Naxos (; el, Νάξος, ) is a

Greek island Greece has many islands, with estimates ranging from somewhere around 1,200 to 6,000, depending on the minimum size to take into account. The number of inhabited islands is variously cited as between 166 and 227. The largest Greek island by a ...

and the largest of the

Cyclades The Cyclades (; el, Κυκλάδες, ) are an island group in the Aegean Sea, southeast of mainland Greece and a former administrative prefecture of Greece. They are one of the island groups which constitute the Aegean archipelago. The nam ...

. It was the centre of archaic

Cycladic culture Cycladic culture (also known as Cycladic civilisation or, chronologically, as Cycladic chronology) was a Bronze Age culture (c. 3200–c. 1050 BC) found throughout the islands of the Cyclades in the Aegean Sea. In chronological terms, it is a rel ...

. The island is famous as a source of emery, a rock rich in

corundum Corundum is a crystalline form of aluminium oxide () typically containing traces of iron, titanium, vanadium and chromium. It is a rock-forming mineral. It is a naturally transparent material, but can have different colors depending on the pres ...

, which until modern times was one of the best

abrasives An abrasive is a material, often a mineral, that is used to shape or finish a workpiece through rubbing which leads to part of the workpiece being worn away by friction. While finishing a material often means polishing it to gain a smooth, reflec ...

available. The largest town and capital of the island is Chora or

Naxos City Naxos ( el, Νάξος; it, Nasso) is a city and a former municipality on the island of Naxos, in the Cyclades, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Naxos and Lesser Cyclades, of which it is the seat and ...

, with 7,374 inhabitants (2011 census). The main villages are

Filoti Filoti (in Greek language, Greek: ''Φιλώτι'' or ''Φιλότι''; officially: ''Φιλότιον'') is a semi-mountainous village of central Naxos, Greece, with a population of 1,477 residents (census 2011GOV. results of permanent populati ...

Apiranthos Apeiranthos or Aperathos ( or ; local dialect: , ) is a mountainous village on the island of Naxos in Greece. It is located north-east of the capital of the island, built on the foothill of mountain Fanari, on an altitude between 570 and 640 m. ...

, Vivlos, Agios Arsenios,

Koronos Koronos (Greek:(η) Κόρωνος) is one of the mountain villages on the Greek island of Naxos in the Cyclades group of islands. Situated in the northeast part of the island, Koronos lies on the northeast slopes of the Koronion Oros, the second ta ...

and

Glynado Glynado (Γλυνάδο) is a community on the island of Naxos, in the Cyclades, Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and ...

Geography

Climate

Naxos experiences a

Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...

, with relatively mild winters and warm summers. The Köppen Climate Classification subtype for this climate is "

Csa CSA may refer to: Arts and media * Canadian Screen Awards, annual awards given by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television * Commission on Superhuman Activities, a fictional American government agency in Marvel Comics * Crime Syndicate of Amer ...

". (Mediterranean Climate).

Inland areas of the island are much wetter and cooler in winter.

Mythic Naxos

According to

Greek mythology A major branch of classical mythology, Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the Ancient Greece, ancient Greeks, and a genre of Ancient Greek folklore. These stories concern the Cosmogony, origin and Cosmology#Metaphysical co ...

, the young

Zeus Zeus or , , ; grc, Δῐός, ''Diós'', label=Genitive case, genitive Aeolic Greek, Boeotian Aeolic and Doric Greek#Laconian, Laconian grc-dor, Δεύς, Deús ; grc, Δέος, ''Déos'', label=Genitive case, genitive el, Δίας, ''D� ...

was raised in a cave on Mt. Zas ("''Zas''" meaning "''Zeus''").

Homer Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of the ...

mentions " Dia"; literally the sacred island "of the Goddess".

Károly Kerényi Károly (Carl, Karl) Kerényi ( hu, Kerényi Károly, ; 19 January 1897 – 14 April 1973) was a Hungarian scholar in classical philology and one of the founders of modern studies of Greek mythology. Life Hungary, 1897–1943 Károly Ker ...

explains: One legend has it that in the Heroic Age before the

Trojan War In Greek mythology, the Trojan War was waged against the city of Troy by the Achaeans (Greeks) after Paris of Troy took Helen from her husband Menelaus, king of Sparta. The war is one of the most important events in Greek mythology and has ...

