Cape Matapan
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cape Matapan, also known as Cape Tenaro or Tainaro (Greek: Ακρωτήριο Ταίναρο), is situated in Mani, Laconia, Greece. Tenaro is the most southern point of mainland Greece and Europe. It separates the Messenian Gulf in the west from the Laconian Gulf in the east.
Tenaro has been an important place for thousands of years. The ancient Spartans built several temples dedicated to various gods. Tenaro was once the place were mercenaries waited to be employed.
More recently a lighthouse was constructed but it is now in disuse. In March 1941, off the coast of Tenaro, a major naval battle, the Battle of Cape Matapan, occurred between the Royal Navy and the Regia Marina, in which the British emerged victorious in a one-sided encounter. The Battle's main result was to drastically reduce any future Italian naval activity into the Eastern Mediterranean.
There is a cave at the tip of Tenaro that Greek legends claim was where Hades the god of the dead lived. As well, located on the hill situated above the cave lies the remnants of an ancient temple dedicated to the sea god Poseidon (Νεκρομαντείο του Ποσειδόνα). During Byzantium the temlple was converted to a christian church, and religious offerings (in the name of Christianity) are still made to this day.
As the southernmost tip of Europe, it is famous for being on the migration path of birds headed to Africa.
Cape Matapan was the place where Titanic's would-be rescue ship, the SS Californian was torpedoed and sunk by German forces.
