Kalymnos
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Kalymnos, Greek: Κάλυμνος; (Turkish: Kilimli; Italian: Càlino) is a Greek island in the south-eastern Aegean Sea. It belongs to the Dodecanese and is located to the west of the peninsula of Bodrum (the ancient Halicarnassos), between the islands of Kos (south, at a distance of 12 Km) and Leros (north, at a distance of less than 2 Km): the latter is linked to it through a series of islets. Kalymnos lies between two to five hours away by sea from Rhodes.
The island had in 2001 a population of 16,576 inhabitants. This makes Kalymnos the island of the Dodecanese with the third largest population, after Kos and Rhodes.
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Geography
The island is roughly rectangular in shape, with a length of 21 Km and a width of 13 Km, and covers an area of 109 km². Moreover, on the north side there is a peninsula which stretches in direction NW. Kalymnos is mainly mountainous, with a complicated pattern. There are three main chains going from W-NW to E-SE, and a fourth one which innervates the peninsula. The coastline is very irregular, with many sheltered coves. There are some springs, one among them being thermal. The soil is mainly made of limestone, but in the valleys there is a compact bank of volcanic tufa, relict of an ancient volcano, located near the village of Kantouni. The island is mainly barren, except the valleys of Vathi and Pothia, where olives, oranges and vineyards grow.
Earthquakes are a frequent occurrence around Kalymnos.
The archipelago of Kalymnos
Kalymnos is neighbored by the small island of Telendos, which was part of Kalymnos, but after a major earthquake 554 A.D. was split and separated from Kalymnos by a strip of water (about 800m wide).
Between Kalymnos and Kos there is the islet of Pserimos which is inhabited and, with an area of 11 km², is one of the largest among the lesser islands of Dodecanese. Near Pserimos lies the islet of Platí, and about 5 Km to the NE there is the small islet of Kalolimnos.
History
Inhabited originally by Carians, during the ancient ages Kalymnos depended on Kos, and followed its history. In the Middle Ages it was Byzantine, and during the XIII Century it was used by Venice as a naval base. In 1310 it became a possession of the Knights of Rhodes, and later (mainly in 1457 and 1460) was often attacked by the Ottomans, which conquered it in 1522. Unlike Rhodes and Kos, during the Ottoman period there was no Turkish immigration to Kalymnos.
On May 12, 1912, during the Italo-Turkish War, Kalymnos was occupied by Italian sailors of the Regia Marina. Italy took control of the island along with other islands of the Dodecanese until 1947, when the Dodecansese finally were united with mainland Greece.
Economy
Being mostly barren (only 18% of the land can be cultivated), agriculture played always a minor role in economy of the island, except for the valley of Vathi.The island is famous for its citrus fruits.
Kalymnos owned is past wealth to the sea, mainly with trading and boat building. Anyway, the main industry of the island was Sponge fishing. Here the island was the main centre of production in the Aegean, and still now is a traditional occupation with related exhibitions, along with other local folklore, at three local museums. Another industrial activity typical of Kalymnos was the production of painted head scarfs, which were the most original component of the female dress. Lately, the most important activity became tourism.
Since the beginning of last century there has been a very strong emigration abroad (in 1925 the population amounted to 24,000 inhabitants), especially in USA and Australia. It should be noted, that the cities of Tarpon Springs, Florida USA, and Darwin, Northern Territory Australia, both house large Greek communities of Kalymnian descent.
Description of the island
The district capital of Kalymnos, situated in a natural amphitheatre, is Pothia, which is the main port of the island. The town features Italianate architecture, a silver-domed cathedral dedicated to Jesus (Christos), the churches of Aghios Nikolaos and Aghios Stefanos and the Monastery of St. Savas, perched on a hilltop overlooking the town.
Being a mostly barren island with little agriculture, on the island there are few established villages (Vathi being an exception).
The main population lives in town during the winter, and during the summer months migrates to the various holiday resorts around the island.
Massouri is the most touristic location of the island with plenty of hotels and night life. For those who are looking for a quieter place, Panormos, Emborios and Plati Gialos are the answers. The small island of Pserimos is very near to Pothia and has beautiful sandy beaches.
Limestone cliffs with a multitude of caves and overhanging areas have made Kalymnos a world class destination for rock climbers; and more specifically for sport climbing. The huge yellow cave full of stalactites above the town of Masouri (The "Grande Grotta") and the long and tall walls that surround it are most popular. The other small hamlets of Kalymnos are Vathy, Myrties, Emborios and the small village of Agios Petros at the north end of the island.
Reference notes
- Bertarelli, L.V. (1929). Guida d'Italia, Vol. XVII. Consociazione Turistica Italiana, Milano.
External links
| Municipalities and communities of the Dodecanese Prefecture |
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| Afantou • Archangelos • Astypalaia • Attavyros • Chalki • Dikaio • Ialysos • Irakleides • Kallithea • Kalymnos • Kameiros • Karpathos • Kasos • Kos • Leipsoi • Leros • Lindos • Megisti/Kastelorizo • Nisyros • Patmos • Petaloudes • Rhodes • South Rhodes • Symi • Tilos |
| Agathonisi • Olympos |
