ABOUT LEMNOS (LIMNOS) ISLAND
The landscape of Limnos does not have great variety. Low hills covered all over with shrubs alternate with small plains the majority of which are not cultivated any more. The coasts are rocky but one can also find sandy beaches. The changes of the landscape are rather smooth. This calm landscape has influenced people who have lived here. They are tranquil and mild.
Limnos has never been a poor island. Although there were in the past difficult periods and bad years, the island was never abandoned. Group immigration has not been observed before our century. In the 16th centrury, 75 villages existed on the island. In fact this period Limnos witnessed the most dense population and the most intensive cultivation of the island. On this basis it is not surprising that Limnos became the target of
pirates' attacks. That is why settlements built by the sea here moved island, at positions not visible from the open sea.
Very high quality cotton was produced in Limnos until the 1960's. It was in great demand and was considered to be the best after the Egyptian cotton. An impressive stone building in Myrina was used for ginning it. The wheat produced on the island was and still is excellent. During the Byzantine period Limnos was the Granary of Constantinoupolis. Unfortunately, during the last years the production of wheat has been diminished. Gruels - Flomaria as Linmians call them - are made from this type of wheat. Limnian wine, Moschato Alexandrias, is well known all over Greece. Most of the vineyards are in the region of Aghios Dimitrios. Also the honey of the island is very exceptional. Cheese is also one of the best produced in Greece. One can find two qualities: Kalathaki, which is prepared in small baskets and dry cheese, which dries under the sun.
Myrina is the capital of the island. According to the myth, Myrina was the name of the wife of the first king of Limnos, Thoandas. The town was called Kastro untill
1950's. Elder people still call it Chora.
Just below the castle and across Mount Athos is Romeikos Gialos. In this area in antiquity a cow image - made of whitestone or bronze - was standing. Sophocles refers to this in the one and only line saved from his tragedy “Limniades” “Athos overshadows the backs of Lemnian cow”. In fact it is said that on the 2nd of June Mount Athos really does overshadow Romeikos Gialos.
Along the seaside appear the houses of Limnian aristocracy - neoclassical - built during the second half of the 19th century. These residences belong to the descendants of those Limnians who left the island, in order to save themselves from the Turks just after Orlof left the island. During the last century they developed their economics superiority from ships - about 300 sailing ships - and enterprises they owned in Egypt. They also owned the most fertile pieces of land on the island. These residences are referred as “the result of Egyptian remitances and European eclecticism”.
The Archaeological Museum is along Romeikos Gialos. This neoclassical building was recently renovated. Objects discovered during the excavations by the Italian Archaeological School and by the
K'Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities are exhibited here. One can also see ancient objects once brought from neighbouring Imvros.
The Museum building was once used by the Ottoman Administration. In 1904, when the German archaeologist Fredrich visited Limnos, the usual Ottoman laziness was prevailing. The officers received amicably the foreigners “with coffee and cigarettes”.
The first Museum exhibition was organised in 1951, the re-exhibition in 1993. Without doubt, the result is impressive of both the renovation and the re-exhibition. In elegant rooms the objects span over a period from the Neolithic Age through Roman times. Information is given for every single object, while drawings and photographs help the visitor imagine every find in its archaeological context. Additional information is given by the Museum guides.
Along Reomeikos Gialos one can also see the Metropolitan Mansion. This impressive building was once the residence of Andonis Antoniadis, a Limnian who used to live in Egypt. In 1911 he offered it to the Holy Metropolis of Limnos and Ahgios Ephstratios. The Ecclesiastic Museum of Lemnos is here, with many icons and holy objects from the churches of Myrina and the villages.
Without doubt, Romeikos Gialos lived its greatest day on the 8th of October 1912. “Averof”, the flagship of the Hellenic fleet at that time reached here. Pavlos Koudouriotis was its captain. The inhabitants of Myrina - then called Kastro - sprinkled flowers to the disembarked soldiers, the bishop performed an official Mass at Aghia Triada, the Greek flag was raised on the castle. Limnos was finally a part of the Greek State.
