Samothrace
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Samothrace (Greek: Σαμοθράκη, Samothraki, Turkish: Semadirek) is an island in Greece, in the northern Aegean Sea. The name of the island means Thracian Samos. The town is locally called Chora. It is a self-governing deme in the prefecture of Evros and is the westernmost and the southernmost in the province of East Macedonia and Thrace. It is the southernmost island and point in Greek Thrace. It is only a few kilometres west of the maritime boundary between Greece and Turkey. The island is 17 km long and is 178 km² in size and has a population of about 2,300. Its main industries are fishing and tourism.
History
Samothrace was not a state of any political significance in ancient Greece, since it has no natural harbour and most of the island is too mountainous for cultivation: Oros Fengari (Mount Moon) rises to 1,624 metres. It was, however, the home of the Sanctuary of the Great Gods, site of important Hellenic and pre-Hellenic religious ceremonies. Among those who visited this shrine to be initiated into the island cult were King Lysander of Sparta, Philip II of Macedon and Cornelius Piso, father-in-law of Julius Caesar.
Samothrace was first inhabited by Pelasgians and Carians, to which later added themselves Thracians. At the end of the 8th century BC the island was colonised by Greeks from Samos, from which the name Samos of Thrace, that later became Samothrace. Taken by the Persians in 508 BC, it later passed under Athenian control becoming a member of the Delian League in the 5th century BC. It was subjected by Philip II, and from then till 168 BC it was under Macedonian suzerainity. With the battle of Pydna Samothrace became independent, a condition that ended when Vespasian absorbed the island in the Roman Empire in AD 70. The Byzantines ruled till 1204, when Venetians took their place, only to be dislodged by a Genoan family in 1355, the Gattilusi. The Ottoman Empire conquered it in 1457; an insurrection against them by the local population during the Greek War of Independence (1821–1831) brought to the massacre of most of the population. The island returned to Greek rule in 1913 following the Balkan War. It was shortly occupied by Bulgaria during the Second World War.
The ancient city, the ruins of which are called Palaeopoli ("old city"), was situated on the north coast. Considerable remains still exist of the ancient walls, which were built in massive Cyclopean style, as well as of the Sanctuary of the Great Gods, where mysterious rites took place which were open to both slaves and free people (in contrast to the Eleusinian Mysteries).
Today
The modern port town of Kamariotissa is on the north-west coast and provides ferry access to and from points in northern Greece such as Alexandroupoli and Kavala. There is no commercial airport on the island. Other sites of interest on the island include the ruins of Genoese forts, the picturesque hora (old town), and several waterfalls.
The island's most famous site is the Sanctuary of the Great Gods; the most famous artifact of which is the 2.5-metre marble statue of Nike, now known as the Winged Victory of Samothrace, dating from about 190 BC. It was discovered in pieces on the island in 1863 by the French archaeologist Charles Champoiseau, and is now in the Louvre in Paris.
Resources on the island includes granite and basalt.
Communities
- Alonia
- Ano Karyotes
- Dafnes
- Isomata
- Kamariotissa
- Kasteli
- Kato Karyotes
- Kerasia
- Koitada
- Lakoma
- Makrylies
- Mnimata
- Palaiopoli
- Perasmata
- Profitis Ilias
- Rempoutsadika
- Samothrace/Samothraki
- Therma
- Xiropotamos
Other
Samothraki has schools, a fewlyceums, a gymnasium, banks, a post office, beaches, and a few squares (plateies).
Historical population
| Year | Population | Change | Municipal (Provincial) or Island population | Change | Density |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | - | - | 2,871 | - | 16.13/² |
| 1991 | 719 | 995/27.9% | 3,083 | 112/3.90% | 17.32/km² |
See also
References
- Michel Mourre, Dictionnaire Encyclopédique d'Histoire, article Samothrace, Bordas, 1996
- Marcel Dunan, Histoire Universelle, Larousse, 1960
External links
- private Samothrace webpage (different languages)
- Official Samothrace webpage (in Greek)
- Mapquest - Samothraki, street map not yet available
- Coordinates: 40°28′40″N 25°31′19″E / 40.47778°N 25.52194°E
