Psara Ψαρά | |
|---|---|
 Psara, Black Ridge | |
 Flag | |
 | |
  Psara | |
| Coordinates:38°33′N25°34′E / 38.550°N 25.567°E /38.550; 25.567 | |
| Country | Greece |
| Administrative region | North Aegean |
| Regional unit | Chios |
| Area | |
• Municipality | 44.511 km2 (17.186 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 512 m (1,680 ft) |
| Lowest elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| Population (2021)[1] | |
• Municipality | 420 |
| • Density | 9.4/km2 (24/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
| Postal code | 82x xx |
| Area code | 22740 |
| Vehicle registration | ΧΙ |
| Website | www.dimospsaron.gr |
Psara (Greek:Ψαρά[ps̠aˈɾa]), known in ancient times asPsyra (Ψύρα) andPsyrie (Ψυρίη), is aGreek island in theAegean Sea. Together with the small island ofAntipsara, it forms the municipality of Psara. It is part of theChios regional unit, which is part of theNorth Aegeanregion. The only town of the island and seat of the municipality is also called Psara.[2]
Psara had 420 inhabitants according to the 2021 census. It has a small port linking to the island ofChios and other parts of Greece.
In thePsara massacre on the island, thousands ofGreeks were massacred byOttoman troops during theGreek War of Independence in 1824.
Psara lies 81 km (50 mi) northwest ofChios, 22 km (14 miles) from the northwestern point of the island of Chios and 150 km (93 mi) east-northeast ofAthens. The length and width of the island are about 7 by 8 km (4 by 5 mi) and the area is 43 km2 (17 sq mi). The highest point on the island is "Profitis Ilias" (512 m (1,680 ft)). The municipality has total area of 44.511 km2 (17.186 sq mi).[3]
The modernflag of Psara is based largely on the island's famous revolutionary flag created by Psariot locals in 1824. The original flag, carried during theWar of Independence by Psariot ships,[4] was made of white cloth bordered with red. It bore the symbols ofFiliki Eteria in red (a large cross atop a crescent, a spear, and an anchor). A snake was wrapped around the anchor, often depicted with a bird flying near its mouth. On either side of theFiliki Eteria symbols, in red capital letters, were the wordsΕΛΕΥΘΕΡΙΑ Η ΘΑΝΑΤΟΣ (FREEDOM OR DEATH) and in some cases, the island's name, spelledΨΑ–ΡΑ orΨΑΡ–ΡΑ.[5][6] An original 1824 flag of Psara is preserved at theNational Historical Museum of Greece.[5]
The flag of Psara currently in use has a very similar design but omits the island's name and bears a star below the crescent.[7]
Psara has been inhabited since theMycenaean period, its inhabitants relying on the sea to make a living as the island is treeless and rocky with little shrubbery.
Homer,Strabo,Cratinus,Suda andStephanus of Byzantium referred to the island asPsyra (Ancient Greek:Ψυρά and Ψύρα)[8][9][10][11][12] andPsyrian (Ancient Greek:Ψυρίαν).[11] The island had a city also called Psyra.[9][13]
The islanders' sole source of livelihood has always been fishing, mainly for the locally abundantslipper lobsters, and shipping, with some tourist development in recent years.
The Greek ancientproverbPsyra celebratingDionysos (Ancient Greek:Ψύρα τὸν Διόνυσον ἄγοντες)[10][11] originated from the fact that Psyra was a poor and small island which could not produce its own wine, and was used in reference to people who were reclining at a symposium but not drinking.[10] Another ancient Greek proverb,You regardSparta as Psyra (Ancient Greek:Ψύρα τε τὴν Σπάρτην ἄγεις),[11] also expressed the poverty of the island.
During the Middle Ages Psara had a very small population, which abandoned the island for Chios after theFall of Constantinople. Between the 14th and second half of the 15th century,[14] a small group ofAlbanians settled on the island and developed anArvanite community, but it was quickly assimilated into the local Greek population.[15][16][17][18] In the 16th century, under the Ottoman rule, the Psariots who had previously left, returned to their homeland along with other settlers and established a settlement around the Palaiokastro fort which they repaired. They turned to trade, amassing great profits. By the beginning of the 19th century the Psariots had the third largest trade fleet in Greece afterHydra andSpetses, numbering some 45 ships.[19]
Psara joined theGreek War of Independence on April 10, 1821. FuturePrime MinisterKonstantinos Kanaris,Dimitrios Papanikolis,Andreas Pipinos andNikolis Apostolis distinguished themselves as naval leaders, usingfire ships to combat the more powerfulOttoman Navy. Psara's native population of 7,500 people was further augmented by 23,000 refugees from Thessaly, Macedonia, Chios,Moschonisia andKydonies.[20]
On July 3 (June 21O.S.), 1824, the island was invaded by the Turks. The resistance of the Psariots ended the next day with a last stand at the town's old fort of Palaiokastro (alternative nameMavri Rachi, literally "black ridge"). Hundreds of soldiers and also women and children had taken refuge there when an Ottoman force of 2,000 stormed the fort. The refugees first threw a white flag[21] with the words "Ἐλευθερία ἤ Θάνατος" ("Eleftheria i Thanatos","Freedom or Death"). Then, the moment the Turks entered the fort, the localAntonios Vratsanos lit a fuse to the gunpowder stock, in an explosion that killed the town's inhabitants along with their enemies — thus remaining faithful to their flag to their death. A French officer who heard and saw the explosion compared it to a volcanic eruption of Vesuvius.
A part of the population managed to flee the island, but those who did not were either sold into slavery or killed. As a result of the invasion, thousands of Greeks met a tragic fate. The island was deserted and surviving islanders were scattered through what is now Southern Greece.Theophilos Kairis, a priest and scholar, took on many of the orphaned children and developed the famous school theOrphanotropheio of Theophilos Kairis. Psara remained in the hands of theOttomans until it was recaptured by theGreek navy on 21 October 1912 during theFirst Balkan War.
A native of Psara is known in English as aPsariot or aPsarian.
| Year | Population | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| 1824 | 7,000[22] | |
| 1951 | 700 | |
| 1961 | 576 | - 17.7% |
| 1971 | 487 | - 15.5% |
| 1981 | 460 | - 5.5% |
| 1991 | 438 | - 4.8% |
| 2001 | 422 | - 3.7% |
| 2011 | 446 | + 5.7% |
| 2021 | 420 | - 5.8% |
Notable natives and inhabitants of the island include:
Μικρὲς ἐπίσης ὁμάδες ἐγκαταστάθηκαν στὴν Σάμο (...), στὰ Ψαρά, ... οἱ ὁποῖες ὅμως ὅλες ἀπορροφήθηκαν ἀπὸ τοὺς παλιότερους ἢ νεώτερους ἑλληνικοὺς πληθυσμούς.
| Regional unit ofChios |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Regional unit ofIkaria | ||
| Regional unit ofLemnos | ||
| Regional unit ofLesbos | ||
| Regional unit ofSamos | ||
| ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
