 Antiparos island | The small island of Antiparos belongs to the Cycladic Island Cluster and is southwest of Paros. It is a picturesque island that is embraced by beautiful sandy beaches, secluded coves and crystal waters. Its whitewashed houses, narrow cobble-stone alleyways, tiny churches and “vokamvilia” flowers compose a genuine Cycladic image. It is a favourite destination of families, romantics and people looking for a unique holiday getaway. Antiparos can satisfy those who desire a unusual kind of vacation, offering activities such as trekking and cycling to isolated beaches and hills, photography of the exquisite landscape, the Cave, the Castle, the sunset and the flora, celebrating with the locals during Agia Marina day, cruising with a fishing boat, discovering the quiet virgin sands of Despotiko Isle, its ancient ruins and spear fishing in its waters. Alternative holidays are available those who have an adventurous spirit and want to get away from the bustle of everyday life. The main city of Aniparos is Kastro (which means castle), which takes its name from the 15th century Venetian castle of the town that is a rare architectural creation and the set of the awarded movie “Mandalena” was filmed. History has recorded several very important events on Antiparos Island: relics of a Neolithic Settlement (4,000 BC) and the oldest Cycladic marble idol called “the obese lady of Saliagou” have been found on the island. Antiparos is famous for its exquisite cave that is located on Agios Ioannis Hill. It is the only vertical cave in Europe, has a depth of 85 meters and possesses unique human-shape stalagmites and impressive stalactite formations. The Cave is one of the finest in Greece and is considered a “natural museum”. The cave has a large number of inscriptions in it, many of which have faded due to the cave’s humidity, but several can still be read such as the inscriptions of the Marquee de Nouadel, King Otto and the poet Archilochos. Recent digs on the isle of Despotiko, headed by the archaeologist G. Kouragio and his team, have revealed a significant archaic religious center, which was probably used for the worship of the goddess Artemis and the god Apollo, who were especially revered in the Cycladic area. While in Antiparos, try the local delicacies such as charcoal grilled octopus, fresh fish, wild rabbit stew, local goat meat, zucchini balls and the famous Antiparos tsipouro (a potent alcoholic beverage). The island hosts the festivals of patron saint Agia Marina on July 17th with a 3-day celebration including cultural and sports events and, of course, an abundance of food, wine and dancing.
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| Antiparos History | The first inhabitants of Antiparos in historic times were Phoenicians from Sidon, who were succeeded by various conquerors. During antiquity, Antiparos was known as Oliaros, and its historical course is mostly connected with that of Paros of which formed an integral part. Antiparos is first mentioned by its present name in the 13th century A.D. although the name is ancient: according to mythology, Antiparos was one of the 50 sons of Aegyptos, and was murdered along with 48 of his brothers by his wife Critomethea, one of the 50 Danaides. During Byzantine times and down to the early 13th century and until the Greek war of Independence in 1821, the island suffered a lot from pirates coming from Algeria, Crete, Kefalonia and other places. In 1537 Antiparos and the rest of the Cyclades falls to the hands of the Ottomans and the pirate Barbarossa and through all of that dark period the island suffered greatly , both by the conquerors' and the pirates' raids. The Antiparians were among the first in the Cyclades to take part in the war of independence. The island was officially incorporated in the Greek state in 1832. During World War II, Antiparos took active part in the resistance movement against the Germans and was used as a secret base of the Allies. |
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