Rising in the center of the Cyclades archipelagos, Syros has a long history that goes back to the 3rd millennium BC and the Prehistoric Era, from which many finds have been discovered by the archaeologists! Phoenicians, Romans, Byzantines, Ottomans, and Venetians have left their marks over the intervening centuries, forging a multicultural civilization.
During the Greek Revolution of 1821, Syros welcomes war refugees; as the Catholics learned to live side by side with the influx of Orthodox settlers, the walls of Chora (the old castle-town on the hill) no longer had reason to exist and a new city emerged: Hermoupolis (after Hermes, messenger of the gods and protector of the merchants) flourishes as the largest commercial port and a beacon of culture in the eastern Mediterranean! The many impressive neoclassical mansions, built by renowned architects like Ernst Ziller, create a unique aura of romance and affluence.
Today, Syros is the capital of the Cyclades Prefecture and hosts a population of some 28,000 inhabitants on a mere 84 sq. kilometers. With its urban style, Syros hardly resembles the typical Cyclades’ island, yet the visitor will be surprised by the many ‘hidden jewels’ than can be discovered in the town’s picturesque neighborhoods and the lovely countryside.
ABOUT SYROS
ABOUT SYROS
Rising in the center of the Cyclades archipelagos, Syros has a long history that goes back to the 3rd millennium BC and the Prehistoric Era, from which many finds have been discovered by the archaeologists! Phoenicians, Romans, Byzantines, Ottomans, and Venetians have left their marks over the intervening centuries, forging a multicultural civilization.
During the Greek Revolution of 1821, Syros welcomes war refugees; as the Catholics learned to live side by side with the influx of Orthodox settlers, the walls of Chora (the old castle-town on the hill) no longer had reason to exist and a new city emerged: Hermoupolis (after Hermes, messenger of the gods and protector of the merchants) flourishes as the largest commercial port and a beacon of culture in the eastern Mediterranean! The many impressive neoclassical mansions, built by renowned architects like Ernst Ziller, create a unique aura of romance and affluence.
Today, Syros is the capital of the Cyclades Prefecture and hosts a population of some 28,000 inhabitants on a mere 84 sq. kilometers. With its urban style, Syros hardly resembles the typical Cyclades’ island, yet the visitor will be surprised by the many ‘hidden jewels’ than can be discovered in the town’s picturesque neighborhoods and the lovely countryside.
