Royal tombs dating back to the Bronze Age were discovered at an archaeological site in Cyprus. Credit: Professor Peter Fischer
Archaeologists have discovered royal tombs near the site of an ancient Bronze Age city on the island of Cyprus.
Researchers from the University of Gothenburg uncovered burials dating to between 1500 and 1300 BC. The tombs were discovered near the ancient Cypriot city of Dromolaxia Vizatzia, not far from the site of Hala Sultan Tekke.
The tombs date to a period when the city was a hub for the copper trade in Cyprus and wider the Eastern Mediterranean region. The researchers have described the burials as being among the “richest” example ever discovered in the Mediterranean.
Royal tombs in Cyprus
“It is a reasonable assumption that these were royal tombs, even though we do not know much about the form of government practiced in the city at the time,” said Professor Peter Fishcher from the University of Gothenburg.
The archaeological site was uncovered through the utilization of magnetometers, which are instruments employed in geophysical surveys to measure the Earth’s magnetic field.
Magnetometers are capable of detecting and analyzing magnetic anomalies of different kinds, aiding in the identification of magnetic properties and characteristics of various materials. Furthermore, these devices assist in determining the dipole moment of magnetic substances.
“We compared the site where broken pottery had been plowed during farming with the magnetometer map, which showed large cavities one to two meters below the surface. This led us to continue investigating the area and to discover the tombs,” the professor explained.
Discoveries
The tombs comprise subterranean chambers, with dimensions reaching up to 4 by 5 meters, accessible through a narrow passageway from the surface. Within two of these chambers, the team made a remarkable discovery of over 500 intact artifacts. These artifacts include precious metals, gems, bronze weapons, ivory, high-status ceramics, and a haematite seal enclosed in a gold frame.
Approximately half of the contents found within the tombs were sourced from neighboring cultures and civilizations. Notably, gold and ivory were imported from Egypt, while precious stones originated from Afghanistan, India, and Sinai. Additionally, amber objects were discovered, indicating their origin in the Baltic region.
During the excavations, several remarkably well-preserved skeletons were unearthed. Among them, a burial site contained the remains of a woman, adorned with numerous ceramic vessels, jewelry, and a round bronze mirror, showcasing the significance and elaborate nature of the burial.
“Several individuals, both men and women, wore diadems, and some had necklaces with pendants of the highest quality, probably made in Egypt during the 18th dynasty at the time of such pharaohs as Thutmos III, and Amenophis IV (Akhenaten) and his wife Nefertiti,” commented Professor Fishcher.
The Bronze Age city
The archaeological site of the Bronze Age city (3300 BC-1200 BC) is usually given the name Hala Sultan Tekke, after the mosque that was built ( 1760-1817 AD) not far from the excavation site.
After more than 500 years as a significant trading center, the city eventually fell, around 1200 BC, along with numerous other advanced Bronze Age civilizations in the Mediterranean.
According to some theories, an invasion by the “Sea Peoples” wiped out the Bronze Age civilizations of the eastern Mediterranean by demolishing their towns.
Bougatsa is a favorite treat across Greece, usually eaten at breakfast, but one dessert shop in Thessaloniki has added a new twist to this dish – making a bougatsa-flavored ice cream!
Stelios Rimbas, the creator of the bougatsa ice cream, spoke to a Greek radio station, telling them how the creation of the new dish was largely an accident.
However, Rimbas maintains it took many tests to refine the flavor and create an ice cream that truly reelected the unique taste of the popular Greek pastry.
Bougatsa ice cream
“We started in the winter to make a bun with creams and praline. We made the amount we wanted and there was a small bucket of bougatsa cream left over,” explained Rimbas to the FM4 radio station.
“I was thinking about what to do, how to use it so that the delicious cream would not go to waste and the idea came to me – although we were in mid-December!” he continued. “The test happened and… succeeded.”
The innovative ice cream flavor, which was developed in a dessert shop in the center of Thessaloniki, has the same golden yellow color as bougatsa cream and mirrors its unique taste.
