Tinos ( el, Τήνος ) 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 ...

situated in the

Aegean Sea The Aegean Sea ; tr, Ege Denizi ( Greek: Αιγαίο Πέλαγος: "Egéo Pélagos", Turkish: "Ege Denizi" or "Adalar Denizi") is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea between Europe and Asia. It is located between the Balkans ...

. It is located in 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 name ...

archipelago An archipelago ( ), sometimes called an island group or island chain, is a chain, cluster, or collection of islands, or sometimes a sea containing a small number of scattered islands. Examples of archipelagos include: the Indonesian Arch ...

. The closest islands are

Andros Andros ( el, Άνδρος, ) is the northernmost island of the Greek Cyclades archipelago, about southeast of Euboea, and about north of Tinos. It is nearly long, and its greatest breadth is . It is for the most part mountainous, with many ...

Delos The island of Delos (; el, Δήλος ; Attic: , Doric: ), near Mykonos, near the centre of the Cyclades archipelago, is one of the most important mythological, historical, and archaeological sites in Greece. The excavations in the island ar ...

, and

Mykonos Mykonos (, ; el, Μύκονος ) is a Greek island, part of the Cyclades, lying between Tinos, Syros, Paros and Naxos. The island has an area of and rises to an elevation of at its highest point. There are 10,134 inhabitants according ...

. It has a land area of and a 2011 census population of 8,636 inhabitants. Tinos is famous amongst Greeks for the Church of Panagia Evangelistria, its 80 or so

windmill A windmill is a structure that converts wind power into rotational energy using vanes called sails or blades, specifically to mill grain (gristmills), but the term is also extended to windpumps, wind turbines, and other applications, in some ...

s, about 1,000 artistic dovecotes, 50 active villages and its

Venetian Venetian often means from or related to: * Venice, a city in Italy * Veneto, a region of Italy * Republic of Venice (697–1797), a historical nation in that area Venetian and the like may also refer to: * Venetian language, a Romance language s ...

fortifications at the mountain, Exomvourgo. On Tinos, both

Greek Orthodox The term Greek Orthodox Church ( Greek: Ἑλληνορθόδοξη Ἐκκλησία, ''Ellinorthódoxi Ekklisía'', ) has two meanings. The broader meaning designates "the entire body of Orthodox (Chalcedonian) Christianity, sometimes also cal ...

and

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

populations co-exist, and the island is also well known for its sculptors and painters, such as Nikolaos Gysis, Yannoulis Chalepas and

Nikiforos Lytras Nikiforos Lytras ( el, Νικηφόρος Λύτρας; 1832 – 13 June 1904) was a Greek painter. He was born in Tinos and trained in Athens at the School of Arts. In 1860, he won a scholarship to Royal Academy of Fine Arts of Munich. After ...

. The island is located near the geographical center of the Cyclades island complex, and because of the Panagia Evangelistria church, with its reputedly miraculous icon of Virgin Mary that it holds, Tinos is also the center of a yearly pilgrimage that takes place on the date of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary (15 August, ''Dekapentavgoustos'' in Greek). Many pilgrims make their way the from the ferry wharf to the church on their hands and knees as sign of devotion.

History

Anciently, the island was called Tenos ( grc, Τῆνος), and was also called Hydroussa/Hydroessa (Ὑδροῦσσα, Ὑδρόεσσα) from the number of its springs, and Ophioussa (Ὀφιοῦσσα) because it abounded in snakes. The sons of Boreas are said to have been slain in this island by

Heracles Heracles ( ; grc-gre, Ἡρακλῆς, , glory/fame of Hera), born Alcaeus (, ''Alkaios'') or Alcides (, ''Alkeidēs''), was a divine hero in Greek mythology, the son of Zeus and Alcmene, and the foster son of Amphitryon.By his adoptiv ...

