Symi Σύμη | |
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       Clockwise from top: A view ofAno Symi, Gyalou Square, the Monastery of the Archangel Michael Panormitis, Annunciation Church, stairs inAno Symi, the Port of Symi, a traditionalNeoclassical house | |
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  Symi | |
| Coordinates:36°35′N27°50′E / 36.583°N 27.833°E /36.583; 27.833 | |
| Country | Greece |
| Administrative region | South Aegean |
| Regional unit | Rhodes |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Eleftherios Papakalodoukas[1] (since 2003) |
| Area | |
• Municipality | 65.754 km2 (25.388 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 617 m (2,024 ft) |
| Lowest elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| Population (2021)[2] | |
• Municipality | 2,603 |
| • Density | 39.59/km2 (102.5/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
| Postal code | 856 00 |
| Area code | 22460 |
| Vehicle registration | ΚΧ, ΡΟ, ΡΚ |
| Website | symi.gr |
Symi, also transliterated asSyme orSimi (Greek:Σύμη), is aGreek island andmunicipality. It is mountainous and has the harbour town of Symi and its adjacent upper townAno Symi, as well as several smaller population centres, beaches and areas of significance in history and mythology. Symi is part of theRhodes regional unit.[3]
The economy of Symi was traditionally based on the shipbuilding andsponge industries. The population peaked at approximately 22,500 during the 19th century.[4] Symi's main industry is now tourism,[5] and in 2021 its permanent population had declined to 2,603[2] with a larger population during the summer.[6]
Symi is known for its uniqueshrimps. Named "Symi's shrimps", these are small and are pan fried and eaten whole, shell and all.
Symi is part of theDodecanese island chain, located about 41 kilometres (25 miles) north-northwest ofRhodes and 425 km (264 mi) fromPiraeus, the port ofAthens, with 58.1 square kilometres (22.4 sq mi) of mountainous terrain. Its nearest land neighbors are theDatça andBozburun peninsulas ofMuğla Province inTurkey. Its interior is characterised by small valleys, and its coastline alternates between rocky cliffs, beaches and isolated coves.
Its main town, located on the northeast coast, is named Symi. The lower town around the harbour, is referred to as Yialos, and the upper town is called Horio orAno Symi. Other townships are Pedi, Nimborio, Marathounda and Panormitis. Panormitis is the location of the island's famous monastery which is visited by people from all over the world, and many Greeks pay homage to St Michael of Panormitis each year. The island has 2,603 inhabitants, mostly engaged in tourism, fishing, and trade. In the tourist season which lasts from Easter until Panormitis Day in early November, tourists and day-trippers increase the number of people on the island to as much as 6,000.[7]
In addition to its many historical sites, the island's isolated beaches, many reachable only by small boats, are popular with tourists. TheMunicipality of Sými includes the uninhabited offshore islets of Gialesíno, Diavátes, Kouloúndros, Marmarás, Nímos, Sesklío, and Chondrós. Its total land area is 65.754 square kilometres (25.388 sq mi).[8]
InGreek mythology, Symi is reputed to be the birthplace of theCharites, and takes its name from the nymphSyme. According to a different account attributed toMnaseas inAthenaeus'Deipnosophistae,Glaucus named the island after his wife Syme, when they settled the island.[9] In antiquity, the island was known asAigli andMetapontis.Pliny the Elder and some later writers claimed that the name was derived fromsimia, "a monkey".[citation needed]
InHomer'sIliad, the island is mentioned as the domain of KingNireus, who fought in theTrojan War on the side of the Greeks and was described as the most handsome man in the Achaean forces, after Achilles.[10]Thucydides writes that during thePeloponnesian War there was aBattle of Syme near the island in January, 411 BC, in which an unspecified number ofSpartan ships defeated a squadron of Athenian vessels.
