When the island was first colonised is unknown. It is certain, however, during the Minoan Age (3000 – 1400 BC) that the Cretans founded a commercial station in O. Chelátros. This harbour provided them with a safe shelter during the summer months and would be their first station for their voyages towards the east. Besides, the sea currents from the north and east of Crete flow towards the east (settlement remains as well as Minoan vases have been found dating from 2000BC).
This is how the Kassians began to explore the sea and hence their naval tradition of over 4000 years and shipping offices today in New York and London. Homer wrote that Kásos sent ships, together with other Greeks, to fight in the Trojan War. Essentially, the island followed the fate of the other Dodekánisa islands throughout history, and mainly was dependent on Ródos.
From the long history of the island, it is worth remarking upon the time of its Holocaust. As mentioned previously, the Kassians are sailors through and through and as soon as the Greek revolution against the Turks began in 1821, they gave themselves and 100 ships to the disposal of the Nation (indeed, the pioneer of the Naval Battle, Admiral Andréas Miaoúlis, sailed in a Kassian ship). The Turks wanted to punish the island and so the united Turkish – Egyptian fleet, having overthrown Crete, turned against Kásos. The Greek Revolutionary Government, as well as Hýdra (the main naval force in the revolution), made no response to Kásos’ appeals for them to send re-enforcements. There were only the 600 Cretans, who had sheltered on the island during the subjugation of Kríti. History repeated itself again, as the “History of the Greek Nation” writes about a Kassian “nightmare”, the curse of the human race that betrayed it.
2000 Albanians reached the island on the backs of the defenders and together with the disembarking enemies placed the defenders between them. Scenes of great heroism followed, and as the “History of the Greek Nation” states, the defenders “both murdered and murdering” opened a road through the enemies and the remaining parties scattered. Terrible scenes followed. The Turkish Albanian forces, with the permission of their leader, slaughtered all males of the island, took the women and children to the slave markets and pillaged the houses.
All this occurred towards the end of May – beginning of June 1824. Since then the Kassians hold memorials to the Holocaust each year on the 6 – 7th June. After 1840, as things settled down, those islanders who were able to, returned to Kásos and re-created their fleet. The remarkable sailors worked a miracle (the first pilots to cross the Suez and Panama Canals were both from Kásos). At the end of the 19th century, the difficult but resolute change from sails to engine power took place.
During both World Wars, the Kássians offered their ships to the Allies and lost many men to the sea. However, during recent years the commercial fleet of the island has been drastically reduced (after World War II it comprised one third of the Greek fleet). Finally, after the island passed through the Italian rule during the first half of the 20th century, Kásos was reunited with Mother Greece in 1948.
Sightseeing: The island, like Kárpathos, is definitely worth a visit. It will be an unforgettable experience and you re-live the “good old days”. Days of peace not stress. Days where the humane, not money and profit, rules.
Celebrations: The feast of Agía Marína is held on the 17th July, Metamorphósis tou Christoú on the 6th August and Panagía on the 15th August. Food and wine are served at all the above and a party is held afterwards.
Flavours: Everybody knows how much a sailor likes his food. This nautical island is no exception and its cuisine has many delicious flavours. The most usual habit is stuffed dishes, for instance stuffed lamb, chicken, courgette flowers etc. Of course this tendency can be found on the other islands of the Aegean. However, the dish that really stands out, in my opinion, is the Kassian “dolmákia” (stuffed vine leaves, well known throughout Greece). This is really one of the nicest dishes I have tried to date. Naturally, there are many other dishes, all of which compete with each other for first place.