No doubt, the new ice cream will contribute to Thessaloniki’s robust culinary reputation, which is renowned across Greece as the home of several delicious sweets and desserts. The new take on bougatsa has already been a hit with tourists visiting the city.
The traditional dish
Bougatsa is a traditional Greek pastry that is often enjoyed as a breakfast or dessert dish. It consists of a flaky filo pastry filled with a sweet or savory filling. The most common filling for bougatsa is a semolina custard, sweetened with sugar and flavored with vanilla or lemon zest.
To make bougatsa, thin layers of filo pastry are brushed with melted butter or olive oil and stacked together. The filling is then spread over the pastry, and the whole thing is rolled up and baked until golden and crispy. Once baked, the bougatsa is usually dusted with powdered sugar and cinnamon.
In addition to the classic semolina custard filling, there are variations of bougatsa with other fillings, such as cheese, spinach, or minced meat. These savory versions are often served as a snack or appetizer.
The term “bougatsa” has its origins in Byzantine Greek, specifically the word “pogátsa,” which is derived from the ancient Roman term “pānis focācius,” meaning “hearth bread.” This is similar to the Italian bread known as “focaccia.” It is believed that bougatsa may have its roots in the Roman-era placenta cake, and a similar dessert known as “placenta” is still enjoyed on the Greek island of Lesbos.
Bougatsa is commonly found in Thessaloniki and the Central Macedonia region of Northern Greece. It gained popularity in these areas, particularly in the city of Serres, when Greek refugees from Constantinople introduced it in the 20th century.
The taste and characteristics of bougatsa vary between different regions of Greece. For instance, in Veria, bougatsa is known for being very sweet and rich in cream, while in Thessaloniki, it is characterized by its crispy texture and relatively less sweetness. In Chania, Crete, bougatsa is made with local mizithra cheese and sprinkled with sugar, giving it a distinct flavor profile.
The view of “Chora,” a Greek island’s main town. Anafi Island, Greece. Credit: Anafi.gr
Anafi is a small Cycladic island near Santorini without the fame and glamor of its neighbor, but it rewards visitors with its natural beauty, serenity, and warm hospitality.
Despite the hours-long ferry trip to get there, Anafi is a top destination for those in need of a serene holiday.
It is ideal for relaxation for those who prefer peace and quiet. You can lay in the golden sand of Roukounas beach and enjoy the sun and the crystal-clear, blue waters without the hustle and bustle of the more well-known islands in the Cyclades.
Big Roukouna one of the amazing beaches of Anafi island, Greece. Credit: Zde/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 4.0
The center of the island, Chora, is full of white, cubic houses and chapels and is built on top of a mountain, offering visitors a breathtaking view of the Aegean Sea. The architecture and colors of Anafi are typical of the Cyclades.
The view from Chora is much like the view from the Caldera in Santorini. What is really impressive, though, is the cleanliness of the narrow streets, the freshly painted houses, the quiet atmosphere, and the leisurely friendliness of the locals.
Going up the alleys, most of them end up in the ruins of the Venetian Castle, which was used as an observatory to the Cretan Sea throughout Antiquity while, today, there lies the church of Agios Georgios.
It is recommended that visitors take a walk around the island or hire boats to visit the beaches, the most famous being Roukounas. Anafi possesses several nice restaurants and cafes where visitors can relax, enjoy local delicacies, have a drink, and admire the idyllic view.
Roukounas beach, Anafi, Greece. Credit: Little Routh/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 4.0
Anafi has both archaeological and mythological interest. At the monastery of Panagia Kalamiotisa, ruins of a temple built as an offering to the god Apollo Aegletus can be seen.
According to mythology, the island was named Anafi because Apollo made it appear to the Argonauts as shelter from a bad storm, using his bow to shed light upon it (i.e. the island name, which is Ἀνάφη in Greek, is derived from the Greek word ἀνέφηνεν, literally meaning ’he made appear’). Others say that the name is due to the non-existence of snakes on the island, namely “an Ophis” (“without snakes”). However, one scholar (Burkert 1992) links this epithet to a Sumerian goddess of healing and to Apollo’s son Asclepius.
