Antikythera Αντικύθηρα | |
|---|---|
 Antikythera's harbour Potamos | |
  Antikythera Kythera and Antikythera (south) within Attica  | |
| Coordinates:35°52′N23°18′E / 35.867°N 23.300°E /35.867; 23.300 | |
| Country | Greece |
| Administrative region | Attica |
| Regional unit | Islands |
| Municipality | Kythira |
| Area | |
| • Municipal unit | 20.43 km2 (7.89 sq mi) |
| Population (2021)[1] | |
| • Municipal unit | 39 |
| • Municipal unit density | 1.9/km2 (4.9/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
| Postal code | 801 00 |
| Area code(s) | 27360 |
| Vehicle registration | Z |
| Website | www.antikythira.gr |
Antikythera (/ˌæntɪkɪˈθɪərə/AN-tik-ih-THEER-ə,US also/ˌæntaɪkɪˈ-/AN-ty-kih-;[2][3]Modern Greek:Αντικύθηρα,romanized: Antikýthira,IPA:[andiˈciθira])[note 1] orAnticythera, known in antiquity asAigilia (Αἰγιλία), is aGreek island lying on the edge of theAegean Sea, betweenCrete andPeloponnese. Since the 2011 local government reform, it is part of the municipality ofKythira island.[4]
Antikythera may also refer to theKythira-Antikythira Strait, through which Mediterranean water enters the Sea of Crete.[5]
Its land area is 20.43 square kilometres (7.89 square miles),[6] and it lies 38 kilometres (24 miles) south-east ofKythira. It is the most distant part of theAttica region from its heart in theAthensmetropolitan area. It islozenge-shaped, 10.5 km (6.5 mi) NNW to SSE by 3.4 km (2.1 mi) ENE to WSW. It is notable for being the location of the discovery of theAntikythera mechanism and for the historical Roman-eraAntikythera wreck.
Its main settlement and port is Potamós (pop. 34 inhabitants in the 2011 census). The only other settlements are Galanianá (pop. 15), and Charchalianá (pop. 19). Antikythera is periodically visited by the Ablemon Nautical Company ferryF/B Ionis on its route betweenPiraeus (Athens) andKissamos-Kastelli on Crete.
The earliest known inhabitants (5th or 4th millennium BC) were likely seasonal hunters who traveled there to exploit the presence of migratory birds. The population of the island then changed frequently as it was settled and abandoned several times, including a period of significant influence byCretan culture during the Bronze Age.[7] In antiquity, the island of Antikythera was known as Aegilia or Aigilia (Αἰγιλία), Aegila or Aigila (Αἴγιλα),[8] or Ogylos (Ὤγυλος).[9][10]
Between the 4th and 1st centuries BC, it was used as a base by a group ofCilician pirates until their destruction byPompey the Great. Their fort can still be seen atop a cliff to the northeast of the island. The archaeology of the island has been thoroughly surveyed and the data made openly available for further study.[11]
Antikythera is one of the few islands in the Aegean which were never ruled by theOttoman Empire, as the Ottomans did not consider the small island a worthwhile conquest. Nevertheless, it was noted on Ottoman maps asKüçük Çuha, a name that has persisted in modern Turkish.
Antikythera, known asCerigotto in Italian, was administered by the Venetians as part of theIonian Islands, despite being several hundred kilometres away from the main Ionian archipelago. The Venetians held out in Antikythera until 1800 while the rest of the Ionian Islands had fallen toNapoleonic France in 1797. It became a British protectorate in 1815 as part of theUnited States of the Ionian Islands. The island was then ceded to Greece under theTreaty of London (1864).
From 1864 to 1912, Antikythera was the southernmost point of Greece, as Crete and the surrounding islands includingGavdos were then part of the Ottoman Empire.
Antikythera is most famous for being the location of the 1900 discovery of theAntikythera wreck,[12] from which theAntikythera Ephebe andAntikythera mechanism were recovered. The Antikythera mechanism is an ancientmechanical calculator (sometimes described as the first mechanical computer) designed to calculate astronomical positions which has been dated to about 205 BC.[13][14] Technological artifacts of similar complexity did not reappear until a thousand years later.
Antikythera is a very important stop-over site for migratory birds during their seasonal movements, due to its geographical position and certain features (a longitudinal island, with a north–south direction and very low human impact).[15] Furthermore, the island hosts the largest breeding colony ofEleonora's falcon (Falco eleonorae) in the world.[16] The importance of Antikythera for studyingbird migration led to the creation ofAntikythera Bird Observatory (A.B.O) by theHellenic Ornithological Society. The island, along with its associated islets, has been recognised as anImportant Bird Area (IBA) byBirdLife International.[17] The island also has a large population of wild goats.[18]
Following an agreement among European Investment Bank, the Kithira-Antikithira Commission of Inland Property, the National Observatory of Athens,[19] the Municipality and the Greek Public, a total fund of 25m euros will be used to install one of the largest Climate Observatory Centers in Europe. The project has also gained the support of Cosmote and Niarchos Foundation.[20]
Smith, William, ed. (1854–1857). "Aegilia".Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography. London: John Murray.
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