From Romeikos Gialos one can also see Petassos. Petassos is a small cape related to Hephaestos conjugal misfortunes. Aphrodite, the goddess o beauty and love, was married - against her will - with Hephaestos who was lame and ugly. She quickly found consolation in the arms of Aris. The women of the island informed Hephaestos about Aphodite's infidelities. So Aphrodite decided to punish them. She made them all smell very bad. Limnian husbands brought women from Thrace to replace them. Their wives could not accept such an offence: They intoxicated their unfortunate husbands and then threw them away from cape Petassos. Petassos means in Greek the place from where somebody throws something away. The village which was built there later was called Androphonion - today called Androni - meaning “the murder of the men” in order to remind that shocking crime. Not much later Argo sailed to the island. Argonauts disembarked and found the women alone. So they delayed their departure for Kolchida. Children were born again and quite fast life came back to normal.
On the other side of town just beyond the harbour is the so-called Tourkikos Gialos. During the time of Ottoman Occupation Turks used to live here. Refugees from Madetos of Propondida settled after the exchanges of population in the mid
1920's and the neighbourhood was named Nea Madetos. The other neighbourhood of the town is Tsas. Tsas in Russian means watch-tower. It was so called in remembrance of the time Orlof defended the town.
The harbour is the centre of the commercial and economic life of the island. All the merchandises arrive here by ship. The fish boats also arrive here loaded as fish-places in Limnos call takakia the small cube stones - is said to be Venetian. It is also mentioned that dockyards once existed here.
Around the harbour one can see whatever remaind from the period of Ottoman Occupation. The ruins of a hamam - a Turkish bath house. Its impressive entrance serves now as the entrance or a store. A fountain built in 1771, was recently renovated. The inscription of the fountains is written in arabic and insists that “Every living things comes out of water”.
The market road - called agora - starts from the port. This road is paved. Stores exist on both sides of this road. Once all the commercial transactions used to take place here. Today the largest stores have been moved to areas easily accessible by cars. The agora tends to become a section of the old city.
On the agora road is a small church recently built - just in 1988 - in memory of the people burnt here on the 9th of September 1939. An older construction - initially served as a mosque - was used as a cinema. 10 minutes after the beginning of the show, the projection machine took fire. The wooden construction became the tomb of about 63 people.
Aghia Triada is the cathedral of Myrina. This church was built on the ruins of an older church in 1724. In 1770, in order to punish the Greeks for helping Orlof, Turks destroyed it. At the same time Turks hanged the Orthodox bishop Ioakim by the wooden bridge which existed in front of Agia Triada. 300 local leaders of the island were slaughtered at the harbour. In 1835 Aghia Triada was rebuilt by the Limnian shipowners. The decoration of the
church's interior is quite impressive and especially the wooden iconostasis.
All the beaches of Myrina are clean. Both Tourkikos and Romeikos Gialos, as well as Richa Nera have been honoured by Blue Flags.
Plati tends to become the surburb of Myrina. Many of Myrinas inhabitants built their houses “on the road to Plati”. Besides, Plati's coasts are well valued and are probably the most popular on the island. The village is first referred to in a golden bull document of 1355. This document grants the village to the Monastery of Philothei of Mount Athos. Turks used to call it Passa - Port. It is said that the last Turkish Governor of Limnos, left the island secretly from the shore of Plati in 1912.
The beach of Thanos is considered as the best on the island. It is sandy and the sea is very clean. It is said that the village was founded by someone called Thanos who descended from the village of Thana, which was in Arcadia. The ruined church of Aghios Constandinos is referred to as a Patriatrical possession in 1321. As one comes out of the village to the seaside he will see the laundry rooms of Faraga and Megalakkos.
On the road to Kondia is the beach of Nevgatis or Zymata. Byzantine settlements of the 14th century and farm-houses belonging to the monasteries of Patmos and Megisti Lavra existed here. The small church of Panaghia Kakaviotissa is whatever remained of these. This church is built in a cave.