A giant recreation of the Rosetta Stone at the Place Des Ecritures in Figeac, France, the birthplace of Jean-François Champollion, who was the first to translate it. Credit: Bautsch at de.wikipedia/Public Domain
Recent research and excavations around the ancient Egyptian city of Thmuis, the place where the events recorded on the Rosetta Stone took place, is shedding new light on the turbulent events of the Ptolemaic era.
As everyone knows, the Rosetta Stone has gone down in history for being the missing linguistic link back to ancient Egypt, allowing us to finally be able to understand the meaning of the hieroglyphics that recorded the entirety of Egyptian history.
Until the writing on the Rosetta Stone was deciphered, no person on Earth knew the meanings behind Egyptian hieroglyphics because they had never been translated into Ancient Greek or any other language.
Inscribed thousands of years ago with the text of the Third Memphis Decree, which was crucially written in three different scripts, with Egyptian hieroglyphics at the top, Egyptian Demotic in the middle, and Ancient Greek at the bottom, the Rosetta Stone was discovered by French troops from Napoleon’s army when he invaded the country back in 1799.
The stone is believed to have originally been displayed within a temple, possibly at nearby Sais. It was most likely moved in late antiquity or during the Mameluk period and was incredibly eventually used as building material in the construction of Fort Julien near the town of Rashid (Rosetta) in the Nile Delta.
It was discovered there in July 1799 by French officer Pierre-François Bouchard during the Napoleonic campaign in Egypt.
Study of the decree was already underway when the first complete translation of the Greek text was published in 1803. Jean-François Champollion announced the transliteration of the Egyptian scripts in Paris in 1822; it took longer still before scholars were able to read Ancient Egyptian inscriptions and literature confidently, however.
How the Rosetta Stone was Decoded by Linguists
The most crucial steps in the decoding of the Rosetta Stone were the initial recognition that the stone offered three versions of the same text, which was realized immediately back in 1799, that the demotic text used phonetic characters to spell foreign names, which was realized in 1802, and that the hieroglyphic text did so as well, and had pervasive similarities to the demotic, as well, which linguists proved in 1814.
Later, linguists established that phonetic characters were also used to spell native Egyptian words in research that was undertaken between 1822 to 1824.
It is incontrovertible proof that the Greek language—like so much of Greek culture—played an essential part in the passing on of knowledge throughout the centuries to modern times.
Recognized instantly for providing the Ancient Greek translation of an Egyptian law, it is one of the most famous archaeological artifacts in the entire world.
However, it was unfortunately so invaluable that it was seized by the British and transported—like so many other artifacts of world history—to the British Museum, where it is, like the Parthenon Marbles, still on display today.
The gray stela, made of granodiorite, is just as stunningly elegant today as it was in antiquity, but it is the meaning it has imparted to the understanding of world history that makes it so priceless.
A touchable copy of the Rosetta Stone, located at the British Library in London. Credit: Kacperg333/CC BY-SA 3.0
However, the story behind the laws that were written down on the stone are fascinating in their own right, and they impart a great deal of knowledge to us today of the Ptolemaic dynasty, which began after the death of Alexander the Great, when one of his generals was chosen to be Pharaoh.
One of a series of carved stelas that were erected all around Egypt as the Great Revolt, which took place from 206 to 186 B.C, unfolded, were inscribed with the Third Memphis Decree.
This law, issued by Egyptian priests in Memphis in the year 196 B.C. to laud the achievements of the fifth Ptolemaic ruler, would also serve as evidence supporting the cult of the young king.
Ptolemy V, who ruled from 205 to 180 B.C., rose to power as a six-year-old boy after his father, Ptolemy IV, who reigned from 222 to 205 B.C., passed away.
The young pharaoh was not over the age of fourteen when the decree was inscribed on the Rosetta Stone, with the recording of the law in three languages so that no one could fail to understand it—or fail to be impressed with the young Pharaoh’s power.
As reported in the magazine Archaeology, The decree in effect chronicles Ptolemy V’s victory over a group of native Egyptians who were violently resisting Hellenistic rule in the Nile Delta. Little about the revolt has been known—until recently when archaeologists began excavations in the part of the delta that was the scene of the bloody fight.
