Blog Resumed, Sept 2013, Naxos

Being back in Greece it is time to resume the blog of my exploration of the Greek world. This time we are on the beautiful island of Naxos, the largest of the Cyclades Islands.

This is the view of the Aegean from our bedroom window at the Studios Adriani. 

It is like living in a travel brochure. The ocean breezes and swoosh of the waves wake us each morning. Breakfast on the balcony in the shade is a daily treat. Amazing sunsets, refreshing breezes, 80 degree ocean water, its perfect! Our landlady often brings small gifts of food, maybe a melon from her family farm in her mountain village, maybe a sweet honey pound cake from her kitchen - or a dish of hot moussaka straight from her oven. Always a delightful surprise! She speaks no English but wears a gigantic smile. Greek hospitality is awesome!

The Cyclades are a grouping of islands in the central Aegean that appear to loosely be arranged in a circle.

Naxos, the largest of the Cyclades, is home to the ancient gods Apollo and Dionysius. Naxos is an agricultural island and, when necessary in times past, could exist independent from all. The mountain villages still preserve some of the ancient ways while the coastal communities are more modern.

Dionysius was the god of the grape and this island certainly features delicious wine. Did wine originate here? Why not accredit to this place. It had to have originated somewhere!

These islands have been occupied since the late neolithic- or circa 5000 BCE, and became the home of a rich culture notable especially for their simple, distinctive and compellingly profound art. 

These people remain a mystery. The keystone place they occupied in the  origins of Greek mythology is obvious, as Apollo originates from here, but they are obscured from view by time as they pre-dated writing. 

Are these images of Gods? Are they worshippers? Are they the dead? Almost all are undoubtedly female- so, are they fertility cult figures?

Note the figure in the bottom left- it depicts a pregnant female.

Our studio apartment is on the edge of Naxos Town 

in the Grotta and overlooks the Portara- about 500 meters away.

The island in the distance is Paros. In 376 BCE the renewed Athenian navy defeated the Sparta navy. The battle of Naxos was one of the great naval battles of the ancient world. 40 years later the Cyclades came under the rule of Alexander the Great [333 BCE].

The Portara is an iconic marker for Naxos standing on an outcrop of land just above where the neolithic village had been located. This feature is the result of an unfinished temple to the Delian Apollo from the 6th century BCE and is quite unusual as it is not constructed on the normal common east west axis, but rather faces Delos, the most sacred of the Cyclades islands, to the north.

Why did construction stop? Was there a patron who died or ran out money? Did something political happen? Another mystery.

Apollo is one of the more complex of the Olympian gods associated with the sun, light, truth, prophecy, healing, music, poetry and more.  

In Roman times he would be associated with the emperor and thus many of the attributes rubbed off unto Jesus as the debate raged over who was the real Son of God. Much of it begins with Apollo

I snorkelled around the whole of this site the other day and was mesmerized by the thousands of colourful fish, the ancient Neolithic roads and foundations as well as the remains of a Bronze Age village, the remains of both are now below the water's surface since the cataclysmic volcanic explosion of Santorini, circa 1600 BCE, dropped the whole of the Aegean islands several meters further into the sea. Naxos itself was tilted 5 degrees. It's a force we can hardly imagine yet witnessed from a distance when the Christmas Tsunami wrecked havoc in South East Asia

So these are our digs for the first part of our trip. We are in the Grotto - the most ancient part of the town - named for the caves on the sea cliff.

I am also blessed with two lovely travelling companions, one an archaeologist and the other a professor of anthropology.

Life is good!

It is a short walk into the town and the Bourgo [the labyrinth] that leads up to the Kastro [Venetian castle] that dates from 1207, just 4 years after the end of the last [4th] Crusade. Above is a view of the busy harbour taken from the Kastro. Note the Church of Mirtidiotissa on the tiny island. I have no idea how one gets there other then by boat- none of which appear to be available for this purpose. One of the regular high speed ferries is arriving from another island. These ferries ranging from high speed, to fast to regular speed, arrive continually throughout the day linking the intricate life and economies of the islands. 

The Bourgo - an ancient  Greek area- was designed as a labyrinth of streets, allies, stairs; all for defensive purposes. Tiny spaces allowed for easier defence and the intertwining allies gave the defenders advantage over the confused attackers who would be disoriented.

In several places these walkways are hardly wide enough for two people to pass. However, regardless of where one is- it is almost impossible to take a bad picture.

If you wish simply click on a picture and it should enlarge.

Today the pathways offer ever changing vistas and quaint secluded cafes, tavernas, restaurants, homes and shops. 

Shopping is superb, vendors are friendly and informative. With many jewellers, artists, potters, glass blowers and clothing stores featuring their wears at every turn, nick and corner everyone finds something of interest. It is refreshing to go to a shopping area that does not offer more of the same, as we commonly experience in our cities. Here the small entrepreneur is still the most common business person. 

At many places, the houses above span the lanes so when we walk under a tunnel there may be a living room or bedroom above. When one buys a 'house' here you buy a part of a structure but not he land. Imagine the kinds of paperwork that requires! - but such is Naxos!

The Bourgo is mostly from the Greek period while the upper Kastro is located on the acropolis and dates from the Venetian rule. 

Naxos was the seat of power for Venetian Rule of the Aegean for many centuries and the Kastro was the home of the Venetian ruler- usually called the ambassador. 

 Below is the main entrance to the Kastro. The door is original dating from 1207. Lower class people who wanted to visit the ruling family would sit and wait amongst the guards in this space, sometimes for days, in hope of being granted an audience. Imagine coming day after day for many days and simply waiting for an opportunity to deliver your message or make your "Ask".

Below is the dungeon of the Kastro now converted into an art gallery. You can still see the timbers from which prisoners would be hung in nets, or by their arms, or in tight iron cages. The small black door on the bottom centre of the far wall opens into a "pit" where serious prisoners where shut in for 40 days. If after 40 days they were alive and disease free they were deemed innocent and realized. One can only imagine the horrors and terrors of this space. 

The Bourgo is dotted with lovely gardens such as this bougainvillaea overhanging the wall and stairway.

This shop has 5 ancient pillars [Ionic columns] relocated [ or re-purposed] from other places around the island. Stones and marbles from temples and other buildings are often salvaged and relocated. These stones are commonly seen in door ways and gates.

Such is Naxos, a jewel of an island in the middle of the Aegean Sea.

It is a wonderful place to visit and study!