Little is known about the island before the 14th century. Archaeological evidence indicates that it was continuously inhabited, and ruins of citadels suggest that it was an important location. It was part of theRoman Empire and later theByzantine Empire,[11] until its conquest by theKnights of St. John in 1309.[12]
This conquest, fueled bythe Knights' interest in shipping and commerce, launched several centuries of prosperity for Symi, as its location amidst the Dodecanese made it an important waypoint for trade until the advent ofsteam-powered shipping in the 19th century. In 1522, Symi was conquered by theOttoman Empire, along with nearbyRhodes, but it was allowed to retain many of its privileges, so its prosperity continued virtually uninterrupted.[13]
Under theOttomans the island was calledSömbeki. Symi was noted for its sponges, which provided much of its wealth. It attained the height of its prosperity in the mid 19th century. Many of the colorfulneoclassical mansions covering the slopes near the main city date from that period.[13] Although Symiots took part in theGreek War of Independence of 1821–1829, it was left out of the new Greek state and remained under Ottoman rule.[14]
The island, along with the rest of the Dodecanese, changed hands several times in the 20th century. In 1912, theDodecanese declared independence from the Ottomans to become the Federation of the Dodecanese Islands, though they were almost immediately occupied by Italy. The island was formally ceded to Italy in 1923, and on 12 October 1943 it was occupied by the Nazis.[15] At the end ofWorld War II, the surrender of German forces in the region took place on Symi to theBritish. The island was occupied by Britain for three years as a result.[16] Symi became part ofGreece in 1948.
The island has become popular with tourists from abroad, especially British, French and Italians,[17] and is now the permanent home of about 120 non-Greek residents,[18] some 50 of whom are British.[6] The influx of tourists has led to the restoration of a great number of homes, many of which were destroyed duringWorld War II. These restorations, by law, have to conform to "guidelines laid down by the Greek culture ministry's Archaeological Service". Between 1998 and 2006, it is estimated that the price of a "ruin" on Symi increased fivefold.[6] The growing population of EU expatriates has led to demographic as well as political changes, sinceEU citizens are allowed to vote in local elections and have attempted to exert influence on the island's politics. Opinions on whether this is a sign of growing integration differ.[19]
There has been considerable restoration of many houses in Symi in the past decade, by architects including Haris A. Kalligas and Anastasia Papaioannou, both winners of theEuropa Nostra Awards for their work on Symi and elsewhere in Greece.[citation needed]
On 5 June 2024, British TV and radio presenterMichael Mosley went missing on the island while on holiday with his wife. After four days of searching, his body was found on 9 June, on the rocky slope outside the wall of a private resort called Agia Marina. It appeared that he had taken the wrong path sometime after leaving the town of Pedi.[20][21]
Since 1995, Symi has hosted the Symi Festival during July to September.[25][26] This festival was founded by Greek political journalist, Yannis Diakogiannis,[27] who established it in the birthplace of his father Eleftherios C. Diakogiannis. Since its inception, it has attracted many Greek musicians,Katy Garbi,Eleftheria Arvanitaki,Glykeria,Alkistis Protopsalti,Dimitra Galani, Miltos Pasxahildis, etc., to perform at free open-air concerts in the main square of Yialos, and includes many dance and theatre events.
In 2008,Tarpon Springs, Florida, a town with a high percentage ofGreek Americans, established a sister city-relationship with Symi. Located on theGulf Coast of the United States, Tarpon Springs attracted many Greek sponge fishermen toFlorida, for the "sponge rush" at the beginning of the twentieth century.[28]
The island has one local amateur AM radio station, Radio Symi, broadcasting on 1485 kHz.
| Regional unit ofAndros |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Regional unit ofKalymnos | ||
| Regional unit ofKarpathos-Kasos | ||
| Regional unit ofKea-Kythnos | ||
| Regional unit ofKos | ||
| Regional unit ofMilos | ||
| Regional unit ofMykonos | ||
| Regional unit ofNaxos | ||
| Regional unit ofParos | ||
| Regional unit ofRhodes | ||
| Regional unit ofSyros | ||
| Regional unit ofThira | ||
| Regional unit ofTinos | ||
| ||