Only a few surviving pieces of text and inscriptions, including most notably the Rosetta Stone, address the revolt against the peoples’ Egyptian Greek overlords.
Now, at Thmuis, archaeologists have found evidence of violence and death, which they believe are the first-known remains of the uprising. These discoveries are leading to an enriched understanding of the Rosetta Stone itself, which is often just seen as a kind of dictionary in three translations.
Greek Ptolemies Fought to Retain Power in Egypt
In reality, it contains the history of an Egyptian Greek ruler who was struggling to hold onto power in the ancient land across the Mediterranean.
At Tell Timai in the Nile Delta where the ancient city of Thmuis was once located, researchers recently unearthed the first physical evidence from the time of the Great Revolt, which was referred to in the text of the Rosetta Stone.
They found an unburied skeleton of a male amidst a layer of destroyed pottery kilns in a layer in which there were other marks of major devastation. The man’s remains bore unmistakable signs of having been violently killed. While many kilns around him had been destroyed, other buildings had been constructed atop them.
Located just forty miles from the Mediterranean coast, Thmuis is under a huge tell, or artificial mound, which forms after many years of settlement in one area. They are commonly seen in the Middle East, as well.
The city was once located along the now-dried-up Mendesian branch of the Nile River. Originally founded as a smaller satellite settlement to the vital port city of Mendes, less than half a mile to the north, it was basically an industrial suburb.
Mendes itself had served as a major religious and political nexus as long as five thousand years ago. Thmuis, which means “new land,” was later founded in approximately the middle of the first millennium B.C. along an important transportation and trade corridor connecting the Mediterranean Sea with Upper Egypt.
Egypt Asks for Return of Rosetta Stone, Receives Fiberglass Replica
The place was known in antiquity for its perfume production, with the manufacturing process including the infusion of olive oil with an array of scented flowers and herbs. This led naturally to the need to produce the small ceramic vessels, or aryballoi, for the precious scents.
The kilns used for the pottery production were just those that were destroyed in the revolt.
Impassioned calls for the Rosetta Stone to be returned to Egypt were made in July 2003 by Zahi Hawass, the Secretary-General of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities. These requests asked that the stele be repatriated to Egypt because, as Hawass said, it was the “icon of our Egyptian identity.”
A fiberglass c copy of the Rosetta Stone sits in the public square in Rashid, (Rosetta) Egypt, the city where the original stone was found. Credit: TheEgyptian/CC BY-SA 3.0
He repeated the proposal two years later in Paris, listing the stone as one of several key items belonging to Egypt’s cultural heritage.
In 2005, as a sop to Hawass the British Museum presented Egypt with a full-sized fiberglass color-matched replica of the stele. This was initially displayed in the renovated Rashid National Museum, an Ottoman house in the town of Rashid (Rosetta), the closest city to the site where the stone was found.
In November 2005, Hawass suggested a three-month loan of the Rosetta Stone while stating that the eventual goal was a permanent return of the priceless stone. In December of 2009, he proposed to drop his claim for the permanent return of the Rosetta Stone if the British Museum would simply lend the stone to Egypt for three months for the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum at Giza in 2013.
The replica now stands for all to see in the public square of Rashid (Rosetta), Egypt.
There is now an entrenched opposition among national museums to the concept of repatriation of objects of international cultural significance such as the Rosetta Stone, but there has been much commotion recently in an effort to placate those who continue to demand the return of their national treasures.
In response to repeated Greek requests for the return of the Elgin Marbles from the Parthenon and similar requests to other museums around the world, in 2002 over thirty of the world’s leading museums, including the British Museum, the Louvre, the Pergamon Museum in Berlin, and the Metropolitan Museum in New York City, issued a joint statement declaring that “objects acquired in earlier times must be viewed in the light of different sensitivities and values reflective of that earlier era” and that “museums serve not just the citizens of one nation but the people of every nation.”
For now, the Rosetta Stone still lies in its place of honor in the British Museum, but it stands forever in human history as the missing ancient Greek link back to the glittering place that was once ancient Egypt.