. In the invasion of Greece by

Xerxes I Xerxes I ( peo, 𐎧𐏁𐎹𐎠𐎼𐏁𐎠 ; grc-gre, Ξέρξης ; – August 465 BC), commonly known as Xerxes the Great, was the fourth King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire, ruling from 486 to 465 BC. He was the son and successor of D ...

, the Tenians were compelled to serve in the Persian fleet; but a Tenian

trireme A trireme( ; derived from Latin: ''trirēmis'' "with three banks of oars"; cf. Greek ''triērēs'', literally "three-rower") was an ancient navies and vessels, ancient vessel and a type of galley that was used by the ancient maritime civilizat ...

deserted to the Greeks immediately before the

Battle of Salamis The Battle of Salamis ( ) was a naval battle fought between an alliance of Greek city-states under Themistocles and the Persian Empire under King Xerxes in 480 BC. It resulted in a decisive victory for the outnumbered Greeks. The battle was ...

(480 BCE), and accordingly the name of the Tenians was inscribed upon the tripod at

Delphi Delphi (; ), in legend previously called Pytho (Πυθώ), in ancient times was a sacred precinct that served as the seat of Pythia, the major oracle who was consulted about important decisions throughout the ancient classical world. The orac ...

in the list of Grecian states which had overthrown the Persians. Pausanias relates that the name of the Tenians was also inscribed on the statue of Zeus at Olympia among the Greeks who had fought at the

Battle of Plataea The Battle of Plataea was the final land battle during the second Persian invasion of Greece. It took place in 479 BC near the city of Plataea in Boeotia, and was fought between an alliance of the Greek city-states (including Sparta, Athens, ...

. The Tenians afterwards formed part of 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 Pla ...

, and are mentioned among the subject allies of Athens at the time of the Sicilian expedition. They paid a yearly tribute of 3600 drachmae, from which it may be inferred that they enjoyed a considerable share of prosperity. Alexander of Pherae took possession of Tenos for a time; and the island was afterwards granted by

Marcus Antonius Marcus Antonius (14 January 1 August 30 BC), commonly known in English as Mark Antony, was a Roman politician and general who played a critical role in the transformation of the Roman Republic from a constitutional republic into the au ...

to the

Rhodians 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 Sou ...

Following the capture of

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 (" ...

by 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 ...

, Tinos was one of several islands ruled by private

citizens and belonged to Andrea Ghisi, whose heirs held it until 1390 when the last member of the family branch bequeathed both Tinos and

to Venice. It was ruled by Venice until 1715, when Tinos was captured by the

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 ...

(see Ottoman–Venetian War). It was known as İstendil during Ottoman era. The Ottomans held Tinos until 1821 when the inhabitants joined in 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 ...

.40.pdf
The tumult of the period gave rise to an increase in piracy in the region. In 1825 was the lead vessel of a small squadron in anti-piracy operations in the

Archipelago An archipelago ( ), sometimes called an island group or island chain, is a chain, cluster, or collection of islands, or sometimes a sea containing a small number of scattered islands. Examples of archipelagos include: the Indonesian Arch ...

, at Alexandria, and around the coasts of Syria. On 27 July 1826, ''Cambrian''s boats captured a pirate bombard and burnt a mistico on Tinos. Five pirates were killed and several wounded. The date of 15 August also commemorates the 1940 sinking in Tinos's harbour of the Greek cruiser ''

Elli In Norse mythology (a subset of Germanic mythology), Elli (Old Norse: , "old age"Orchard (1997:38).) is a personification of old age who, in the ''Prose Edda'' book ''Gylfaginning'', defeats Thor in a wrestling match.Graeme Davis (2013). ''Thor: ...

'', during peacetime, while she rode at anchor, by the Italian submarine ''Delfino''. The ''Elli'' was participating in the celebrations of the Feast of the Dormition. One of the three torpedoes fired hit the ''Elli'' under the one operating boiler and she caught fire and sank. Nine petty officers and sailors were killed and 24 were wounded. The same submarine attempted to torpedo the passenger ships M/V ''Elsi'' and M/V ''Hesperos'' anchored in the port. This attempt failed and the torpedoes only damaged a section of the port's wharf.