Kondias was a municipality till 1914. It was mentioned that many years ago two Peloponnesian landowners used to live here. Their names were Kondeas and Chandreas. So the village was named Kondias and the river of the region, Chandrias. Kondias is undoubtedly one of the most traditional villages of the island. The stone built houses are quite characteristic. Many of these once belonged to shipowners, who lived in the village. Coming out of the village to Tsimandria one meets plane trees and eucalyptus, quite impressive for this island.
The village of Tsimandria is referred to as Simandria in 1569. According to tradition, the region once belonged to the Byzantive emperor Ioannis Tsimiskis. The phrase “at the mandres of Tsimiskis” became Tsimandria. Mandra in the local dialect means farmhouse. Ruins of Phtheris - the Byzantines called it Pterion or Pterin - exist in this region. It was a farmhouse belonging to the monastery of Taxiarchis Michael and later to that of Aghios Ioannis of Patmos. Tsimandria was the first village in Limnos to be liberated in 1912. Koundouriotis men disembarked at Vourlidia. They raised the Greek flag on the bridge near the school.
The Alliance Army had encamped at Portianou in 1915. There Winston Churchill installed his headquarters while conducting the enterprises of the Allied Powers at Kallipolis. The house were he used to live was recently renovated. The cemetery of those killed at Kallipoli lies just outside Portianou. A folklore Museum exists in Portianou. This is the first and only one of its kind on the island.
We do not know if the village called Agariones is the one mentioned as Arioni in the monasteries documents of 1355 or the one referred to as Kariones in the codes of Pantokratoros Monastery. Anyway, the Monastery of Pantokratoros seemed to have had a significant property in region: The farmhouse of Ano Chorion, the Monastery of Christ's Metamorphosis and a tower called Alexopyrgos. This tower was built in honour of the founder of Pantokratoros Monastery, Alexios Komninos or Alexios Strategopoulos. The temple of the monastery was reconstructed in 1968. Some apartments for guests were also built at the same time in order to serve the thousands of worshippers who arrived from all over ths island on the 6th of August.
Pedino or Pisperago as it was earlier named is referred to on a golden bull document in 1393 in which the possessions of Pantokratoros Monastery are described. This was one of the villages of Limnos which owned sailing vessels during the last century. It was destroyed by the earthquakes in 1968 and transferred to the region of Nea Koutali. However many of the houses of the village, most of them with beautiful gardens, have been rebuilt and are inhabited.
Nea Koutali is a refugee village. It was created in 1926 when 351 people from the little island Koutali of Propondida came here. They continued to fish sponges near the coasts of North Africa. Panagis the Koutalian was probably the most famous of them all. He lived at the end of the last century and became famous as a wrestler. His pictures - wearing the skin of a tiger he killed - are decorating many of the houses of the village.
The view from the hillside on which Kallithea is built is very impressive: One can see the Gulf of Moudros as well as the villages that exist around. Until recently the village was called Sarpi and it is referred to as Sarpi or Sarpin in register documents of 1361. It is important to mention that in this village the first school in Limnos was established - besides the one of Kastro - which worked with the system of mutual instruction in 1873.
Kaspakas is one of the most ancient villages of the island. It was first inhabited at the end of the 11th or at the beginning of the 12th century. Founder of the village was a Byzantine admiral, Kaspakas who built a tower in the land given to him by the emperor Alexios A'Komninos. It was said that Dukas Alexios Mourtzouflos, a Byzantine emperor, had recoursed at the village when he was persecuted by the crusaders the crucial night of the 12th of April 1204, when Constandinoupolis was conquered by them. The cape just north of Kaspakas is still called Mourtzouflos. Coasts of the region is Aghios Yiannis and Karvounolakkos. On the rocky slopes at the coast of Aghios Yiannis a small church was built before 1858. On the road from Kaspakas to Kornos one can see the church of Aghios Stefanos Kastamonitis of Mount Athos since 1363. As the water of this region was abundant, a laundry house was constructed. A few stone basins are whatever remained from it.
