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See links below for other web sites on this Island.
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 Location |
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Symi is a small but quite hilly island just eight miles by six, with a mountain called 'Vigla' (2020ft) in the center. It nestles inside Turkey's rugged coastline. It is easily reached by ferry from Rhodes or Kos. It has an area of 58 km².
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 Population |
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Symi has 2,273 inhabitants.
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 History |
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In Homer's Iliad the island is mentioned as the domain of King Nireus, who fought in the Trojan War on the side of the Greeks. Thucydides writes that during the Peloponnesian War there was a Battle of Syme near the island in January, 411 B.C. in which an unspecified number of Spartan ships defeated a squadron of Athenian vessels. Little is known of the island until the 14th century, but archaeological evidence indicates it was continuously inhabited, and ruins of citadels suggest it was an important location. It was first part of the Roman Empire and then the Byzantine Empire until its conquest by the Knights of St. John in 1373.
This conquest, fuelled by the Knights' interest in shipping and commerce, launched what was to be a period of several centuries of prosperity for Simi, as its location amidst the Dodecanese made it an important waypoint for trade until the advent of steam-powered shipping in the 19th century.
The island was conquered from the Knights by the Ottoman Empire in 1522, along with nearby Rhodes but it was allowed to retain many of its privileges, so its prosperity continued virtually uninterrupted. It attained the height of its prosperity in the mid 19th century, and many of the peculiarly colorful neoclassical mansions covering the slopes near the main city date from that period.
The island, along with the rest of the Dodecanese, changed hands several times in the 20th century: in 1912 it was occupied by Italy, formally ceded to Italy in 1923, and finally rejoined with Greece in 1948.
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 Religion |
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This topic 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 Gods
It is said to be the birthplace of the Three Graces: Aglaea, Euphrosyne, and Thalia. The island is named after Poseidon’s wife, the nymph Symi.
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 Saints |
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Most of the saints are honored on this island and the Orthodox Church is highly respected.
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 Prayer |
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-That the outreach will enable the gospel of salvation to be shared
-That the people on the island will realize their need for God and their eyes will be opened to the truth and love of God through reading the Bible for themselves.
-That God will work in the lives of all the God-fearing religious people already living on this island, and bring healing & refreshment to their lives.
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 Miscellaneous |
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The highest point in Ano Simi, capped by the usual castle of the Knights of St. John, whose emblem can be seen above the main portal.
The monastery of the Archangel Michael Panormitis on the southwest coast.
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 Celebrations |
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The celebrations on the islands usually revolve around the Saints, and there is a big celebration at Easter in the Orthodox Church.
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 Resources |
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www.greektravel.com
www.in2greece.com
http://www.dilos.com/region/dodecan/symi.html
http://www.symi-island.com/
http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Simi
http://www.greektourism.com/travel_guide/regions/dodecanese/simi/index.stm
http://www.symi-island.com/info.html
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