Thasos (town)
Called Limenas Thasou (Greek Λιμένας Θάσου, port of Thasos ', also briefly Limenas, officially Thasos (Greek Θάσος ), under Ottoman rule Limanchisar Greek Λιμάνχισαρ ), the port and capital of the island of Thasos and administrative center of the homonymous municipality, located in the northeast the island. The community of Thasos ( Topiki Kinotita Thasou ) include not only the settlements Limenas Glyfada ( Γλυφάδα ) and Makryammos ( Μακρυάμμος ). The shortest connection to the mainland is the 35-minute crossing to Keramoti.
At Industries marble mining and processing and olive oil production are available. The port is main inlets and leave space for Thasos tourists, shipping space for thasitischen marble and transfer of goods. The city lives mainly from tourism. Attractions are the ancient sites and museum, cultural events in the ancient theater, the beaches in the local area, as well as in Glyfada and Makryammos.
History of Limenas
The ancient city of Thasos had fallen and remained deserted for seven centuries, forgotten and no name. The inhabitants had been caused by the continued pirate attacks in the mountains - mainly in the villages of Panagia and Potamia - withdrawn. A boat dock was used in the old town area west of the silted ancient naval port, called port ( Σκάλα ) of Panagia, also the port of Palaiokastro or of Pyrgos or as of Limenas (the harbor ( ο λιμένας ) ) called. The plain to the west of the city walls was used for agricultural purposes by residents of Panagia.
New life came into the area of the ancient city during the Fourth Crusade. Probably around 1123 appeared the marauding Venetian Doge Domenico Michiel and 1204 the Doge Enrico Dandolo, with its Crusaders on the island. They used the port Panagia as the basis for their activities. Dandolo was in the eastern area of the acropolis build a fortress from the rubble of the local temples on the Pythion plateau. The preserved for the most part ancient city walls were also strengthened by the Venetians. The local area was probably occupied by the Venetians in 1278. With the construction and use of the citadel in the summit area and the northern slope of the castle hill, the settlement of 600 to 800 people had joined.
The Byzantines in 1261 stationed a fleet unit in the ancient port town. This is then used as a naval base to 1264 Michael VIII Palaeologus. It is believed that at that time it was the citadel on the Acropolis as a residence.
Harbor and castle were taken in 1307 from the Genoese Condottiere Tedisio Zaccaria in possession. He restored the castle, placed at the entrance to the courtyard a guard and a reception area in the northwest a second access, as well as in the northern courtyard two cisterns and a chapel.
The Bithynians Alexis and his brother John were given to the order in 1341 to protect the northern Aegean Sea of Serbian influence. They raided and plundered among other things, Kavala and Thasos and chose the island as a base for their raids. Emperor John V Palaiologos they enfeoffed 1357 inheritance law with Kavala and Thasos. They fortified the ancient naval port of the island in addition by building a harbor citadel, to over stretched from sea gate on the harbor wall the north-western portico of the Agora. Until 1394 they resided in the fortress at the harbor and in the Akropolisburg.
Buondelmonte, the first probable early travelers, who visited the island in 1419, mentioned the Gattilusio as the lords of the fortified city of Thasos, who had been enfeoffed in 1414 by Sultan Mahmud II to the island. The Genoese reinforced the citadel on the Acropolis on the south access in addition by two bastions and off the west wall between the towers by a glacis. Cyriacus of Ancona in 1442 traveled through the Port of the Panagia (the former name of the ancient port city of Thasos ). He described the ancient city of Thasos as the " fallen into ruins city " and especially admired the marble city wall still preserved in large parts with its towers and gates. He deciphered numerous inscriptions, among others, the names of archons and Theoren the ancient city and the inscriptions on a large number of sarcophagi, grave steles and monuments inside and outside the walls. He admired the thirty well-preserved marble seats of the great amphitheater and the magnificent citadel on the Acropolis. There he met Francesco III. , Son of Dorino I. Gattilusio, who resided in Mithymna on Lesbos. As stewards (Latin podesta ) were the high-born Umberto and Carlo Grimaldi. Of them, the harbor fortress was equipped with a 28 m high tower. Town and island were eventually abandoned in 1455 by the Gattilusio.
When the city was captured in 1459 after a long siege of the citadel of Port - Kapudan Pasha Zagan, it came to the deportation of many residents. After the takeover by the Ottomans in 1519, the town was designated Limanchisar ( Λιμάνχισαρ ). The Byzantine officials and settlers left town. The partially populated town area was deserted because of the continuing pirate attacks anew. The inhabitants retreated again in the mountainous part of the island, mainly in the place Panagia back. The places in the interior of the island flourished in the 16th and 17th centuries.
At the beginning of the 19th century marked the early travelers, the abandoned, overgrown by trees and grape vines, ancient city: At the landing of the place called Palaiokastro or Pyrgos or Panagia or " Osmanieh " is a 1828 single house, occupied the Agha, a few huts and a general store. The harbor fort has been preserved with its 28 m high tower, the wall and moat. The castle at the place is still covered with slate, and has two towers of about 10 and 19 m height. The area around the fort is crowded with ruins of houses.
The traveler G. Perrot designed a first sketch of the old city area with the location of the still recognizable buildings. It has in addition to the medieval buildings of the castle on Castle Hill, the port - fortress, the city walls and the Basilica still on the theater and a large number of mostly originating from Roman sarcophagi. Perrot estimated the population at 5,000. A. Conze reported in 1858 by 6 houses, some shops or coffee houses, a ruined tower and a church on useless port, on the mountain, the ruins of an attachment with two towers. The place has been here for the first time with the Limenas, the port ( ο λιμένας ), who resided here Ottoman officials called Mudir. 1897 was one of de Launay 50 houses. 1908 had the place already to 170 homes. Only in the second half of the 19th century most of the population returned back to the village. During this time, awoke the international interest in the ancient sites of the island. The excavations of the École française d' Athènes were for the town Limenas of great long-term importance and led to a corresponding development.