Kornos is first referred to in 1361 in register documents concerning the possessions of Megisti Lavra in the area. It is written that the inhabitants of Kornos - then called Koronos - were yielded to the Monastery. Till 1914 it was a municipality and rather one of the richest villages of the island. It is not a coincidence that many of the owners of the houses of Romeikos Gialos descend from Kornos. The village in cooperation with the municipality of Myrina is profiting from Therma, medicinal water sources of the region. Therma have been in use since 1415.
Sardes is a mountainous and rather isolated village. It is referred to as Ardeiai since 1284. The houses are typical examples of Limnian rural architecture. Stone built with two stories. They have an external staircase bringing to the balcony. People used to live upstairs, while the place downstairs was used for the animals. Most of the houses had a small courtyard with a wall built around it.
The village named Daphni was once called Sverdia. The church honoured in the name of Aghioi Anargyroi was found here in 1856, when the icon of the Saints - Kosmas and Damianos - was revealed in a crypt dug in the earth. These Saints are still believed to be miracle-makers. According to a tradition the abundant water of the region is a result of a miracle of Aghios Athanassios, who founded the first Monastery at Athos. Once the Saint was passing from the area, and he felt thirsty, he struck the earth with his stick and water sprung out.
Katalakko was not accidentally named so. Katalakkos is Greek meanst something put in a pit. The village fits its name as it is built in a region surrounded by many hills. In 1856 the church of Aghios Modestos was found. Aghios Modestos is the Saint who protects the stock-breeders, especially their cattle. On the 18th of December - when the Saint is honoured - many kechaghiades used to come to Katalakko from their mandres. Kechaghiades in the local dialect meanst stock-breeders and mandra is their farm house. These kechaghiades used to wear white breeches, a white cap and leather shoes called tservoulia. They danced local dances, like the kechaghiadikos and the patma.
The coast at Gomati has one of the most sandy shores on the island. In this region, during the 14th century, many settlements existed and some farm-houses belonging to the Monasteries of Athos. The one named Theomitoros was the most important possession of Megisti Lavra on the island. Till 1928 a monk lived here.
The small uninhabited island just north of Gomati, called Sirghisti - the Byzantine Sideritis - also belonged to the Monastery. Papia, which is a coast in the east is known as an excellent fishing place. There was once a king of the island who decided to distribute it to his two sons. So he decided that the best would be if each of his two sons started to walk from the two extreme points of the island, Myrina and Plaka. The point where they would meet would be the center and would become the border of each
one's possession. Curiously they met were the village of Aghios Dimitrios is built today. The one walking from Plaka had started much earlier than the other one. So the other one called him “lera”, which in Greek means deceit. Since then the village was named Lera. It was one of the few villages on the island with Turkish population before 1912. After the population exchanges, 556 refugees from Reis Dere of Asia Minor settled in the village and named it Aghios Dimitrios. Aghios Dimitrios was their patron Saint at Reis Dere. They used to cultivate vineyards and produce most of the Limnian vine. Most of them are excellent musicians.
Livadochori is first referred in 1355. As it is located in the center of a fertile plain it was quickly developed. Part of its importance must be due to the neighouring Monastery of Aghios Pavlos, where the Limnian Metropolis was transferred after 1390 and before 1447. This Monastery possessed a quite large region, the most fertile on the island. It was said that Constandinos Palaiologos himself gave the Monastery to the Limnian population in order to use its income for educational and ecclesiastical purposes. In the beginning of the 19th century a
Sultan's document was granted to the Christian community. Since then it is administered by a Pallimnian Committee.
Karpassi is a rather new villages and mentioned in the half of the 19th century. In 1901 the church of Aghios Pachomios was built here.
