The
magic island, the northern island of Greece is covering an area
of 177 s.m and has approximately 3.100 inhabitants. On the island
is the mountain Saos its top is 1600 m high, the myth says that
this is the place from where Poseidon was observing the bloody
battles in front of the Troan walls. The island has also a huge
archaeological site known as Paleopolis.
 It
is known that in the past, many centuries ago, Samothraki was
the island were the “Kaveireia Mysteria” (religious
ritual) took place but today only a very few things are known
about them. The statue of “Niki” was also a part of
the Islands history, but nowadays we can admire it in the Louvre
museum in Paris.
The museum and the towers of the Gateluzi are looking calmly at
the Aegean Sea. In the interior we will meet the islands’
capitol, which is called Chora. The castle of the it is rising
amongst rocks, it is considered as the guardian of the white traditional
houses, which are build amphitheatrically on a green slope. The
only link of the island to the mainland is the picturesque harbor
of Kamariotissa. Here we can find hotels, rooms, restaurants,
fish taverns and nightclubs. The island has several little villages
that the visitor should visit some of them are the Kariotes, Alonia,
Lakoma and Profitis Helias, which is famous for his grilled goat.
But everywhere on the island you can find a high variety of fish
and seafood that is of the best quality. Scuba diving is very
interesting in the sea around island where you can see caves and
beautiful underwater scenes and if you are lucky maybe a Mediterranean
seal.
In the interior the island is full of chestnuts, myrtle’s,
arbutus platan and some other trees in general the vegetation
of the island is unique. In an another village that is called
Loutra we can find spa and hydrotherapy clinics.Little streams,
lakes and waterfalls are giving a special character to the Saos.
Those lakes are called from the locals “Vathres” and
if you love the nature then you must see the “Fonias”
lake a place that will offer you unforgettable experience.These
are a few reasons why Samothraki is called the island of the gods.
History:
The first inhabitants of the Island were the Kares. The Thracians
were the next tribe that settled on Samothraki, its them who gave
to island the first names. Saonisos, Soakis and Saos are a few
of them, which are relating to the highest mountain of the island.
According to the Greek mythology Aginoras the king of the Phoenician
was observing the battles that took place in front of Troja.
 The
island is known from the ages of Homer and had colonies in the
Thracian coast between Maronia and Enos at the Perea. In the end
of the 6th and in the beginning of the 7th century BC, Samothraki
is entering its “ Golden era”. The island issues its
own coins on which Athena is incised, the biggest part of the
walls are build and the city is covering a larger area. This is
the place where the Kaviri saved themselves. According to the
myth, once the “Evxinos Pontos” better known today as
the Black Sea, overflew and after the waters broke the dam that
was created from some certain stones at the Hellispontos. After
this phenomena the island was under water and all the inhabitants
died and only the Kaviri survived.
The Kaviri were the sons of Hephaestus and Kaviro who survived
because they escaped to the top of the mountain Saos. From them
came the Kavirian rituals. Thanks to the rituals the island became
very famous during the past, were it was considered as one of
the most important religious centers similar to the fane of Dimitra
and Persefoni in Elefsina.
Samothraki was respected and protected until the 4th century AC.
Here was the sanctuary of the big gods and the mystic rituals.
They worshipped the god Axtero, Kadmilo, and the twin Kavirian
demons. The holly place where the gods were worshipped is located
at the north part of the island near to the Paleopolis, which
means the old town.
 Thanks
to its preferential position, Samothraki became in the archaic
ages a very important city-country, which had its own money and
fleet. In the age 477 BC the island is becoming a member of the
Athenian alliance.
After the end of the Peloponisian war the Spartans are taking
over the island and general Lysandros is participating in the
Kavirian rituals, after that the island becomes a famous religious
country.
The Greek kings of Macedonia, Thrace and Egypt took the sanctuary
under their protection as well. During the medieval Samothraki
is falling into isolation and decline, many of the monuments will
be destroyed and finally in 1479 the island is falling in Turkish
hands.
In September the 1st 1821 the island is under attack of the Ottoman
empire the losses are high and the island is destroyed. Hundreds
of inhabitants were slaughtered and many were sold as slaves.
According to the information we have only 33 families survived.
The island was liberated from the Greek fleet in October 19th
1912. In 1922 refugees from Minor-Asia settled down on the island,
by that time the population of the island was up to 4.300 people,
nowadays only 3.000 live on Samothraki.
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