POROS

'Poros' (Greek: Πόρος) is a small Greek island-pair in the southern part of the Saronic Gulf, at a distance about 48 km (32 miles) south from Piraeus and separated from the Peloponnese by a 200-metre wide sea channel. Its surface is about 50 square kilometres (19 square miles) and it has 4,348 inhabitants. The ancient name of Poros was Pogon.
Poros consists of two islands: Sphairia or Sferia, the southern part, which is of volcanic origin, where today's city is located, and Kalaureia, also Kalavria or Calauria (meaning 'gentle breeze'), the northern and largest part. A bridge connects the two islands over a narrow isthmus.
Poros is an island with rich vegetation. Much of the northern and far eastern/western sides of the island are bushy, whereas large areas of old pine forest are found in the south and center of the island. It has a good road network and adequate tourist infrastructure, which makes it a popular resort for short holidays. Though possessing no airport, it is easily accessible from Athens via ferry or hydrofoil or from the adjacent mainland at Galatas.

Contents

Geography

Geology

History

Antiquity

Byzantine/Ottoman Era

Modern Era

Landmarks

Historical population

See also

References

External links

Geography

The landscape is very hilly and mountainous. The highest peak is the Vigla (358 m) in the west-central part. Following the island's topography and geology, small creeks and seasonal streams flow through steep valleys of the southern and northeastern part. The western and northern part of the island feature smooth hills and shallow valleys. Sandy beaches are restricted to the southern shore of the island, except for a bay in the northern part called Vayionia.

Geology

The geology of the island comprises Mesozoic to Cenozoic sedimentary rocks (limestone, and Flysch-type sandstone) and ophiolites, as well as Neogene volcanic rocks on Sferia. The island is tectonically dissected and part of a Tertiary tectonic mélange. There are karstic sinkholes in the island's central limestone massif, and limestone caves with stalactites. Visible marine fossils are mainly found in the limestone, no occurrences of precious stones or ore deposits are known.

History

Recent studies suggest that Poros has been inhabited since the Bronze Age. Graves on the island have been dated to the Mycenaean period, and manmade structures have existed on it since at least 1000 BCE.

Antiquity

The ancient polis of Kalaureia was home to an asylum dedicated to Poseidon, the ruins of which are still accessible on a hilltop close to the town. This asylum may have been linked to the sanctuaries at Geraistos and Tainaros. Ancient historians claimed that Poros was home to an Amphictyony in the Archaic period, a league of the poleis Poros, Athens, Prassiai, Aegina, Epidaurus, Hermione, Troizene, Nauplion and Orchomenos. However, there is no evidence for this, and modern scholars believe the Amphictyony may have been a Hellenistic invention. An enormous feast was found dating to the Hellenistic period in the ruins of the Kalaureia asylum, along with a plaque celebrating the "revival" of the Kalaureian League.

Byzantine/Ottoman Era

In Byzantine times, Poros and other islands were often raided by pirates. During the Ottoman occupation Poros remained independent, and helped neighbouring islands after the start of the Greek War of Independence.

Modern Era

Poros was ravaged by a forest fire that overran the southwestern portion of the larger island of Kalavria on June 26, 2007; it also destroyed several houses and businesses. The view from the Saronic Gulf resembled a disaster and it could be seen plainly from the mainland. The cause of the fire was the enormous heatwave that plagued Southeastern Europe at that time, causing temperatures to soar above 45 degrees. It took firefighters on the ground and water-bombing aircraft several hours to control the blaze and the horrific fire was extinguished only in the latter part of the day.

Landmarks

★ The picturesque town of Poros with its beautiful neoclassical buildings is built amphitheatrically on the slopes of a hill. Its most famous landmark is a clock tower, built in 1927.

★ The Archaeological Museum at Korizis Square houses findings from the Sanctuary of Poseidon, from ancient Troizene, and from other archaeological sites nearby.

★ In the northern part of the island there are the remains of the Sanctuary of Poseidon, the centre of the Kalaureian amphictyony. The exact date it was built is not known, although researchers estimate it to have been around 520 BC. The dimensions of the temple, which is of the Doric order, are 27.4×14.4 m. There are six columns on each short side and twelve on each long side. It was here that Demosthenes, the famous orator, poisoned himself with hemlock in 322 BC fleeing from the Macedonian Governor Antipatros.

★ The prestigious Hellenic Naval Academy is situated on Poros, which also was the site of the first naval shipyard in modern Greece, established during the Greek war of independence from the Ottoman empire, in 1827.

Historical population

Year	Communal population	Change	Overall Island population	Change
1981	3,929	-	-	-
1991	3,273	-656/-16.7%	3,570	-
2001	-	-	4,348	+778/+21.79%

See also

★ List of municipalities of Attica, including the Saronic

References

External links

★ Poros Island official website

★ Kalaureia Archaeological Excavations

★ Coordinates: