 Tinos island | Tinos lies between Syros, Andros and Mykonos and is 86 nautical miles from Piraeus and 62 from Rafina. Tinos is a mountainous island with an area of 195 sq. km., a coastline of 106 km and a population of 8,000. Tinos island can be reached from Piraeus or Rafina by ferry or more rapid craft. From Tinos one can visit the other Cycladic islands. According to mythology, Tinos was the home of Aeolus, god of the winds. The Ionians came in Tinos island around 1000 BC. In the 6th century BC Tinos was ruled by Eretria, while in 490 BC Tinos island was seized by the Persians, regaining its freedom after the battle of Marathon. Poseidon was the god chiefly worshipped on Tinos, a fact evidenced by the remains of a temple dedicated to hom and Amphitrite at Kionia. In 1207, Tinos was conquered by the Venetians. Venetian rule in Tinos island lasted longer than on any other island of the Cyclades. In 1715, Tinos was taken by the Turks, to be liberated by the Greeks in the War of Independence of 1821. The year 1822 was an important one for Tinos, for it was then that the famous icon of the Blessed Virgin was discovered, after a nun in the Kechrovouni convent saw it in a dream. She is honoured on the island today as St Pelagia of Tinos. The island of Tinos features in more modern history with the torpedoing of the Greek cruiser "Elli" in Tinos harbour by an Italian submarine on 15 August 1940-the Feast of the Dormition of the Virgin. Tinos is one of the most beautiful islands in the Cyclades. The marvellous landscapes of the Tinos island, the excellent Tinos beaches and its unique architecture make Tinos an ideal place for unforgettable moments. Today Tinos has excellent tourist facilities and becomes a popular destination. . |
| Tinos History | According to a certain version of its history, Tinos Island was named after its first settler, Tinos. In ancient times it was called "Ofiousa" or "Hydrousa", due to the large amount of snakes and the abundance of running water all around the island. The ancient god Poseidon was its patron, while on the highest mountain of the island Tsiknias, was supposed to be the home of Eolos, the god of winds. When the island belonged to the Athenians the Pisistratio Aqueduct was constructed and supplied the city until 1934. From 1207 until 1715 the Venetians conquered Tinos a fact that explains the existence of many Catholics on the island. In 1715 it was occupied by the Turks and took part in the revolution of 1821 against them from the very start. On the 30th of January 1823 the icon of Virgin Mary was found and this incident was considered a holy bless for the rebellious nation. Many fighters devoted their victories against the tyrants to its grace. In the 15th of August 1940 the torpedo that ruined the ship Elli in the harbor of Tinos signals the war with Italy and connects again Tinos to the history of the Greek Nation. |
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