It was built in 395 AD immediately after the first abandonment of Nikopolis. From its foundation until the Fall of Constantinople (1453) Vónitsa was attacked by pirates. In 1070 AD the Venetians built a castle in Vónitsa and took control of its ports (it was one of the privileges given to them by the Byzantine…
There are various versions about the origin of the name of Preveza. According to some, it is believed that the word came from the Slavic word “perevoz”, which means “passage”. According to others, the word comes from the old Albanian expression “prevëzë-za”, which means “transport for” (probably Preveza was a commercial or shipping centre from…
In ancient times Párga had various names such as Paragiros, Ypargos and Paragaia. Based on the excavations, it is estimated that the area was first inhabited during the Middle Paleolithic era (300,000 – 30,000 BC). The inhabitants of the city had built Párga on Mount Pezovolos. From the Mycenaean years to its union with Greece,…
The word Sývota comes from the compound word “Sivosion”, which means “many islands area”. In other words, Sývota got its name from the many islands in the area (Ágios Nikólaos, small and large Mourteméno and Moúrtos). In ancient times it was also called “Sývota”. During the Middle Ages until 1927 Sývota had the name “Vólia”,…
Thucydides in his tours, when referring to Igoumenítsa, called it “Limín Érimon (Deserted Port)”. According to mythology, the two islands at the entrance of the port of Igoumenítsa (Ágios Diónysos and Prasoúdi), were the rocks thrown by the Cyclops on the ships of Odysseus, during the Homeric Odyssey. The first settlement of the island began…
The name “Paxoí” derives from the ancient Phoenician word “Paks” which means trapeze. The name probably came from the fact that Paxoí has a roughly flat shape (no high mountains or sudden peaks) and therefore reminds of the geometrical shape of trapeze. In all the ancient maps and books, the name “Paxoí” was used for…
There are different versions as from where the name of the island derived. According to mythology, the island was named Kérkyra when god Poseidon took the nymph Kérkyra and installed her on the island where she gave birth to Faiakas. Historically, the name is suspected to be of Illyrian origin, from the word “Kerkouros” which…
Othonoí In antiquity, the island was named Othronós, Othonoí and Thoronós. Initially, the name Othonoí included all Diapóntia islands but over the years, the name was used only for the bigger one amongst them. For a time, the island was named “Fáros” (lighthouse), probably due to its shape, if we imagine the NW and SW…
According to mythology, Anáfi owes its name to the fact that it emerged (anáfi derives from the verb “anafainomai”, which means emerge) from the waters of the Aegean, following the desire of Apollo to offer refuge to the Argonauts. That is why its inhabitants, in his honor, built the temple of Apollo Aiglítis (from the…
Santoríni in the ancient years was called Stroggýli (= round), because of its circular shape it had before the eruption of the volcano. The Phoenicians called the island Kallísti (= beautiful), probably due to its attractive landscapes, whereas in the 12th century BC it was named Thíra, in honour of the hero Thíra who came…