Theseus Theseus (, ; grc-gre, Θησεύς ) was the mythical king and founder-hero of Athens. The myths surrounding Theseus his journeys, exploits, and friends have provided material for fiction throughout the ages. Theseus is sometimes describe ...

abandoned

Ariadne Ariadne (; grc-gre, Ἀριάδνη; la, Ariadne) was a Cretan princess in Greek mythology. She was mostly associated with mazes and labyrinths because of her involvement in the myths of the Minotaur and Theseus. She is best known for having ...

on this island after she helped him kill the

Minotaur In Greek mythology, the Minotaur ( , ;. grc, ; in Latin as ''Minotaurus'' ) is a mythical creature portrayed during classical antiquity with the head and tail of a bull and the body of a man or, as described by Roman poet Ovid, a being "pa ...

and escape from the

Labyrinth In Greek mythology, the Labyrinth (, ) was an elaborate, confusing structure designed and built by the legendary artificer Daedalus for King Minos of Crete at Knossos. Its function was to hold the Minotaur, the monster eventually killed by the ...

. Dionysus (god of wine, festivities, and the primal energy of life) who was the protector of the island, met Ariadne and fell in love with her. But eventually Ariadne, unable to bear her separation from Theseus, either killed herself (according to the Athenians), or ascended to heaven (as the older versions had it). The Naxos portion of the Ariadne myth is also told in the

Richard Strauss Richard Georg Strauss (; 11 June 1864 – 8 September 1949) was a German composer, conductor, pianist, and violinist. Considered a leading composer of the late Romantic and early modern eras, he has been described as a successor of Richard Wag ...

opera ''

Ariadne auf Naxos (''Ariadne on Naxos''), Op. 60, is a 1912 opera by Richard Strauss with a German libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal. The opera's unusual combination of elements of low commedia dell'arte with those of high opera seria points up one of the work' ...

''. The giant brothers Otus and Ephialtes figure in at least two Naxos myths: in one,

Artemis In ancient Greek mythology and religion, Artemis (; grc-gre, Ἄρτεμις) is the goddess of the hunt, the wilderness, wild animals, nature, vegetation, childbirth, care of children, and chastity. She was heavily identified wit ...

bought the abandonment of a siege they laid against the gods, by offering to live on Naxos as Otus's lover; in another, the brothers had actually settled Naxos. It is also said that the sea god

Poseidon Poseidon (; grc-gre, Ποσειδῶν) was one of the Twelve Olympians in ancient Greek religion and myth, god of the sea, storms, earthquakes and horses.Burkert 1985pp. 136–139 In pre-Olympian Bronze Age Greece, he was venerated as a ch ...

was passing by Naxos whilst driving his chariot on the sea surface and is where he first laid eyes on his future wife, the

nereid In Greek mythology, the Nereids or Nereides ( ; grc, Νηρηΐδες, Nērēḯdes; , also Νημερτές) are sea nymphs (female spirits of sea waters), the 50 daughters of the 'Old Man of the Sea' Nereus and the Oceanids, Oceanid Doris ...

Amphitrite In ancient Greek mythology, Amphitrite (; grc-gre, Ἀμφιτρίτη, Amphitrítē) was the goddess of the sea, the queen of the sea, and the wife of Poseidon. She was a daughter of Nereus and Doris (or Oceanus and Tethys).Roman, L., & Rom ...

as she was dancing there.

History

Case 09 Neolithic finds from Zas cave, AM Naxos, 176842

Middle Paleolithic era

Stelida quarry, south-west of Chora, contains

Mousterian The Mousterian (or Mode III) is an archaeological industry of stone tools, associated primarily with the Neanderthals in Europe, and to the earliest anatomically modern humans in North Africa and West Asia. The Mousterian largely defines the latt ...

tools dating back to the

Middle Paleolithic The Middle Paleolithic (or Middle Palaeolithic) is the second subdivision of the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age as it is understood in Europe, Africa and Asia. The term Middle Stone Age is used as an equivalent or a synonym for the Middle Paleoli ...

era, which indicates that

Neanderthal Neanderthals (, also ''Homo neanderthalensis'' and erroneously ''Homo sapiens neanderthalensis''), also written as Neandertals, are an extinct species or subspecies of archaic humans who lived in Eurasia until about 40,000 years ago. While th ...

activity on the island spanned almost 200,000 years ago. The extinct dwarf elephant ''

Palaeoloxodon ''Palaeoloxodon'' is an extinct genus of elephant. The genus originated in Africa during the Pliocene era, and expanded into Eurasia during the Pleistocene era. The genus contains some of the largest known species of elephants, over four metres t ...

lomolinoi'' lived on Naxos until hominids arrived on the island.