Atsiki is one of the richest villages, as it exists in the center of an open and fertile plain. Till 1914 it was a municipality. As it is referred to since 1284, it is also one of the most ancient villages. The last pirate fight took place in the Aegean Sea around 1860. A man called Psiroukis from Atsiki played the main role but was also the victim of this fight. After pillaging Portianou, the pirates met an Ottoman patrol. Psiroukis was killed and nobody ever heard anything about pirates in the Aegean Sea.
The smallest village of Limnos is Propouli. It is first referred in a document concerning the properties of the Dionyssos Monastery of Mount Athos. It is said that the Christians who lived here gave their properties to the Monastery of Simonos Petra of Athos as they did not want these transferred to the Turks. A few Turks lived here before 1912 and they had constructed a hamam - a Turkish bath-house.
Varos is built on a low hill. On the hillside some mills are visible. Once, during a terrible plague, a man presented in a
woman's dream. He told her to make a thread and encircle with this the village. In this way, the village would be saved. When the woman asked him who he was, he told her that next day he will be at the rear side of the
church's gate. Next morning the woman found the icon of Aghios Charalambos behind the door. Since then young women who lived here encircle the village with a thread at the nameday of Aghios Charalambos.
Repanidi is also referred to in the documents since 1285. It is also one of the most wealthy villages, as the plain is quite large and the earth fertile. Clusters of oak-trees exist in the plain. They must have been the remains of a forest. The acorns were once a trade good and the inhabitants owned sailing ships to transport them. The oldest church of the village, Aghios Georgios was built around 1840. The interior was decorated with a plaster plant-like decoration. One of the first school of the island was established here. In 1824 children were educated in a mill, later in a
potter's shot until 1875, when the school was built. As one enters the village - from the side of Kotsinas - he will see the famous jars dug in the volcanic stone. They belong to some families of the village and are used for storing wine and grains.
Agios Ipatios is a ruined village in the region of Repanidi. It was one of the few villages inhabited by both Greeks and Turks. In this village existed the largest mosque on the island. The church of Aghios Athanassios was built before 1858. This church is still preserved and is especially famous for its paintings, which constitute a fine example of Limnian popular art.
Kondopouli remains one of the largest villages on the island. The soil here is quite productive and people still cultivate land intensively. It flourished especially during the last century. During the German occupation, great destruction was caused in the village, but it still keeps part of its preceding prestige. According to tradition the columns of Aghios Dimitrios are ancient, in a secondary use. Athough this does not seem to be right, since the columns most likely have been engraved during the last century. In 1948, poet Yiannis Ritsos lived in exile in Kondopouli.
According to tradition, Kalli was a woman who owned large areas of fertile land. Her obedients created the village Kalliopi. Her sarcophagus - made of marble and decorated with engraved representions - is built in a wall that surrounds the cemetery of the village. The church of Aghios Georgios was built in 1869. Aghios Georgios is honoured with horse races. The riders compete on horses without saddles. The winner, after running around the temple three times, accepts the prize from the priest at the ante-temple and goes into the church on the horse to light a candle in honour of the saint. The prize was once a lamb with a red ribbon around its neck. Today it is just a medal with a red ribbon.
East of Kondopouli is the gulf of Keros. Sand hills extend along the coast and the sea here is extremely shallow. Between the village and the gulf is the Plant-lake. Many birds of passage seek refuge in this lake: wild gooses, wild ducks, swans, woodcocks…
Around 1866 certain families left Aghios Ipatios and settled in Panaghia. A year before - in 1865 - the church of Panaghia was built on top of ruins of an older one, which was called Panaghia Sergouniotissa. The sea by the cape Sotiras, not influenced by the seastreams, is quite convenient for swimming.
Plaka was established during the last century. Notheast of the village is the cape of Vriokastro of Palaiokastro, where Kritovoulos, the Imbrian disembarked when the island was occupied by the Turks. In the reefs of Mythones an ancient town is sunk. The ruins of the houses and the paved roads are well distinguished under the sea level. It is believed that this town is Homeric Chryssi which was sunk in 197 b.C. according to Pausanias. In this town, according to mythology the snake bit Philoctetes, the hero of the Troja war. The most beautiful of the correlated traditions believes that Philoctetes was cured by the clay which exists at the site Roussounia, near Aghios Charalambos. This clay was quite effective for those who suffered from rheumatisms. The Christian view states that the root of the tree that exists near Aghios Charalambos came alone from the sea with the icon of saint on it. From this root - it never gets rotten although it is always wet - sacred water is derived.