Ancient Greek coin from Naples depicting the head of Parthenope, mythical siren whose body marked the future site of the city, fourth century BCE. Credit: Wikipedia Commons, cc-by-sa 4.0
The Greeks have a long and fascinating history in some of the most famous cities of Italy. One example is Naples, which is Italy’s third-largest city. The ancient Greeks founded this city well over 2000 years ago, and their influence is still felt there even today. But how did the ancient Greeks end up founding this city all the way over in Italy? We can learn the answer through ancient historical records as well as from archaeology.
The Legend of the Ancient Greeks Founding Naples
The legend of how the ancient Greeks founded Naples starts with the legend of Jason and the Argonauts. The poem Alexandra, which may have been written in c. 200 BCE, records a tradition concerning Naples. It refers to a certain ‘tower of Phalerus’ already existing there in the time of Odysseus. Since Odysseus lived at the time of the Trojan War, this ‘tower’ must be named after a Phalerus who lived before then.
There is only one Phalerus who this could be – the Phalerus who accompanied Jason on his voyage to find the Golden Fleece. Other ancient sources describes this Phalerus as the founder of Gyrton in Thessaly, Phalerum in Athens, and a temple in Cyprus. Therefore, Greek legend clearly associates this Phalerus with the founding of cities. This adds even more support to the conclusion that he was the Phalerus who founded some kind of ‘tower’ in Naples before the time of Odysseus.
Therefore, the reference in Alexandra indicates that Phalerus, an Argonaut, led the ancient Greeks to establish the earliest settlement at Naples.
The Legend of the Foundation of Parthenope
The story of the ancient Greeks founding Naples also involves the legend of Odysseus. On his famous journey home from Troy after the Trojan War, he passed a group of sirens. They tried to use their enchanting singing to get Odysseus and his men to walk overboard and drown. However, Odysseus blocked his men’s ears with wax and then tied himself to his ship’s mast, thus keeping them all safe.
After defeating the sirens, one in particular, named Parthenope, threw herself into the sea in despair at her failure. She drowned, and the waves washed her body ashore at the tower of Phalerus. That location was then named Parthenope in her honor, with a city being built on the site of her grave.
This was not in exactly the same place as the later city of Naples, but it was very nearby, and it is within modern Naples. Parthenope was essentially the precursor to Naples. The two have always been so closely associated that the word ‘Parthenopean’ is a synonym of ‘Neapolitan’ even today.
What Archaeology Reveals About the Ancient Greek Foundation of Naples
Those are the legends, but how well do they match the archaeological facts? Firstly, let us consider the very earliest settlement, supposedly founded by Phalerus, one of the Argonauts. The legend about this location does not reveal where exactly in Naples the ancient Greeks supposedly established it. Nonetheless, in Naples in general, archaeology indicates that the ancient Greeks first settled there in the eighth century BC.
Whether this is actually related to the legend of Phalerus the Argonaut establishing a settlement there or not is up for debate. The archaeological evidence comes from centuries after the traditional era of the Argonauts. Nonetheless, it is possible that they lived later than usually believed.
What about the settlement of Parthenope? Archaeologists have found a Greek necropolis, or cemetery, dating to the early seventh century BC and associated with the hill of Pizzofalcone. This is further evidence that the ancient Greeks were starting settle the area of Naples at that period in history.
How the Ancient Greeks Transformed Parthenope into Naples
This settlement developed into a bustling city over the years. It became a prominent military and trading port. However, its success became its downfall. Cumae, the city from which the settlers of Parthenope primarily came, became jealous of their colony’s success. They did not want it to cause the original city, Cumae, to become abandoned. Therefore, they allegedly decided to destroy Parthenope.
There is little, if any, archaeological evidence for destruction at Parthenope dating to this time. However, whatever really happened, the evidence is clear that another settlement was then established in the Naples area, again by the ancient Greeks of Cumae. They called this city Neapolis, meaning ‘New City’. This eventually evolved into ‘Naples’, the English name for that city today.
The old settlement of Parthenope then started going by the name ‘Palaeopolis’, meaning ‘Old City’. However, it did not disappear completely. It became absorbed into the new settlement, becoming part of Naples.
