Ios

About

Ios (also spelled Io or Nio; Greek: Ίος, Greek pronunciation: [ˈi.os]; Ancient Greek: Ἴος [í.os]; locally Nios, Νιός) is a Greek island in the Cyclades group in the Aegean Sea. The island is largely hilly, with cliffs descending steeply to the sea on most sides. It is situated halfway between Naxos and Santorini. Ios measures about 18 kilometres (11 miles) in length and 10 kilometres (6 miles) in width, and covers an area of 109.024 square kilometres (42.094 sq mi). Its population was 2,299 in the 2021 census (down from 3,500 in the 20th century). Ios is part of the Thira regional unit.

The Port of Ios lies at the northern end of Ormos harbour. From there a footpath climbs the hillside to Chora – the island's principal village, derived from the Greek word for a main settlement. Chora is a quintessentially cycladic village, distinguished by its whitewashed architecture, narrow alleys and steep stairways that render it largely inaccessible to cars. Today, Chora's central path is dominated by tourism with a vibrant mix of restaurants, boutiques, bars and discothèques catering to visitors. Beyond Chora and the port, Ios is home to few small settlements, typically a cluster of houses set behind the island's main beaches- Theodoti, Kalamos and Manganari.

Since the 1990s, under the leadership of Mayor Pousseos, the island has pursued a strategy to diversify its appeal to different kinds of tourists. Supported by European Community funds, the island has seen improvements to infrastructure, including the paving of new roads, and the construction of a scenic amphitheatre, at the top of the village hill, designed by German architect, Peter Haupt.

According to Plutarch, the name Ios is thought to derive from the Ancient Greek word for violets, " ἴα ", (ia) which were said to grow abundantly on the island – an etymology that remains the most widely accepted. Another theory suggests a Phoenician origin, from the word iion, meaning "pile of stones". Pliny the Elder offered a different explanation, claiming the name came from the Ionians who once inhabited the island.

During the Ottoman period, the island was known as 'Anza' or 'Aina', Its modern name, Ios, was officially established in the 19th century, though it had already been in use for two millennia. In antiquity, the island was also called "Φοινίκη" (Phiniki), named by and after the Phoenicians. In the 3rd century BCE, when Ios joined League of the Islanders, it was temporarily renamed Arsinoe, in honour of Arsinoe II, the wife of Ptolemy II

Today the island is referred to as Nio, by the inhabitants of the Cycladic Islands – a name that dates back to the Byzantine Era. During the time of Ottoman rule, travellers sometimes called it "Little Malta", a nickname reflecting the island's reputation as a haven for pirates. In Latin script languages, the island's name appears as Nio or Io.

Ios has a roughly rectangular shape, measuring approximately 15 km (9.3 mi) in length and 7 km (4.3 mi) in width. Its longest axis runs northwest, from Cape Karatza to the Achlades Peninsula, spanning 17.5 km (10.9 mi). Another major axis, orientated northeast-southwest measures about 14 km (8.6 mi).

The island boasts a total coastline of 86 km (53.4 mi), with around 32 km (19.9 mi) consisting of sandy beaches.

The highest point on Ios is Kastro ( Greek : Κάστρο ) also known as Pyrgos ( Greek : Πύργος ), which rises to an elevation of 723 m (2372 ft) and is located in the centre of the island. Surrounding Kastro are the next three highest peaks: Xylodema ( Greek : Ξυλόδεμα ) at 660 m (2165 ft), Kostiza ( Greek : Κοστίζα ) at 586 m (1923 ft) and Prophetis Elias ( Greek : Προφήτης Ηλίας ) at 490 m (951 ft).

Geologically, Ios consists almost entirely of metamorphic rocks, with limited occurrences of quaternary deposits.

In the event of extreme weather emergencies, such as earthquakes and wildfires, the Municipality of Ios has developed a comprehensive contingency plan known as "Homer" (Greek: Όμηρος) which outlines coordinated action and cooperation among all the residents of Ios.

In the event of extreme weather emergencies, such as earthquakes and wildfires, the Municipality of Ios has developed a comprehensive contingency plan known as "Homer" (Greek: Όμηρος) which outlines coordinated action and cooperation among all the residents of Ios.

According to the Greek census 2011, 2,084 people live in Ios. 1,754 of which live in the capital town of Chora. From the 1940s to the early 1970s, the population of the island reduced consistently. The main causes of this phenomenon were the migration movement, the epidemiological conditions of the time and to a lesser extent, the loss of men aged between 18 and 45 during the war.

The island is famous for its local cheeses. They are mainly made in the municipal creamery using milk from goats or sheep. The most famous one is the "skotíri" (σκοτύρι), a sour cheese with the smell of summer savory. Popular dishes of Ios are the "tsimediá" (τσιμεντιά, pumpkin flowers stuffed with rice ) and "mermitzéli" (μερμιτζέλι, handmade barley).

In 1827 the local leaders of Ios wrote a letter to the revolutionary government of Greece requesting a school to open in the island. During the 1850s the first school opened which housed a small number of students of all ages. The type of school that operated was called Skolarcheion (Greek: Σχολαρχείον) and was equivalent to an elementary school with some high school basic courses. Most students at the time didn't graduate as their time was occupied helping their families in the fields. This resulted in a large percentage of illiterate children. The richer families sent their children to schools of the nearby islands. From 1936 the first elementary school was founded. In 1972 the first kindergarten was opened and in 1980 the first high school that had some senior high school courses. Today, in Chora there is a kindergarten, a high school, a senior high school and an EPAL high school.

Ios from the prehistoric era and thanks to its safe natural harbour played an important role on the sea roads to Crete. The early Cycladic settlement on Skarkos hill and other prehistoric sites on the island have been found by archaeologists.

Ios was under the influence of the Minoan and then of the Mycenaean civilisation. The Phoenicians most likely arrived on the island and maintained their presence until the 9th century BC.

Ios became Ionian at some point after, as testified by its membership in the Delian Amphictyony. From 534 BC the island paid taxes to Athens.

Ios was an important and strong city in Classical and Hellenistic times. Its decline began with the Roman occupation, when it was used as a place for exile, and continued in Byzantine times. The island experienced a recovery at the time of the Duchy of Naxos, but the Ottoman domination interrupted it. Palaiokastro, a ruined Venetian castle from the 15th century lies on the northern part of the island. Ios was important enough in the Roman province of Insulae to become a suffragan see of the Metropolis of Rhodes, but later faded and disappeared.

During the 3rd and 2nd century BC as Ios became part of the league of the islanders, she minted her own coins, most of them can be found in the Berlin Archaeological Museum and British Museum. There are 28 known different coins. They depict Homer, a palm tree or Athena, as she was worshiped on the island. Most of them had the writing ΙΗΤΩΝ meaning of the people of Ios.