Kalymnos Island

Kalymnos fourth largest island in the Dodecanese and located between Kos and Leros in the south-eastern Aegean Sea and belongs to the Dodecanese Islands prefecture. The name of the island used to be Kalynda then changed to Kalymna and finally Kalymnos. The most part of the population of Kalimnos Island has been occupied by catching sea sponges (last flotilla of hunters of sea sponges is based on island), now in a tourist infrastructure.

The capital of Kalymnos is Pothia. Chora is the second largest residential area and the former capital of the island. Other areas of Kalymnos is Argos, Myrties, Masouri, Skala, Vathis, Panormos, Emporios, Vlihada, Lafasi, Vothini and the islet TelendosThe nature was lavish with tens of pristine beaches with crystal pure water. You can get to these beaches only by sea, so boats – an original taxi of the island – are in store for you.

Main resorts

The Castle of Chora is located northeast of Chora settlement and it was built in the 11th AD century and was repaired by the Knights of St. John in the late 15th century. Till the early of 18th century the Castle of Chora was the residential centre of Kalymnos. In the Castle of Chora there are ten churches still preserved and their interior still shows wall paintings from the end of 15th – early 16th century.
The Sanctuary of Dilio Apollo is one of the most important areas of Kalymnos which flourished from the Geometric to the Roman times. There were churches, a theatre, a gymnasium, a parliament, statues, figurines and inscriptions. The temple was destroyed by the Christians during the Paleo-Christian Age and two churches were built on site, the Christ of Jerusalem Church and Agia Sophia Church (Saint Sophia). Visitors today can only see the two churches. The Temple of Dilio Apollo is located between Chorio and Panormo.
In the northeast of the coastal settlement Emporios there is a fortress from the Hellenistic Age, Kastri with strong walls, two defence towers and a gate. In Kastri operated an olive press and this is obvious from the ruins of ancient olive presses located west. Kastri was built for shelter in emergency situations. Its position offers efficient observation of the surrounding area as well as the sea.
In the mid of the 15th century the Order of the Ioanniton Knights built the Castle of Chrisocherias which is located between Chora and Pothia. At its east is the chapel of Metamorfosi of Christ and at its west the church of Prodromos both of them with post-Byzantine wall paintings. Also near the Castle of Chrysocherias are three stone windmills contemporary for their time.

History in Brief

220 to 215 B.C. Kalymnos is subject to Kos which together with Rhodes and Rome, took part in the war against Phillip the 5th of Macedonia. Rome is the up and coming power of that age and takes full advantage of the disputes between Alexander the Great’s successors to further extend its supremacy.

In 554 A.D. one of the most terrible earthquakes ever occurred. The earth shook for 14 days and is well documented by the historian Agathias who happened to be in Kos at the time. The frightening tremors and explosions made the earth subside and the sea rushed in and ravished the coastline taking with it people, buildings and anything else in its way.

In 1306 A.D. Kalymnos is conquered by the Knights of the Order of Saint John from Jerusalem. The order has Rhodes as it’s administrative capital which it managed to subdue after three years of resistance by the Rhodians.

In 1523 A.D. the Kalymnians that were still left on the island (since the defence of Kos and Rhodes had stripped Kalymnos bare of most of its able warriors and since the Knights of the Order of Saint John had abandoned them) and after witnessing the pillaging, looting and the general slaughter that the Turks were committing, they decided that any more sacrifice of Kalymnian life would be pointless and therefore surrendered.

On the 29th of August 1824, the day of the great naval battle between the Greek fleet under the command of Admiral Miaoulis and the Turkish fleet under the command of Admiral Chosref Pasha, a battle which took place at the gulf of Geronta, the Kalymnians gathered at the peak of Mount Prophetis Elias (Prophet Elijah) and remained on their knees in prayer for the victory of the Greek fleet as they watched the battle unfold below. When they received the news that the battle had been won, their indescribable joy manifested itself in the form of patriotic singing and dancing.