Makronisos

The Greek island of Makronisos (Greek Μακρόνησος, also Nisos Eleni Νήσος Ελένη Helena Island ' ) is only good 4 km from the Greek mainland to the east front of the port town of Lavrion and the Cape Sounion. It belongs to the municipality of Kea and is the westernmost island of the Cyclades.

The barren island is 12.5 km long and has a width up to 2.5 km. The area is 18.427 km ². In Trypiti the north, the island reaches a height of 280 meters.

In ancient times the island was called Helena, because Helena to have landed here after the fall of Troy. According to Strabo, the island of Homer Kranae should have been called and was later named Helena, because united in love for the first time at this location Paris with Helen. It is now believed, however, that Homer called today Marathonisi Kranae.

Makronisos served during the 20th century as a place of exile and had the nickname " Pool of Siloam " ( κολυμπήθρα του Σιλωάμ ). In particular, during the Greek Civil War from 1947 to 1949 the local prison camp was notorious for the torture of political dissidents, especially on communists (among Giannis Ritsos Mikis Theodorakis, Manos Katrakis and Apostolos Sanda ).