Greek honey can be used for many beauty treatments. Credit: Greek Reporter
The Ancient Greeks likely hold claim to being the first people to use honey as an ingredient in beauty products. Today, you will find honey in an array of beauty products from face masks and shampoo to body cream and more.
For thousands of years, Greek honey has been collected for its delicious, sweet taste and healing, nutritious properties, proving that we have always had a taste for the sweet substance.
Despite its recent international appeal, Greek honey has long been considered the best in the world, even during ancient times. This is due to its pure, sweet taste along with its proven nutritional benefits.
The honey that is sitting in your kitchen cabinets is seeping with secret beauty powers to help nourish your body when you eat it and to also beautify you on the outside.
Greek Honey beauty secrets
Greek honey is more than a sweet treat, as it has been used since ancient times for its anti-inflammatory and antibiotic properties.
In ancient times, Greeks applied it to wounds to prevent inflammation and infection while, today, honey is used to combat the occasional breakout, heal acne, and prevent infections that may cause facial scarring.
All you need to do for a quick acne fix is apply some raw honey directly on the affected area, leave it on for around ten to fifteen minutes, and then rinse it off.
You can make homemade face packs, creams, and lotions using this natural humectant.
You may also try Greek honey mixed with olive oil, milk, or herbs such as lavender, thyme, or eucalyptus for a lathering body scrub that leaves your skin glowing.
To create a moisturizing face mask out of Greek honey, all you have to do is rub some raw honey directly on your face and leave it on for up to twenty minutes before rinsing and massaging it off thoroughly with water.
The effects of the natural humectants and emollients in raw honey will increase the water content and reduce dryness of your face.
Anti-aging benefits
Honey’s natural healing properties, particularly for wound healing and promoting collagen building, make it your ideal anti-aging remedy.
The enzymes in honey make it great for natural, gentle facial exfoliation, revealing youthful, glowing skin.
Have some fine lines and wrinkles you want to get rid of? Try applying raw honey directly on the area of skin in question.
Apply by massaging it in circular motions for a minute or so, and then leave it on for a few minutes before massaging it off with water.
Honey has also been reported to treat eczema, psoriasis, and dandruff.
In fact, Hippocrates prescribed honey as a medicinal remedy, not only for colds and illnesses, but also for beauty remedies such as prevention and treatment of scars, skin aliments, and hair treatments for dandruff and baldness.
For soft and vibrant hair, try mixing one-quarter cup of organic raw honey with just enough water to thin it out to where it resembles the consistency of shampoo.
You can then apply this concoction just as you would your shampoo, to damp hair, but allow it to sit for around thirty minutes. Rinse it out and be prepared to be amazed. Use it up to twice a week for great results.
Paleokastritsa, a stunning heart shaped bay in Corfu Greece. Credit: Greek Reporter
Home to many unique and beautiful natural sights, Greece is internationally famed for its stunning landscapes on the mainland, as well as on its many islands.
Amongst Greece’s many breathtaking islands, deep-blue seas, towering mountains, and verdant forests, are also two exquisite, heart-shaped bays.
Both of these naturally-occurring bays have crystalline blue waters, and are found on the Greek islands.
Heart Bay on Rhodes
The first beautiful heart formation is a bay on the island of Rhodes, located in the Dodecanese archipelago.
Heart Bay in Lindos, Rhodes. Credit: Greek Reporter
The Bay of Agios Pavlos, also called “Heart Bay,” is known by romantics everywhere for its iconic heart shape, formed by stunning rocky hillsides wrapping around Rhodes’ blue-green waters.
Featuring a secluded little beach, the spot is the perfect destination for all those who are in love.
The island of Rhodes is not only beautiful, but it is also steeped in history.
Throughout centuries, spanning from antiquity to the Renaissance, the island was one of the Mediterranean’s most influential and important hubs of trade and culture.
The remnants of Rhodes’ storied history can be seen across the island, especially in the old town of its major city. The old town features medieval streets, palaces, and walls, giving the illusion that you have traveled through time.
