Tinos

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Tinos (Greek Τήνος ( f sg ) ); Ancient Greek transcription TENOS; in ancient times occasionally also: Hydroessa and Ophioussa; is a Greek island southeast of Andros, part of the Cyclades group of islands. The island is crisscrossed along their entire length by mountains, of which the Tsiknias with 727 m is the highest. The island has about 50 villages and has 8,636 inhabitants ( 2011).

On 1 January 2011, the three existing since 1997 municipalities of the island were fused to the municipality of Tinos. Tinos also constitutes the regional district of Tinos South Aegean region, which is represented on the Regional Council with a deputy.

Mythology

In Greek mythology Tenos is the birthplace of the wind god Aeolus ( Aeolus ).

History

Stephanos of Byzantium ( 621.10 ) and Pliny ( Naturalis historia 4.65) report that the island 'm called by Aristotle " Hydroessa " and other " Ophioussa ". As allies of the Athenians at Plataea the Tenier fought against the Persians, the ancient Tenos belonged to the First and Second Delian League.

1207 Tinos came under the rule of the Venetian family Teri; 1390 under the rule of the Venetian Republic. The Ottoman Admiral Barbarossa Chaireddin could temporarily conquer it in 1537. Tinos remained Venetian until 1715. From this time the island's typical pigeon towers date.

1715 Tinos came again under Ottoman suzerainty. However, the Ottomans had only a formal character, the island had many privileges in economy and trade. On March 31, 1821 village of Pyrgos in Tinos was the first place in the Cyclades, where the Greek flag flew. Tinos became part of the new Attic - Delian state.

On January 30, 1823 was dug in Tinos Town from a picture of Mary, whose reference had been called a nun of the Virgin Mary. The psychological effect of this discovery was immensely strong. The fight against the Turks was finally won, and the place is now considered sacred.

Tinos is considered the cradle of modern Greek sculpture, 19th-century artists such as Nikiphoros Lytras and Nikolaos Gysis were born here. Also from Tinos were the brothers Malakrates who opened the first Athens marble workshop in 1835. Some small museums show the history of sculpture on the island and their representatives. Many Greek artists live on Tinos or having a temporary residence.

Administrative divisions

Religion

Approximately half of the island's inhabitants are Roman Catholic, the other Greek Orthodox. The center of the Catholics is Exobourgo, a rocky point in the interior of the island. The Catholic faith was brought to the island by the Venetians. The Orthodox Church include large parts of the island, they put a stop to, among others, the further expansion of pubs.

Tinos is the most important Marian pilgrimage site in Greece and is often referred to as " the Greek Lourdes ". Throughout the year, especially on the 25th March and the Assumption on August 15 (the legal public holiday in Greece ) tens of thousands of pilgrims flock to the pilgrimage church of the Virgin ( Panagia Evangelistria ) to venerate the miraculous image of the Virgin.

In the summer and autumn of 1822 to the Orthodox nun Pelagia ( baptized Lucia) Negreponte from the monastery Kechrovouni the hl. Virgin have appeared several times in his sleep. In these visions, the Mother of God called a job at what was then the outskirts of Tinos, where you dug up an icon of Mary on January 30, 1823. At the reference the pilgrimage basilica was built in the same year. Which now occupy with gems Marie portrait attributed many miracles, including the end of the plague epidemic that raged in 1823 on the island. Many more cases of miracles and healings have since been documented. Sister Pelagia was canonized by the Orthodox Church.

Other locally venerated saints are St. Agapito, after which the town is named Agapi.

Climate

Tinos has a Mediterranean climate with dry warm summers and mild rainy winters. The island is exposed to strong winds all year. The prevailing summer wind called Meltemi. This can sometimes be so strong that the ferry must be set. Through the wind, the temperatures are usually bearable, so it is rarely extremely hot in summer. In the winter, which prevents most about 17 ° C warm sea extremely low temperatures.

Attractions

Tinos Town houses next to the Sanctuary Basilica of Our Lady high above the harbor a small archaeological museum. Small mountain villages, built on steep slopes, provide a good view of the island on the Aegean Sea. More than 1000 churches and chapels bear witness to the piety of the islanders. As everywhere in the Cyclades there are many windmills on Tinos. Unique are the pigeon houses from the Venetian era, square towers with geometric patterns of broken masonry on the upper floor. At that time, pigeons were widespread and the central location of the island made ​​it an important post base. Pigeon meat is still considered a delicacy, the manure is an important fertilizer. Volax is located in a landscape egg-shaped granite rock ( Wollsackverwitterung ), some of which are used by free climbers. Beaches are mainly west of the main town. In Koumala the beach is obstructed by numerous illegally built shacks.

Economy

Although Tinos is not particularly fertile, but agricultural use in the terracing. The most important economic factor today is tourism - not least in the form of religious tourism. The island is visited mainly by Greek tourists, especially from Athens, and pilgrims. Tinos, hiking and swimming opportunities, alternative forms of leave ( sculpture, ceramics, dancing, diving) are offered. The inhabitants live chiefly directly and indirectly from tourism and do farming (vegetables, artichokes, lemons, livestock ). Also capers are harvested locally.

Tinos has deposits of white marble, green serpentinite ( a Serpentinitbrekzie, occasionally Verde antico called ), talc, asbestos and chromite. The grüngefleckte serpentinite of Tinos was installed among other things in the Louvre and in Buckingham Palace.

The center of the marble sculpture is north of Pyrgos Isternia. The marble quarry of Exo Meria is still in operation today.

Traffic

The island has a dense road network. There are regular ferry to Mykonos (40 min ), Piraeus (5 hrs ), Rafina b. Athens ( 4 hours), Andros (2 hours) and Syros (45 min ). Ferries to the above objectives several daily from Tinos. For several years, high-speed ferries operate out ( catamarans ) of Piraeus and Rafina, which takes about 2 hours for the crossing.

Personalities of the island

• Kösem Mahpeyker, Valide Sultan in the 17th century, born about 1589 on Tinos
• Nikiphoros Lytras, 19th century painter
• Dimitrios Filippotis, sculptor of the 19th century
• Georgios Fytalis, sculptor of the 19th century
• Giannoulis Chalepas, sculptor of the 19th century
• Nicholas Gysi, genre and monumental painter of the 19th century