Sifnos Σίφνος | |
|---|---|
 Villages of Apollonia and Katavathi seen from Ano Petali | |
 | |
  Sifnos | |
| Coordinates:36°59′21″N24°40′7″E / 36.98917°N 24.66861°E /36.98917; 24.66861 | |
| Country | Greece |
| Administrative region | South Aegean |
| Regional unit | Milos |
| Seat | Apollonia |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Maria Nadali[1] (since 2019) |
| Area | |
• Municipality | 73.94 km2 (28.55 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 679 m (2,228 ft) |
| Lowest elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| Population (2021)[2] | |
• Municipality | 2,777 |
| • Density | 37.56/km2 (97.27/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
| Postal code | 840 03 |
| Area code | 22840 |
| Vehicle registration | EM |
| Website | www.sifnos.gr |
Sifnos (Greek:Σίφνος)[3] is an islandmunicipality in theCyclades island group inGreece. The main town, near the center, known asApollonia (pop. 918 as of 2021), is home of the island's folklore museum and library. The town's name is thought to come from an ancient temple ofApollo on the site of the church of Panayia Yeraniofora. The second-largest town isArtemonas, thought to be named after an ancient temple of Apollo's sisterArtemis, located at the site of the church of Panayia Kokhi. The village ofKastro, was the capital of the island during ancient times until 1836. It is built on top of a high cliff on the island's east shore and today has extensive medieval remains and is the location of the island's archeological museum. The port settlement, on the west coast of the island is known asKamares.[4]
Sifnos lies in the Cyclades betweenSerifos andMilos, west ofDelos andParos, about 130 km (81 mi) (80nautical miles) fromPiraeus (Athens' port). The municipality has an area of 73.942 square kilometres (28.549 sq mi)[5] and is 15 km (9 mi) long and 7.5 km (4.7 mi) wide. It has a shoreline of 70 km (43 mi), with a permanent population of 2,625. The island is served by the ferries which run on the Piraeus – Kythnos – Serifos – Sifnos – Milos – Kimolos line and via Naxos. There are also infrequent sailings to other islands in the Cyclades.
To the south of the island, about 350 meters from the coast there is an uninhabited island,Kitriani.
Sifnos was inhabited by human beings from at least 4000 BCE.[6] Archeological evidence indicates the island was within the mainstream of Late Neolithic and Early Bronze AgeCycladic civilization. The island was very wealthy in ancient times, thanks to its gold, silver, and lead, which were being mined there as early as the 3rd millennium BCE.[7] Proof of this isthe treasury which the Siphnians built atDelphi in the 6th century BCE to house their offerings. According toPausanias, these mines were obliterated by floods in ancient times, a disaster which some attributed to the people of the island suspending their tribute out of greed.[8][9] Modern scholars suggest that some of the mines flooded because they had eventually been dug to a depth below sea level,[10] while the majority of them, situated far from the sea, were probably exhausted.[11] Remains of ancient mines, some dating back to prehistoric times, are still to be seen on the island, most notably at Ay. Sostis, and remains of ancient fortifications, dating from the third millennium to the sixth century BCE, have been found at Ay. Andreas, Ay. Nikitas, and Kastro.[12] Another indication of Sifnos's wealth is the fact that it was one of the first places in Greece to mint coins, beginning around 600 BCE, although the number minted does not seem to have been great, and the island of Aegina, which used Siphnian silver, seems to have developed a much greater export capacity in this form of the metal.[13]
During the extensive Greek migrations which occurred beginning perhaps as early as the 12th century BCE, Sifnos was mostly populated by Ionian Greeks from Athens. The island appears only rarely in the subsequent ancient history of Greece. In the sixth century BCE it was invaded by pirates fromSamos. In the fifth century BCE, Sifnos was an official member of the Greek defensive alliance formed to fight thePersian Wars. In the next century the island was briefly taken over by thePersians but liberated by a fleet sent byAlexander the Great.[14] The verb "to play the Siphnian"[15] appears in a fragment ofAristophanes, and is explained in theSuda alongside "toLesbianize" as a reference to transgression.[16][17]
Little is known of Sifnos during the Roman andByzantine eras, though three Romansarcophagi remaining in the streets of Kastro and a collection of 80 Byzantine coins in the museum there testify to substantial continued population during those times. In the early 14th century Sifnos came under the power of the Italian or SpanishHospitallerJanuli I da Corogna, who proclaimed the island independent from theSanudo dynasty which then ruled most of the Cyclades area. The Corognas ruled Sifnos for over a hundred years; around 1440 as a result of a dynastic marriage power over the island passed to aBolognese family, theGozzadini, who ruled until 1617, the last of these rulers being Nikolas. Though both these dynasties became thoroughly Hellenized, they retained their Roman Catholic form of religion, and during the 1800s the Sifniotes continued to take pride in their Latin ancestry.[18][19]
Little is also known of Sifnos during the Ottoman rule from 1617. It seems likely that, as in most of the Cyclades, Ottoman rule on Sifnos was fairly loose, consisting mainly of the collection of taxes, with the islanders largely administering their own affairs. By the early 17th century Sifnos was a significant commercial center, and from 1821 the island played an important role in theGreek War of Independence.[20]
Notable figures from Sifnos in modern times include the educator and revolutionary leaderNikolaos Chrysogelos (1780–1858), who served as Greece's Minister of Education, and the chefNikolaos Tselementes (1878–1958), who wrote a classic cookery book still used in Greece today.[21]
The island's rich clay veins, sunny weather and temperature have made Sifnos a capital of pottery in theAegean, with unique jars and pots that are a "trademark" of the island. They are typical of the Sifnian everyday life, such as ashtrays, cooking and food vessels, "masteles", "foufoudes" (kind of chimneys) etc. Locally, 'Sifnios' was a variant word for potter. The oldest potteries were found in central regions such as Artemon and Ano Petali to avoid pirate attacks.
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The most famous ones are:
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There are 237 churches in the island of Sifnos. It is no coincidence, the large number of festivals held on the island almost every month. Many churches and monasteries of the island are historical sites with great religious and architectural interest. The most important one is the monastery of Panagia Chryssopigi. One of the most "popular" churches of the island, is one of the Seven Martyrs, where many couples choose to get married. Still, Panagia Poulati is renowned both for its beauty and the landscape that surrounds it.
Several religious festivals are held during the summer.
Local dishes:
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1951[23] | 2,773 |
| 1981[24] | 2,856 |
| 2001[5] | 2,574 |
| 2011[25] | 2,625 |
| 2021[2] | 2,777 |
The municipality Sifnos is subdivided into the following districts and villages:
Sifnos travel guide from Wikivoyage| 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 | ||
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