Gioura
Template: Infobox Island / Maintenance / image missing
Yioura (Greek Γιούρα (n. pl. ) ) Is a Greek island in the Northern Sporades. Administratively, the island belongs to the municipality of Alonissos in the Sporades Regional District of Thessaly region.
Location
The island is located about 13 km north-east of Alonissos. The also uninhabited island Kyra Panagia is located 5 km south-west. In between lie the islands Pappous, Strongylo and Prasso.
Even more than other islands of the Northern Sporades is Yioura characterized by a wild, rocky coasts, but has two small beaches with marble pebbles. The only large bay, Ormos Megala Vala ( Όρμος Μεγάλα Βάλα ) lies in the southwest. The island has no safe anchorage. A ridge runs through the east side, the elongated island from north to south, the highest elevation reaches 570 m.
The largest cave in the Northern Sporades is located in the south of the island, the entrance is located at about 150 meters above sea level and is oriented towards the sea. The cave is about 40 x 50 m tall, its height is 15 m.
Mythology
Yioura should be identical to the island of the Cyclops from the Odyssey. In the so-called Kyklopenhöhle ( Σπήλαιο Κύκλωπα του ) should it be the cave of Polyphemus. After the accident, a visitor it was closed and studied archeology 1992-1995.
History
The Greece rather rare testimonies from the Mesolithic were detected on Yioura for the first time on an Aegean island.
In ancient times the island was called Gerontia. Remains of a temple, which was probably dedicated to Poseidon, were found on the west coast. At the time of the Roman Empire Yioura served as a place of exile.
Until the early 19th century lived the monks of Mount Athos on the island. Today Yioura is owned by the Greek State. At the church Evaggelistria there are some houses that are in the winter of hunters who go hunting goats inhabited.
Archeology
The archaeological exploration of the cave from 1992 to 1995 revealed that the island has been inhabited since the 9th millennium BC. Due to the large quantities of bones and skeletons of all occurring in the maritime area fish species including tuna and bony fish hooks in different sizes is to start from a systematic and organized fishing. The investigation of the found obsidian tools were as origin the Cycladic island of Milos show, while tools have a similarity with findings in Asia Minor in the area of Antalya, which leads to the conclusion that the inhabitants of the island had ägäis wide contacts and had extraordinary navigation skills. Part of a female skull found in 1995 was dated to the 9th millennium BC, the woman's age at 65 to 70 years estimated.
Nature
The rocky island is covered with the typical representatives of the Phrygana and scrub with a predominant share of Kermes oak (Quercus coccifera ). The hollies covered earlier most of the island, but were in 1945 like for the production of charcoal. Fritillaria sporadum is endemic to Yioura, the plant is related to the well-known ornamental plant imperial crown.
On Yioura live feral goats, the rocky coast is an ideal retreat for the Mediterranean monk seal.
Conservation
Yioura is located in the National Marine Park of Alonissos GR 1430004 ( Εθνικό Θαλάσσιο Πάρκο Αλοννήσου - Βορείων Σποράδων, Ανατολική Σκόπελος ) in zone A3.