Geography

Tinos has a varied landscape. From the shores of Panormos and Kolimbithra on the North Shore to Kionia, Agios Yannis O Portos, and Agios Sostis on the Southern Shore, Tinos has many beaches. Tsiknias is the highest mountain on the island at and hides the village of Livada. The mountain of

Exobourgo Exomvourgo or Exobourgo ( el, Εξώμβουργο/Εξώμπουργκο, /) is a mountain on the island of Tinos. It has a rugged appearance, unlike the other mountains in the Cyclades and is the site of a ruined Venetian fortress and town. ...

is quite distinct, and unlike its more rounded Cycladic neighbors, has a jagged appearance that would be more at home in the Alps. Between Tsiknias and Exobourgo lies the fruitful plain of Falatados. This area is unique on the island as its relatively flat terrain (albeit with an elevation of about ) is rare on the island. This made it a strong candidate for a proposed airport on the island. The Meltemi winds and concerns of local villagers of the towns of Falatados, and Steni have all but halted the project. The landscape around Volax is surreal and unusual with giant boulders some the size of multi-storey buildings. The village of Volax lies at the center of this landscape. To the west, the mountains surrounding Pyrgos contain green

marble Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite. Marble is typically not foliated (layered), although there are exceptions. In geology, the term ''marble'' refers to metamorphose ...

. All around the island of Tinos, the islanders have made the most unusual things out of stone. The hills are all terraced with stone walls and every village is connected to its nearest neighbors by stone walkways set between a parallel set of stone walls. The island's mineral resources include marble, Verde antico,

asbestos Asbestos () is a naturally occurring fibrous silicate mineral. There are six types, all of which are composed of long and thin fibrous crystals, each fibre being composed of many microscopic "fibrils" that can be released into the atmosphere b ...

and a

granite Granite () is a coarse-grained ( phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly cools and solidifies un ...

mine near Volax (also known as Volakas).

Administration

Tinos is a separate

regional unit The 74 regional units of Greece ( el, περιφερειακές ενότητες, ; sing. , ) are the country's Seventy-four second-level administrative units. They are divisions of the country's 13 regions, and are further divided into munici ...

of the

South Aegean The South Aegean ( el, Περιφέρεια Νοτίου Αιγαίου, translit=Periféria Notíou Eyéou, ) is one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It consists of the Cyclades and Dodecanese island groups in the central and ...

region, and the only

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the ...

of the regional unit. As a part of the 2011 Kallikratis government reform, the regional unit Tinos was created out of part of the former

Cyclades Prefecture 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 ...

. At the same reform, the current municipality Tinos was created out of the 3 former municipalities: * Exomvourgo * Panormos * Tinos (town)

Province

The province of Tinos ( el, Επαρχία Τήνου) was one of the

provinces A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman '' provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...

of the Cyclades Prefecture. It had the same territory as the present regional unit. It was abolished in 2006.

Climate

Tinos experiences a

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on ...

climate and has warm and dry summers and mild and wet winters. In the island you come across the etesians (also known as meltemi winds) the strong, dry north winds of the Aegean Sea, which blow from about mid-May to mid-September. They are at their strongest in the afternoon and often die down at night, but sometimes meltemi winds last for days without a break. Meltemi winds are dangerous to sailors because they come up in clear weather without warning and can blow at 7-8 Beaufort.

Transportation

Tinos has three ports, one for passenger speed boats, and two for ferries and highspeed boats which carry passengers and cars to other ports, including

(35 min),

Piraeus Piraeus ( ; el, Πειραιάς ; grc, Πειραιεύς ) is a port city within the Athens urban area ("Greater Athens"), in the Attica region of Greece. It is located southwest of Athens' city centre, along the east coast of the Saro ...