Cycladic civilisation

Zas Cave, inhabited during the

Neolithic The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several parts ...

era, contained objects of stone from Melos and copper objects including a dagger and gold sheet. The presence of gold and other objects within the cave indicated to researchers the status of the inhabitant. Emery was exported during that time, to other islands.

Classical era and Greco-Persian Wars

During the 8th and 7th centuries BC, Naxos dominated commerce in the Cyclades.

Herodotus Herodotus ( ; grc, , }; BC) was an ancient Greek historian and geographer from the Greek city of Halicarnassus, part of the Persian Empire (now Bodrum, Turkey) and a later citizen of Thurii in modern Calabria ( Italy). He is known f ...

describes Naxos circa 500 BC as the most prosperous Greek island. In 499 BC, an unsuccessful attack on Naxos by Persian forces led several prominent men in the Greek cities of Ionia to rebel against the Persian Empire in the

Ionian Revolt The Ionian Revolt, and associated revolts in Aeolis, Doris, Cyprus and Caria, were military rebellions by several Greek regions of Asia Minor against Persian rule, lasting from 499 BC to 493 BC. At the heart of the rebellion was the dissatisfac ...

, and then to the Persian War between Greece and Persia. Naxos was the first Greek

city-state A city-state is an independent sovereign city which serves as the center of political, economic, and cultural life over its contiguous territory. They have existed in many parts of the world since the dawn of history, including cities such as ...

to attempt to leave the

Delian League The Delian League, founded in 478 BC, was an association of Greek city-states, numbering between 150 and 330, under the leadership of Athens, whose purpose was to continue fighting the Persian Empire after the Greek victory in the Battle of Pl ...

circa 469 BC; Athens quickly quashed the notion and forcibly removed all military naval vessels from the island's control. Athens then demanded all future payments from Naxos in the form of gold rather than military aid.

Byzantine era

Late Antiquity Late antiquity is the time of transition from classical antiquity to the Middle Ages, generally spanning the 3rd–7th century in Europe and adjacent areas bordering the Mediterranean Basin. The popularization of this periodization in English ha ...

, the island was part of the province of the

Islands An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island ...

Pope Martin I Pope Martin I ( la, Martinus I, el, Πάπας Μαρτίνος; between 590 and 600 – 16 September 655), also known as Martin the Confessor, was the bishop of Rome from 21 July 649 to his death 16 September 655. He served as Pope Theodore I's ...

was detained on the island of Naxos for almost a year after he was arrested by Byzantine authorities in Rome due to his holding of a synod that condemned

monotheletism Monothelitism, or monotheletism (from el, μονοθελητισμός, monothelētismós, doctrine of one will), is a theological doctrine in Christianity, that holds Christ as having only one will. The doctrine is thus contrary to dyotheliti ...

. He was held on the island prior to being taken to Constantinople for trial. While detained on the island, he wrote to a certain Theodore living in Constantinople. Under the

Byzantine Empire The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

, Naxos was part of the thema of

the Aegean Sea ''The Aegean Sea'' is a c. 1877 oil painting by American artist Frederic Edwin Church, and one of his last large-scale paintings. Description The painting measures . It is a capriccio inspired by Church's travels to Europe and the Middle East ...

, which was established in the mid-9th century. In Byzantine times, the island's capital was on the southern fortress of Apalyres. During this time, it suffered from

Saracen upright 1.5, Late 15th-century German woodcut depicting Saracens Saracen ( ) was a term used in the early centuries, both in Greek and Latin writings, to refer to the people who lived in and near what was designated by the Romans as Arabia Pe ...

raids, particular during the existence of the

Emirate of Crete The Emirate of Crete ( ar, إقريطش, Iqrīṭish or , ''Iqrīṭiya''; gr, Κρήτη, Krētē) was an Islamic state that existed on the Mediterranean island of Crete from the late 820s to the reconquest of the island by the Byzantine Empir ...

