Syros

Syros

Greece
Aegean Sea
Cyklades
Syros island

Syros island is the capital of the Cykladean complex in Aegean Sea. Its capital is Ermoupolis a beautiful town with a lot of neoclassic houses, Byzantine and catholic churches that reflect the past wealth of the island especially during the Venetian and Ottoman occupation. The island is loaded with history and excavations revealed many findings proving a thriving society extending back to the first pre-historic Cykladean civilizations. During the classic ancient era the island became a strong ally of the Athenian league, subsequently passed to Roman, Byzantine, Venetian and Ottoman occupation to be finally liberated and annexed to the Greek state with the war of Greek Independance(1821-1828). During the Ottoman occupation the island reached its highest development with the most bold and talented sea merchants crossing all Mediterranean and bringing great wealth and power to the island to the point that its port became one of the most important in East Mediterranean sea. Many highly equipped shipyards had been installed helping the rich locals to posess an important fleet that significantly contributed in the sea battles during the War of Independance. The merchants of Syros were among the richest habitants of the Ottoman empire building a famous neighbourhood of imposing mansions almost embedded in the sea and with an open view to the Aegean large. This quarter was named "vaporia" (in greek "vapori" means ship) as their houses looked like shipdecks.

In the photo the port of the capital Ermoupolis facing the two emblematic hills of the town each one with a church on top. The left one is the imposing catholic church of St. George, the other to the right the Christian Orthodox church of Resurection.