The island, however, is also thoroughly contemporary—with beach bars, nightlife, and resorts being as easily found as historic sites.
Paleokastritsa, Corfu. Credit: Greek Reporter
The heart-shaped bay in Paleokastritsa, Corfu
Greece’s second love heart, formed by nature, is found on the island of Corfu.
According to myth, the Bay of Paleopkastrista is where Odysseus first encountered Nausicaa, the beautiful young princess of the island.
The beautiful, heart-shaped bay is certainly an appropriate meeting-place for the pair, as many scholars believe the couple represents one of the earliest depictions of unrequited love in literature.
Odysseus is drawn to the beautiful woman, and she even states that she would like to have a husband like the Greek warrior, yet never expresses any interest in Odysseus himself.
Despite her father’s approval of a potential marriage between the two, they never have a romantic relationship, and Nausicaa is the only woman that Odysseus never tells his wife, Penelope, about when they are finally reunited.
In addition to its Homeric history, the village of Paleokastritsa also features a 13th-century monastery, which now houses a museum.
Located 25 km (15 miles) northwest of the island’s major town, Paleokastritsa is one of the best-known sites on cosmopolitan Corfu due to its history and unparalleled natural beauty.
On the Aegean island of Andros, Greece, a lighthouse emerging from the water like a strange sea creature is one of the most famous spots on the island.
The Tourlitis lighthouse, which is located at the northernmost extreme of the Cyclades archipelago, has been illuminating the route of seamanship for more than 120 years.
The picturesque and impressive structure is amongst the few in Europe built on a rock in the sea. It was constructed in 1887 and first operated on January 1, 1897. It has a height of seven meters and a focal height of 36 meters with the luminescence of eleven nautical miles.
It was built on a stone column opposite the Venetian Castle of Andros at a time when the island had already become a major center of Greek shipping.
Following the War of Independence, several refugees from the island of Psara arrived there, and their experience in shipping and trade from Central and Eastern Europe made them wealthy and famous worldwide.
Andros Island, the early shipping center of Greece
Andros emerged as a shipping center following the decline of other traditional shipping centers such as Galaxidi and the island of Hydra.
Andrian merchants were particularly active in the grain trade from central and eastern Europe conducted from the Danube estuary.
Initially locally constructed, Andrian ships were later built on Syros, especially as shipping began the transit to steam.
In the twentieth century, Andros, despite the setbacks of the First and Second World War, was at the top of commercial shipping and economic prosperity. In the early twentieth century, Andriot ship owner Dimitris Moraitis launched the Greece – North America sea route. In 1939, Andros was second in number of ship registrations after Piraeus.
The Second World War caused significant losses on the island both in lives and ships. In the late 1950s, a large emigration wave began both to the major urban centers of Athens and Piraeus, as well as abroad (mostly in the USA), reducing the island’s population dramatically.
Andros lighthouse destroyed and rebuilt
The lighthouse was destroyed during World War II and was never restored in its original form until 1994, when it was rebuilt with funding from the Goulandris family, one of the most prominent families of the island.
It became the first automated lighthouse in Greece, so there was no further need for an onsite keeper to supervise its function.
Tourlitis was the first lighthouse imprinted on a Greek stamp
Since it was renovated, it has been one of the area’s most significant tourist attractions. It also became the first Greek lighthouse to appear on a stamp.
Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Saturday that a new law will be brought to Parliament which will “lift all barriers in the vote of Greeks living abroad.”
Speaking in the Hellenic Parliament before a vote of confidence for New Democracy’s second term in power, the Greek premier added that the new law will provide that all registered citizens will be able to vote in the Greek elections from their country of residence.
Mitsotakis stated that the new law for the vote of diaspora Greeks will open for public consultation next week.
Greek government wins vote of confidence based solely on New Democracy deputies
New Democracy received the vote of confidence on Saturday night in Parliament with an absolutely majority, based solely on the votes of its deputies, while other parties voted against.
The party received a vote of confidence from 158 out of 300 deputies in a roll-call vote, while the remaining 142 deputies from all opposition parties turned down the vote of confidence.