(824–961), to which the island occasionally paid tribute. Traces of Muslim artistic influence are visible in frescoes from the 10th century. Nevertheless, as in Antiquity, Naxos was celebrated for its agriculture and animal husbandry; the 12th-century geographer al-Idrisi records extensive cattle raising on the island. In the late 12th century, it may have been the capital of a short-lived thema of the " Dodekanesos".

Duchy of Naxos

In the aftermath of the

Fourth Crusade The Fourth Crusade (1202–1204) was a Latin Christian armed expedition called by Pope Innocent III. The stated intent of the expedition was to recapture the Muslim-controlled city of Jerusalem, by first defeating the powerful Egyptian Ayyubid S ...

, with a

Latin Empire The Latin Empire, also referred to as the Latin Empire of Constantinople, was a feudal Crusader state founded by the leaders of the Fourth Crusade on lands captured from the Byzantine Empire. The Latin Empire was intended to replace the Byzanti ...

under the influence of the Venetians established at

Constantinople la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه , alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...

, the Venetian

Marco Sanudo Marco Sanudo (c. 1153 – between 1220 and 1230, most probably 1227) was the creator and first Duke of the Duchy of the Archipelago, after the Fourth Crusade. Maternal nephew of Venetian doge Enrico Dandolo, he was a participant in the Fourth C ...

conquered Naxos and most of the other Cyclades in 1205–1207. Of all the islands, only on Naxos was there any opposition to Sanudo: a group of Genoese pirates had occupied the castle between the end of Byzantine rule and Sanudo's arrival. To steel his band's resolve, Sanudo burnt his galleys "and bade his companions to conquer or die". The pirates surrendered the castle after a five weeks' siege. Naxos became the seat of Sanudo's realm, known as the "Duchy of Naxos" or "Duchy of the Archipelago". Twenty-one dukes in two dynasties ruled the Archipelago, until 1566; Venetian rule continued in scattered islands of the Aegean until 1714. Under Venetian rule, the island was called by its Italian name, ''Nasso''. The Sanudi introduced Western feudal law to the island, based on the ''

Assizes of Romania The ''Assizes of Romania'' (french: Assises de Romanie), formally the ''Book of the Usages and Statutes of the Latin Empire, Empire of Romania'' ( vec, Libro de le Uxanze e Statuti de lo Imperio de Romania),Setton (1975), pp. 154–155 is a collect ...

''. However, the native Greek population continued to use

Byzantine law Byzantine law was essentially a continuation of Roman law with increased Orthodox Christian and Hellenistic influence. Most sources define ''Byzantine law'' as the Roman legal traditions starting after the reign of Justinian I in the 6th century ...

for civil matters at least until the late 16th century. In the 13th century, following the capture of

Antalya Antalya () is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, fifth-most populous city in Turkey as well as the capital of Antalya Province. Located on Anatolia's southwest coast bordered by the Taurus Mountains, Antalya is the largest Turkish cit ...

and

Alanya Alanya (; ), formerly Alaiye, is a beach resort city and a district of Antalya Province on the southern coast of Turkey, in the country's Mediterranean Region, east of the city of Antalya. As of Turkey's 2010 census, the city had a population of ...

on the southern Anatolian coast by the

Seljuk Turks The Seljuk dynasty, or Seljukids ( ; fa, سلجوقیان ''Saljuqian'', alternatively spelled as Seljuqs or Saljuqs), also known as Seljuk Turks, Seljuk Turkomans "The defeat in August 1071 of the Byzantine emperor Romanos Diogenes by the Turk ...

, refugees from these areas settled in Naxos. In the 14th century, the island was once more exposed to raids, this time from the

Anatolian Turkish beyliks Anatolian beyliks ( tr, Anadolu beylikleri, Ottoman Turkish: ''Tavâif-i mülûk'', ''Beylik'' ) were small principalities (or petty kingdoms) in Anatolia governed by beys, the first of which were founded at the end of the 11th century. A secon ...

, chiefly the

Aydınids The Aydinids or Aydinid dynasty (Turkish language, Modern Turkish: ''Aydınoğulları'', ''Aydınoğulları Beyliği'', ota, آیدین اوغوللاری بیلیغی), also known as the Principality of Aydin and Beylik of Aydin (), was on ...