Entering the gulf of Moudros the first lights one could see were those of the village of Lichna. This is why the village was named so. Lichna in Greek means lamps.
Romanou was first mentioned at the end of the 18th century especially for its stone - grey-black granite - from which most residences of the island were built. At the entrance of the village is a fountain which was restored in 1849. The water is believed to be sacred. The church of the
Christ's Genesis was built in 1830. The hagioghraphies that decorate the interior were created by the famous Imvrian painter Efstratios Haemente. In some distance from the village is the church of Aghios Constandinos. Worshippers from all over the island used to come here on the 21st of May to honour the saint and they still continue to do so.
The village of Moudros untill 1914 constituted a municipality. It still is the economic center of eastern Limnos. The village is first referred to in 1355. Around 1380 it belonged to the monastery of Vatopedion of Mount Athos. During the 18th century two castles were preserved here. The one of Moudros and another one given to the Monastery of Vatopedion in 1362 by the Great Military Commander of Limnos, Georgios Astras. Today two churches exist in Moudros: Taxiarches, probably built in 1370 and Evangelistrias, built in 1904. Moudros owes its importance especially to the port. It is one of the best natural ports in the Mediterranean if not the best. The gulf of Moudros protected from the northern winds and the streams coming from Dardanellia, is navigable even by large ships. During the Balkan wars, the gulf was used as a starting point from Pavlos Koudouriotis. During 1914-1916 it constituted one of the nautical bases for the alliances in the enterprises of Kallipolis and those of Dardanellia.
Moudros also served as an anchorage for about 500 ships and as much as 30.000 soldiers camped here. Their presence contributed to the trade flourish. Coming out of Moudros, on the road to Romanou, is the alliance cemetery. Many victims of the 1st World War where buried here in clusters depending upon their nationality.
The “huts of Rossopoulou” are mentioned in 1321. As time was passing by, these huts became the village of Roussopouli. Its church, Aghios Dimitrios was built in 1801.
Kaminia is first referred to in 1346. The region is well known because of its antiquities. The prehistoric settlement at Poliochni, the tombs which were engraved on the rocks and of course, the famous stele of Kaminia. This stele was found built in a wall of the church of Aghios Alexandros during the last century. Since then it has provoked many debates among archaeologists, philologists and linguists. A figure of a man holding a spear is engraved as well as two inscriptions in the Greek alphabet which yield an unknown today language. The tradition refers that the church of Theotokos Kimisis was built when Panaghia presented herself in the dream of a woman and indicated her to find her icon and build a church there. A sort of anise is produced in this village, essential for the distillation of the Limnian ouzo.
One of the most isolated and ancient villages is Aghia Sophia. It is documented since 1303. Limnian traditional architecture is well preserved. One can also see ruined windmills around. The church of Aghia Sophia was built in 1912 on older ruins. It was ruined during the earthquakes in 1968. It is mentioned that Aghia Sophia often presented herself to devouted residents of the village to reveal whatever was going to happen. She wore a white cloth when she had something pleasant to say and black in the opposite case.
Physsini is mentioned during the last century. Nevertheless ruins belonging to medieval buildings are found there. The place names of the region are documented since the 14th century. The characteristic type of the Limnian rural house is still preserved here.
At a distance from the village is the church of Aghios Sozon, the main saint workshipped on the island. Guest rooms have been built to serve the workshippers who usually come here the evening before the holy day, to attend the vespers.
Distant Skandali is also a very ancient village. It is documented since 1321 as Skandali of Skandalou. Today the best honey of Limnos is considered to be produced here.