In his closing address following a three-day debate on policy statements for his second term in power, the Prime Minister reiterated the goals of the government in receiving investment grade, improving salaries and reducing inequalities, and digitizing the state further.
“The time has come for work, Greece’s needs for change are great and the responsibilities are grave, while the high election percentage does not mean a carte blanche,” Mitsotakis concluded.
The parties of the opposition in the new Parliament are SYRIZA-Progressive Alliance, PASOK-Movement for Change (KINAL), the Communist Party of Greece (KKE), Spartiates, Greek Solution-Kyriakos Velopoulos, Democratic Patriotic Movement ‘Niki’, and Plefsi Eleftherias-Zoi Konstantopoulou.
Greeks living abroad voted for the first time in 2023 elections
The general elections which took place in May and June 2023 were the first to allow Greeks living abroad to exercise their right to vote from their place of residence, provided they met the criteria in the relevant legislation.
According to the final results provided by the Ministry of Interior, the difference between conservative New Democracy (ND) and leftist SYRIZA was 23.58% in the first round of the elections in May, with the two parties collecting 42.62% and 19.04% respectively.
In the second round of the elections in June, with three in five votes counted, New Democracy had won 41.94% of the vote, followed by SYRIZA with 17.24%.
Nonetheless, critics point out that the Greek diaspora was mostly absent from the parliamentary elections, as only 22,816 out of millions of Greeks residing all over the world were entitled to vote.
Greek officials had previously estimated that some 300,000 citizens living outside the country wanted to have a say in the next election.
Dua Lipa visited the Acropolis Of Athens after her vacation on the Greek island of Sifnos. Credit: Instagram / Dua Lipa
British-Albanian pop star Dua Lipa posted a series of photographs from the Acropolis of Athens on Saturday. The singer enjoyed a Greek vacation with French-Greek boyfriend Romain Gavras on Sifnos island this week and their delayed return flight allowed them extra time to sightsee in Athens.
Celebrity couple Romain Gavras and Dua Lipa on Sifnos island, Greece. Credit: Instagram / Dua Lipa
“Very happy summer bean,” the pop star captioned two previous Instagram posts with several photos and a video from their stay on Sifnos.
In the photographs that she shared with her 88 million followers, Dua Lipa appeared to enjoy the sea and sun as much as the fresh seafood and the relaxed night life on the Greek island.
Pop star’s stay on Greek Island of Sifnos
Pop star Dua Lipa and her filmmaker boyfriend Romain Gavras chose the beautiful and relaxed island of Sifnos for their Greek summer vacation.
Known for its sandy beaches such as Chrysopigi in the southeast and Vathi beach in the southwest, Sifnos lies in the Cyclades between Serifos and Milos, west of Delos and Paros, about 130 km from the Athens port of Piraeus.
The National Geographic once included the Greek island of Sifnos as one of the ten most charming and exotic islands in the entire world. It wrote: “It’s just a spot on the ocean that someone could hardly notice on a map. Yet if you find yourselves there, you’ll know there’s no other place of equal beauty in the whole world.”
Credit: Instagram / Dua Lipa
Dua Lipa in romantic relationship with Romain Gavras
Famous for her hit songs like One Kiss, Electricity, Don’t Start Now, Physical, and Levitating, London-born Dua Lipa has received critical acclaim and numerous awards, including three Grammies.
Both her albums are the most-streamed female albums on Spotify, with over 10 billion streams each.
Although the pair were rumored to be dating since at least February, the relationship was only confirmed when Dua Lipa posted a Polaroid picture of the two of them on Instagram, captioned with a red heart emoticon.
The singer/songwriter had been single since her split from her boyfriend of two years, model Anwar Hadid, in late 2021, while Gavras split up with Rita Ora – considered to be Dua Lipa’s number one rival – in March of that year, after six months of dating.
Paris-born Gavras is the youngest son of French journalist and film producer Michèle Ray-Gavras and Greek-French film director Costa Gavras.
He has directed music videos for stars like M.I.A. and Kanye West as well as several short and feature length films.
His third film Athena (2022) had its premiere at the 79th Venice International Film Festival, nominated for a Golden Lion.