. In turn, the Sanudi assisted the Genoese in capturing

Chios Chios (; el, Χίος, Chíos , traditionally known as Scio in English) is the fifth largest Greek island, situated in the northern Aegean Sea. The island is separated from Turkey by the Chios Strait. Chios is notable for its exports of mastic ...

in 1304 and the

Knights Hospitaller The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem ( la, Ordo Fratrum Hospitalis Sancti Ioannis Hierosolymitani), commonly known as the Knights Hospitaller (), was a medieval and early modern Catholic Church, Catholic Military ord ...

in their

conquest Conquest is the act of military subjugation of an enemy by force of arms. Military history provides many examples of conquest: the Roman conquest of Britain, the Mauryan conquest of Afghanistan and of vast areas of the Indian subcontinent, t ...

Rhodes Rhodes (; el, Ρόδος , translit=Ródos ) is the largest and the historical capital of the Dodecanese islands of Greece. Administratively, the island forms a separate municipality within the Rhodes regional unit, which is part of the So ...

in 1309, in order to stop these islands being used as Turkish pirate base. Nevertheless, raids against Naxos are recorded in 1324 and 1326, and in 1341,

Umur of Aydın Umur Ghazi, Ghazi Umur, or Umur The LionDonald MacGillivray Nicol, ''The Last Centuries of Byzantium, 1261–1453'', Cambridge University Press, 1993, p. 144./ref> (Modern Turkish: ''Aydınoğlu Umur Bey'', c. 1309–1348), also known as Umur Pas ...

carried off 6,000 people from the island and imposed a payment of tribute. Two years later, however, the

Smyrniote crusade The Smyrniote crusades (1343–1351) were two Crusades sent by Pope Clement VI against the Emirate of Aydin under Umur Bey which had as their principal target the coastal city of Smyrna in Asia Minor. The first Smyrniote crusade was the brainch ...

captured his main port,

Smyrna Smyrna ( ; grc, Σμύρνη, Smýrnē, or , ) was a Greek city located at a strategic point on the Aegean coast of Anatolia. Due to its advantageous port conditions, its ease of defence, and its good inland connections, Smyrna rose to promi ...

. The relief was temporary, however, as Turkish raids recommenced later in the century. The island was so depopulated that

Cristoforo Buondelmonti Cristoforo Buondelmonti (c. 1385 – c. 1430) was an Italian Franciscan priest and traveler, and a pioneer in promoting first-hand knowledge of Greece and its antiquities throughout the Western world. Biography Cristoforo Buondelmonti was born ar ...

in claimed that there were not enough men to wed the Naxiot women. The rising

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

first attacked the island in 1416, but the Sultans recognized Venetian overlordship over the Duchy in successive treaties, in exchange for an annual tribute.

Ottoman control (1566–1821)

The Ottoman administration remained essentially in the hands of the Venetians; the Porte's concern was satisfied by the returns of taxes. Very few Turks ever settled on Naxos, and Turkish influence on the island is slight. Under Ottoman rule the island was known as

Turkish Turkish may refer to: *a Turkic language spoken by the Turks * of or about Turkey ** Turkish language *** Turkish alphabet ** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation *** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey *** Turkish communities and mi ...

: ''Nakşa''. Ottoman sovereignty lasted until 1821, when the islands revolted; Naxos finally became a member of the Greek state in 1832.

Historical population

Economy

Tourism

Naxos is a popular

tourist destination A tourist attraction is a place of interest that Tourism, tourists visit, typically for its inherent or an exhibited natural or cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, offering leisure and amusement. Types Places of ...

, with several ruins. It has a number of beaches, such as those at Agia Anna, Agios Prokopios, Alikos, Kastraki, Mikri Vigla, Plaka, and Agios Georgios, most of them near Chora. As other

cycladic islands The Cyclades (; el, Κυκλάδες, ) are an island group in the Aegean Sea, southeast of mainland Greece and a former administrative prefecture of Greece. They are one of the island groups which constitute the Aegean archipelago. The name ...

, Naxos is considered a windy place perfect for

windsurfing Windsurfing is a wind propelled water sport that is a combination of sailing and surfing. It is also referred to as "sailboarding" and "boardsailing", and emerged in the late 1960s from the aerospace and surf culture of California. Windsurfing ga ...

