Porto Rafti

Porto Rafti (Greek Πόρτο Ράφτη, tailors port ') is a coastal town in East Attica. The medieval name comes from the, the city upstream, Island Rafti (Greek Νησί Ράφτης ). This is a Roman statue, which interpreted the residents as a representation of a tailor. The official name of the city is Mesogias Limin (Greek Λιμήν Μεσογείας, port of Mesogia - region '), but it is also Limani Markopoulou (Greek Λιμένας Μαρκοπούλου, Port of Markopoulon ' called ).

Geography

The present town of Porto Rafti is 35 kilometers from Athens, lies the Bay of Rafti and includes the two suburbs Avlaki (Greek Aυλάκι ) and St. Spyridon (Greek Άγιος Σπυρίδωνας ). In the city the demes Prasiai in the west and Steiria in the north and the fortress of Koroni were in ancient times on the peninsula in the south. Prior to the bay, the 77 meter high island Rafti and the smaller island is Raftipoula (Greek Νησί Ραφτηπουλα, Schneider daughter '). Before the peninsula Agios Nikolaos, also called Punta, the islet is Prasonisi ( green island '). Porto Rafti is surrounded by mountains - to the south by Mavronoros, on the west by Merenda and to the north by Perati.

History

In Greek mythology, it is reported that Erysichthon was buried in Prasiai. Man suspected his grave on the island Rafti below the Roman See figure. In the north of Agios Spyridon was discovered tombs from the Mycenaean period ( 12th century BCE ) and the islands Rafti and Raftipoula were found fragments of pottery from this period. In the 7th and 6th century BC the port served as a base for the annual festival of sacrifice on Delos. From the Roman period were found on pottery shards Rafti and Raftipoula. The headless marble statue on Rafti probably dates from the 2nd century AD, has a height of 3 meters and stands on a 2 meter high pedestal. Who is the female figure, which overlooks the sea, is controversial. A tentative explanation would be the personification of ecumenism, so the whole inhabited world.

End of April 1941 during World War II after the surrender of Greece, the Allied forces evacuated their troops on Porto Rafti.