually Ariadne, unable to bear her separation from Theseus, either killed herself (according to the Athenians), or ascended to heaven (as the older versions had it). The Naxos portion of the Ariadne myth is also told in the Richard Strauss opera Ariadne auf Naxos.
The giant brothers Otus and Ephialtes figure in at least two Naxos myths: in one, Artemis bought the abandonment of a siege they laid against the gods, by offering to live on Naxos as Otus's lover; in another, the brothers had actually settled Naxos.
History
Classical Naxos
During the 8th and 7th centuries, Naxos dominated commerce in the Cyclades. Naxos was the first Greek City-State to attempt to leave from the Delian League circa 476; Athens quickly squashed the notion and forcibly removed all military naval vessels from the island's control. Athens then demanded all future payments from Naxos in the form of gold rather than military aid.
Revolt of Naxos
Herodotus describes Naxos circa 500 BC as the most prosperous Greek island.[1]
In 502 BC an unsuccessful attack on Naxos by Persian forces led several prominent men in the Greek cities of Ionia to rebel against the Persian Empire in the Ionian Revolt, and then to the Persian War between Greece and Persia.
Naxos in the Middle Ages
Main article: Aegean Sea (theme)
The Dukes of Naxos
Further information: Duchy of the Archipelago
In the aftermath of the Fourth Crusade, with a Latin Emperor under the influence of the Venetians established at Constantinople, the Venetian Marco Sanudo conquered the island and soon captured the rest of the islands of the Cyclades, establishing himself as Duke of Naxia, or Duke of the Archipelago. Twenty-one dukes in two dynasties ruled the Archipelago, until 1566; Venetian rule continued in scattered islands of the Aegean until 1714. Under Venetian rule the island was called by its Italian name: Nasso.
Ottoman Naxos (1564–1821)
The Ottoman administration remained essentially in the hands of the Venetians; the Porte's concern was satisfied by the returns of taxes. Very few Turks ever settled on Naxos, and Turkish influence on the island is slight. Under Ottoman rule the island was known as Turkish: Nakşa. Ottoman sovereignty lasted until 1821, when the islands revolted; Naxos finally became a member of the Greek state in 1832.
Historical population
| Year | Island population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 14,037 | - |
| 1991 | 14,838 | +801/+5.71% |
| 2001 | 18,188 | +3,350/+22.58% |
Notable people
- Manolis Glezos (1922-) politician, writer
- Iakovos Kambanelis (1922-2011) poet, playwright, lyricist and novelist
- Nicodemus the Hagiorite (1749–1809), saint
- Ecumenical Patriarch Callinicus III of Constantinople
- Petros Protopapadakis (1854–1922) Prime Minister of Greece
- Thanasis Polykandriotis musician, bouzouki expert and composer
- Spyros Papadopoulos actor
- Giorgos Ninios actor
- Eirini Halkou poet
- Stelios Manolas football player
- Kostas Manolas football player
- Euthycartides (7th century BC), sculptor
- Markellos-Michail Kontopidis (1651–1716), medical philosopher
- Methodius of Antioch (Patriarch)
- Nikolaos Planas (1851–1932), saint
- Patriarch Anthimus III of Constantinople (1762–1842)
- Ioannis Sakellion (1815–1891), Scholar, principal of Patmos' School
- Εleftherios Kastrisios (1843–1931), Military Dean
- Antonios Mangakis (1890–1952), politician, father of politician Alexandros Mangakis
- Emmanouil Drys, Deputy Dean of the National Technical University
- Stylianos Korres (1910–1989), Dean, Founder of the Company of Cycladic Studies
- Nikos Sfiroeras (1913), Litterateur, Poet
- Vasilis Sfyroeras (1921), Professor in the University of Athens
- Manos Chorianopoulos (1925–2007), Reporter
- Iakovos Psarras (1936–2006), actor
- Keti Chomata, Singer
- Manolis Korres, Acropolis' restorator, Professor of Architecture in the National Technical University
See also
- Communities of the Cyclades
- Emery (mineral) mined on Naxos, the main source of supply for the ancient world, since antiquity
References
- Kerenyi, Karl 1951. The Gods of the Greeks.
- Agelarakis A., "The Naxos Island Archaic Period Necropolis: Archaeological-Anthropology Research Report, Hellenic Antiquities Authority, Archival Report, 2005, Naxos.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Naxos |
- official website (German) (Greek) (English)
- Herodotus Project: Extensive B+W photo essay of Naxos
- Small video - documentaries about all areas of Naxos
37°5′00″N 25°28′00″E / 37.0833333°N 25.4666667°E
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American Heritage Dictionary
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Britannica Concise Encyclopedia
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. © 1994-2012 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more
Frommer's 500 Extraordinary Islands
Copyright © 2009 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Columbia Encyclopedia
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. www.cc.columbia.edu/cu/cup/.
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