, as well as

kitesurfing Kiteboarding or kitesurfing is a sport that involves using wind power with a large power kite to pull a rider across a water, land, or snow surface. It combines aspects of paragliding, surfing, windsurfing, skateboarding, snowboarding, and wak ...

. There are seven sports clubs in the island that offer both of these sports and other water activities.

Agriculture

Naxos is the most

fertile Fertility is the capability to produce offspring through reproduction following the onset of sexual maturity. The fertility rate is the average number of children born by a female during her lifetime and is quantified demographically. Fertilit ...

island of the Cyclades. It has a good supply of water in a region where water is usually inadequate. Mount Zeus () is the highest peak in the Cyclades, and tends to trap the clouds, permitting greater rainfall. This has made

agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...

an important economic sector with various vegetable and fruit crops as well as cattle breeding, making Naxos the most self-sufficient island in the Cyclades. Naxos is well known within Greece for its "Arseniko Naxou" cheese, potatoes and

Kitron Kitron is a citron liqueur produced on the Greek island of Naxos. It is made from the fruit and leaves of the citron tree, which is similar to the lemon tree but stronger and slightly different in taste. Kitron comes in three varieties. The g ...

, a local lemon-citrus spirit.

Marble

The quarrying of marble on Naxos began before 550

BCE Common Era (CE) and Before the Common Era (BCE) are year notations for the Gregorian calendar (and its predecessor, the Julian calendar), the world's most widely used calendar era. Common Era and Before the Common Era are alternatives to the or ...

. Naxian marble was used for the creation of the

roof tile A roof ( : roofs or rooves) is the top covering of a building, including all materials and constructions necessary to support it on the walls of the building or on uprights, providing protection against rain, snow, sunlight, extremes of temper ...

s at

ancient Olympia Olympia ( el, label=Modern Greek, Ολυμπία ; grc, Ὀλυμπία ), officially Archaia Olympia ( el, label=Modern Greek, Αρχαία Ολυμπία; grc, Ἀρχαία Ὀλυμπία, links=no; "Ancient Olympia"), is a small town in E ...

and on the

Athenian Acropolis The Acropolis of Athens is an ancient citadel located on a rocky outcrop above the city of Athens and contains the remains of several ancient buildings of great architectural and historical significance, the most famous being the Parthenon. Th ...

, As of 2016, about 5,000 m³ of high value

Naxian marble Naxian marble is a large-crystaled white marble which is quarried from the Cycladic Island of Naxos in Greece. It was among the most significant types of marble for ancient Greece and it continues to be quarried in modern times. Creation, mineral ...

was being exported annually.Trianet: Gestein und Bergbau
.

Sports

Pannaxiakos A.O. (sports club) Pannaxiakos Athlitikos Omilos ( el, Πανναξιακός Αθλητικός Όμιλος, Pannaxian Athletic Union), commonly referred to as Pannaxiakos , is a Greek sports club based in Naxos. History The club was founded in 1960 in Naxos. ...

Notable people

* Ecumenical Patriarch

Anthimus III of Constantinople Anthimus III ( el, Άνθιμος Γ΄; 1762–1842) was Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople during the period 1822-1824. Biography He was born in Koronis (Komiaki) of Naxos in 1762. His father was a priest in the village, with descent from t ...

(1762-1842) *

Ecumenical Patriarch Callinicus III of Constantinople Callinicus III ( el, ), (? – 20 November 1726) was Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople for one day in 1726. He is sometimes not counted amongst the patriarchs, and Patriarch Callinicus IV of Constantinople, Callinicus IV, who was Patriarch ...

(died 1726) *

Keti Chomata Aikaterine "Keti" Chomata (Greek: , ; October 24, 1946 - October 24, 2010) was a Greek singer and actress. Biography Chomata was born in Athens in 1946; her family's origin was from the island of Naxos. She lived in the Plaka district of Athens ...

(1946–2010), singer *

Manolis Glezos Manolis Glezos ( el, Μανώλης Γλέζος; 9 September 1922 – 30 March 2020) was a Greek left-wing politician, journalist, author, and folk hero, best known for his participation in the World War II resistance. In Greece, he is best r ...

