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 Location |
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Amorgos is the most easterly island of the Cyclades and the nearest to Dodecanese. It has two ports: Katapola the port of Chora, and Ormos Aiyalis in the northern part. The attractive harbour of Katapola consists three seperate districts built on the slopes of the hills, which overlook the sheltered bay. Aiyali has a marvelous beach. Amorgos has an area of 121 sq. km and a shoreline of 112 km.
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 Population |
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Amorgos has a population of 1.800 inhabitants. Most of them are occupied in agriculture, cattle-breeding, fishing as well as tourism, which has been significantly increased in the last years.
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 History |
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Amorgos has been inhabited since prehistoric times, and has been a centre of the Cycladic Civilization. During the period of the Minoan Civilization, the island was conquered by Cretans and the ancient city of Minoa was built, where the king Minos had his summer residence. The Mycenaic Civilization followed and later on the other two ancient cities were built, Arkesine by the residents of Naxos and Aiyale by the Ionians. During the Classic Period, Amorgos was part of the Athenian Alliance. In the following years the island was conquered by the Ptolemies and subsequently the Romans who used it as an exile place for many eminent Romans dignitaries. Right after the Byzantine Empire, it became the target of many piratic raids. Then it was invaded by the Venetians and by the Turks, in 1537. Amorgos was liberated in 1832, when it finally united with Greece.
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 Religion |
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All over the island you meet people with strong belief. The traditions of the Ancient are still alive. In the the monastery of Agios Georgios Valsamitis, it is believed that the holy water may give prophetic possibilities.
This info below is not island-specific. It applies to the nation of Greece.
Orthodox Christianity is the recognized dominant religion of Greece and it is legally protected by the state. This has caused legal discrimination against non-Orthodox Churches, and although the constitution of 1975 removed the power of most of the old laws against Protestants, problems still exist today. There is a lot of fear towards anything outside of the Orthodox Church, especially on the islands. However, repeated rulings of the European Court of Justice in favour of religious minorities in cases of discrimination have led to a relative increase of the freedoms that these religious minorities now enjoy.
Ancient Worship:
In the ancient years, god Dionysus was worshiped in Amorgos. Remains of his temple were later found in the island.
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 Saints |
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The patron saint of Amorgos is Ag. Paraskeyi. Since 1088 though, Panagia (Virgin Mary) Hozoviotissa is considered to be its patron saint as well. .
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 Miscellaneous |
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The most beautiful and interesting sightseeing of the island are:
- The wonderful beaches and the beautiful churches and chapels.
- The remains of the ancient city, Minoa.
- The wall with the loop-holes in the castle that Jeremiah Gyzis built in the 13th century and the Tower of Gavra in the centre of Chora, which was built in the 16th century.
- The monastery of Panagia (Virgin Mary) Hozoviotissa. According to tratition, one woman who lived in Mikra Asia, out of fear that the iconoclasts might come and burn her house and the icon of Panagia, put the icon into a boat and left it in the sea. When the residents of Amorgos found the boat in the shores of their island, they immediatly started to build a church in the same place they had found the boat. While though they were building it each morning, in the evening it was thrown down. The chief workman asked Panagia to show him where she wanted her church to be built. The answer came the next morning, when he found his tools on a vertical rock, 300 meters above the sea. The church of Panagia was finally built on that rock, around 1017 and was renovated by the Byzantine Emperor Alexius Komnenus, in 1088. Today, the monastery has many fine icons and important relics.
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 Celebrations |
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Each year, on 21st November, a big festival is held in the monastery of Panagia (Virgin Mary) Hozoviotissa. According to tradition, one week after Easter, the icon of Panagia is being carried around the island. On 6th August, the celebration of Christ takes place each year.
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 Resources |
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www.greektravel.com
www.in2greece.com
www.greekislands.com/amorgos/home.htm
http://www.united-hellas.com/tourism/amorgos/
http://www.weaversuk.com/amorgos.htm
http://www.amorgos.net/
www.greekislands.com
www.agiotatos.gr
www.hellogreece.gr
www.greek-tourism.gr
www.pathfinder.gr
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