, Rafina,

and Syros. There is a

heliport A heliport is a small airport suitable for use by helicopters and some other vertical lift aircraft. Designated heliports typically contain one or more touchdown and liftoff areas and may also have limited facilities such as fuel or hangars. I ...

close to Aghios Fokas beach, some from the town of Tinos. There are regular buses linking the town of Tinos with other villages on the island.

Towns and villages

Notable people

* Kösem Sultan (Anastasia) Valide Sultan of the

, mother of Murad IV, Ibrahim I * Saint Pelagia * Ieronymos I (Kotsonis), Archbishop of Athens and All Greece * Haralambos “Babis” Marmanis, Author, Scientist, CTO * Yannoulis Chalepas (1851–1938), sculptor *

Lazaros Sochos Lazaros Sochos ( el, Λάζαρος Σώχος; 1862–1911) was a Greek sculptor. He was born in Tinos and educated in Athens under Leonidas Drosis. He later studied also in Paris. He is best known for the statue of Theodoros Kolokotronis i ...

(1862-1911), sculptor *

Patriarch Photius of Alexandria Photius served as Greek Patriarch of Alexandria between 1900 and 1925. He opposed reform to change from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar. He died in Zürich Zürich () is the list of cities in Switzerland, largest city in Switzerla ...

Nikiphoros Lytras Nikiforos Lytras ( el, Νικηφόρος Λύτρας; 1832 – 13 June 1904) was a Greek painter. He was born in Tinos and trained in Athens at the School of Arts. In 1860, he won a scholarship to Royal Academy of Fine Arts of Munich. After c ...

(1832-1904), painter * Nicholaos Gysis (1842–1901), painter *

Stelios Perpiniadis Stelios Perpiniadis (; 14 May 1899 – 4 September 1977), better known as Stellakis (Greek: Στελλάκης), was a Greek folk musician who wrote, sang, and played guitar in the ''rebetiko'' style. He was the father of Greek folk musician, Vange ...

(1899–1977), musician * Errikos Kontarinis (1906–1971), actor * Vangelis Protopappas (1917–1995) actor * Lefteris Valakas, sculptor * Fragiskos Alvertis, basketball player *

Alekos Alavanos Alexandros 'Alekos' Alavanos ( el, Αλέκος Αλαβάνος; born 22 May 1950 in Athens) is a Greek politician, former member of the Hellenic Parliament and the European Parliament. From 2004 until 2008 he was president of the Coalition o ...

, politician

Gallery

File:Tinos (15597098751).jpg, Tinos town, view of the port File:Tino - Dapper Olfert - 1688.jpg, Tinos map, Olfert Dapper, Amsterdam, Wolfgangh, 1688 File:Tinos (15573872195).jpg, Saint Nicolas church in Panormos (Pyrgos), Tinos File:Yannoulis Chalepas portrait.jpg, Yannoulis Chalepas File:Tinos kolimbithra bucht 120707 02.jpg, View of Mikri Kolibithra beach File:Tinos 309.jpg, Street of Tinos File:Tinos, Greece (Unsplash).jpg, Tinos, Volax File:Tinos 319.JPG, The congress centre File:Ktikados, Tinos, Greece 2018040618370N00701.jpg, Catholic church at the village of Ktikados File:Tinos (15082052382).jpg, Tinos, Volax landscape File:Lichnaftia, Tinos, Greece 2018041010060N01443.jpg, Dovecote near Lichnaftia, Tinos, Greece File:Tinos (15422595820).jpg, Tinos, Kardiani File:Triantaros Tinos Greece 2018040613200NP0515.jpg, View of Dyo-Choria and Triantaros, Tinos File:Tinos, Greece 2018040613120NP0488.jpg, Tinos panorama

References

External links

The official travel guide of Tínos

Official website of Municipality of Tinos

Official website of Municipality of Exomvoúrgo
{{Authority control Cyclades Municipalities of the South Aegean Provinces of Greece Landforms of Tinos Islands of the South Aegean Members of the Delian League Stato da Màr Populated places in the ancient Aegean islands Locations in Greek mythology