(1922–2020), rebel, politician, writer * Giannoulis Fakinos (born 1989), soccer player *

Iakovos Kambanelis Iakovos Kambanellis (Greek: Ιάκωβος Καμπανέλλης; 2 December 1921 – 29 March 2011) was a Greek poet, playwright, screenwriter, lyricist, and novelist. Biography Born 2 December 1921 in Hora on the island of Naxos, the sixth of ...

(1922–2011), poet, playwright, lyricist and novelist *

Kostas Manolas Konstantinos "Kostas" Manolas ( el, Κωνσταντίνος "Κώστας" Μανωλάς; ; born 14 June 1991) is a Greek professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for UAE Pro League club Sharjah. Club career AEK Athens 2009–1 ...

(born 1991), soccer player *

Stelios Manolas Stelios Manolas ( el, Στέλιος Μανωλάς, born 13 July 1961) is a Greek former international football player who played as a centre back for AEK Athens and a manager. Arguably the best Greek defender of his era, being one of the few ...

(born 1961), soccer player *

Nikolaos Mykonios Nikolaos Mykonios ( el, Νικόλαος Μυκώνιος, November 6, 1803 - March 21, 1890) was a fighter of the Greek War of Independence and later an officer of the Greek army. Biography Mykonios was born in Koronida of Naxos on November 6, 1 ...

, fighter of the

Greek War of Independence The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution or the Greek Revolution of 1821, was a successful war of independence by Greek revolutionaries against the Ottoman Empire between 1821 and 1829. The Greeks were later assisted by ...

and officer of the

Greek Army The Hellenic Army ( el, Ελληνικός Στρατός, Ellinikós Stratós, sometimes abbreviated as ΕΣ), formed in 1828, is the land force of Greece. The term ''Hellenic'' is the endogenous synonym for ''Greek''. The Hellenic Army is the ...

Iakovos Nafpliotis image:Iakovos Nafpliotis.jpg, 200px, Iakovos Nafpliotis Iakovos Nafpliotis, (or Nafpliotis or Naupliotis or Naupliotes: ) (1864 in Naxos Island, Naxos – December 5, 1942 in Athens) was the Archon psaltis, Protopsaltis (First cantor (church), can ...

(1864–1942),

cantor A cantor or chanter is a person who leads people in singing or sometimes in prayer. In formal Jewish worship, a cantor is a person who sings solo verses or passages to which the choir or congregation responds. In Judaism, a cantor sings and lead ...

Nicodemus the Hagiorite Nicodemus the Hagiorite or Nicodemus of the Holy Mountain ( el, Ὅσιος Νικόδημος ὁ Ἁγιορείτης; 1749 – July 14, 1809) is a saint of the Eastern Orthodox Church. He was an ascetic monk, mystic, theologian, and philos ...

(1749–1809), saint *

Giorgos Ninios Giorgos Ninios (born 1959) is a Greek television, film and stage actor with an extensive filmography. He has won two awards at the Thessaloniki Film Festival The Thessaloniki Film Festival is a Thessaloniki-based cultural institution focusing ...

(born 1959), actor * Michalis Polytarchou, basketball player, Former Captain of

AEK Athens BC AEK Basketball Club ( el, ΚΑΕ ΑΕΚ ; Αθλητική Ένωσις Κωνσταντινουπόλεως ''Athlitikí Énosis Konstantinoupóleos'', "Athletic Union of Constantinople"), also known as AEK B.C. or AEK, and more commonly kno ...

Petros Protopapadakis Petros Protopapadakis ( el, Πέτρος Πρωτοπαπαδάκης; 1854–1922) was a Greek politician and Prime Minister of Greece in May–September 1922. Life and work Born in 1854 in Apeiranthos, Naxos, Protopapadakis studied mathemati ...

(1854–1922), Prime Minister of Greece

Gallery

File:Naxos Νάξος Chora 2020-08-20 28 Portara Πορτάρα.jpg, View through Portara on the peninsula Palátia towards Chora of Naxos File:Agios Nikolaos at Grotta, Naxos, 4th to 7th c, 213443.jpg, Agios Nikolaos on the Grotta of Naxos Town (Chora) File:Valley between Potamia and Moni, Naxos, 19M7555.jpg, Valley between Potamia and Moni, Naxos. View from road from Apeiranthos to Filoti File:Heiligtum des Dionysos (Yria) 03.jpg,

Sanctuary of Dionysus (Yria) The Temple of Dionysus was a sanctuary on ancient Naxos dedicated to Dionysus.Vassilis Lambrinoudakis, Gottfried Gruben: Das neuentdeckte Heiligtum von Iria auf Naxos. In: Archäologischer Anzeiger. 1987, S. 569–621. Naxos was one of the cult ce ...

File:028MAD Sphinx.jpg,

Sphinx of Naxos The Sphinx of Naxos, also Sphinx of the Naxians, now in the Delphi Archaeological Museum, Archaeological Museum of Delphi, is a 2.22 meter tall marble statue of a sphinx, a mythical creature with the head of a woman, the chest and wings compose ...

, now at

Delphi Archaeological Museum Delphi Archaeological museum (Modern Greek : ''Αρχαιολογικό Μουσείο Δελφών'') is one of the principal museums of Greece and one of the most visited. It is operated by the Greek Ministry of Culture (Ephorate of Antiquities o ...

File:Building from terrace, Byzantine Museum Naxos, 143770.jpg, Crispi tower, housing the Byzantine museum File:Naos Drosianis Naxos 03.jpg, Panagia Drosiani church, Moni village File:Naxos Moni Faneromenis.JPG, The monastery of Faneromeni File:Akadimoi Naxos Greece 2018081316330N09239.jpg, Chalki, Naxos File:Atsipapi, Naxos, Greece 2018081216580N08690.jpg, Agios Isidoros at Atsipapi File:Kaloxilos Naxos Greece 2018081018100N08139.jpg, Kaloxilos, Naxos File:Vourvouria Naxos Greece 2018081119110NH8230.jpg, Vourvouria File:Catholic cathedral, Kastro, Noxos Town, 1207-1963 AD, 144131.jpg, Presentation of the Lord Catholic church of Naxos File:Koronos, Naxos, 119500.jpg,

village File:Panagia Damiotissa Naxos Greece 2018080816280N05907.jpg, Panagia Damiotissa, Chalki File:TO FILOTI APO TOYS PROPODES TOY ZA.jpeg,

village File:Tower in Filoti, Naxos, commemorated 1620, 119754.jpg, Tower in

File:Απόλλωνας Νάξου.jpeg, Apollonas village File:Naxos Keramoti.JPG,

Keramoti Keramoti ( el, Κεραμωτή) is a town and a former municipality in the Kavala regional unit, East Macedonia and Thrace, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Nestos, of which it is a municipal unit. ...

village File:Castle (Kastro) in Apeiranthos, Naxos, 101911.jpg, Tower in

Apeiranthos Apeiranthos or Aperathos ( or ; local dialect: , ) is a mountainous village on the island of Naxos in Greece. It is located north-east of the capital of the island, built on the foothill of mountain Fanari, on an altitude between 570 and 640 m. ...

File:Aerial view of Hawaii Beach on Naxos Island, Greece.jpg, Hawaii beach, Alykos, Naxos

Citations

General references

* Agelarakis, A., "The Naxos Island Archaic Period Necropolis: Archaeological-Anthropology Research Report", Hellenic Antiquities Authority, ''Archival Report'', 2005, Naxos. *

Ernst Curtius Ernst Curtius (; 2 September 181411 July 1896) was a German archaeologist, historian and museum director. Biography He was born in Lübeck. On completing his university studies he was chosen by Christian August Brandis, C. A. Brandis to acco ...

, Naxos. ''Ein Vortrag im wissenschaftlichen Verein zu Berlin 1846 gehalten, neu herausgegeben von

Martin Biastoch Martin may refer to: Places * Martin City (disambiguation) * Martin County (disambiguation) * Martin Township (disambiguation) Antarctica * Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land * Port Martin, Adelie Land * Point Martin, South Orkney Islands Austral ...

'', Göttingen, 2012.

External links

*
Moving Postcards Naxos

Municipality of Naxos and Small Cyclades

Photos from Naxos inclusive Tourist-Infos
{{Authority control Euboean colonies Greek city-states Islands of Greece Islands of the South Aegean Landforms of Naxos (regional unit) Members of the Delian League