Syros is situated in the middle of the group of islands in the Aegean Sea known as the Cyclades. It is situated almost in the middle of the Cyclades islands. It has an area of 84 square kilometers.
Other islands nea Syros are Andros, Tinos, Mykonos, Naxos Sifnos, Serifos, Kythnos and Kea . The northern part of the island is mainly mountainous, whereas the southern part is relatively flat. Most of the cities and towns are in this southern part. The island has a diverse landscape with mountains, hills and shady valleys. The coast has numerous safe beaches.

History

The Phoenicians were the first inhabitants on the island. Syros is mentioned in Homer's Odyssey and is said to have two towns, Posidonia and Finiki. The name "Syros" is probably a derivation from the Phoenician words "ousyra" (prosperous) or "syr" (rock).
Archaeology has uncovered many different artifacts and other traces of human life from the Bronze age (4000-3000 BC) on the island. In the area of "Kastri" and "Chalandriani" graves and cultivated settlements from the Early Cycladic period (approx. 3000 BC) were discovered. During this time the so called Syros-Keros civilization was developed, which flourished until 2000 BC.

In the following centuries, the island came gradually under the influence of the Minoans, and later of the Mycenaeans. In ancient times the philosopher Ferekides, one of the forerunners of the pre-Socratic thought and also Pythagoras' instructor, lived on the island. Like the rest of the Aegean islands Syros suffered severely from attacks by pirates for many centuries. This can be concluded from the fact that settlements were built for protection only on hilltops .

Over the centuries, the island has been invaded by Phoenicians, Cretans, Ionians, Athenians, Romans, Byzantines, Venetians, Franks and Turks. The influence the Venetians left on Syros can still be seen today in the medieval town of Ano Syros and its towering church, dedicated to Saint George.

.

After the Greek revolution in 1821, Syros reached the height of its prosperity. Many who had revolted against the Ottomans arrived as refugees from other parts of Greece. As a result, Syros became a safe haven during the war of independence against the Ottoman Empire and it attracted many Greek refugees from Asia Minor, Chios, Psara, Kasos, and other places. The newcomers, mainly sean men and tradesmen, gave a new dynamism to the island. which, together with its demographic and economic development, was transformed into an administrative and cultural center. With the foundation of the Greek State and the return to peace and tranquility, Syros became known as a cross-roads in the Aegean and as an international commercial center linking Western Europe and the Mediterranean sea to the East.

Since 1830, Syros developed industries in fabrics, silk, leather and iron and at the same time a powerful banking system was created. Until about 1860, Syros was the most important commercial harbor in Greece.. The prosperity of Ermoupoli was connected with an important development of social and cultural life. There, then, followed a period of decline, as sailing gave way to steam, the importance of the geographical situation of the island was reduced, and Piraeus harbor finally took the predominant position in Greece. Beginning at the end of the 19th century and for several decades, a temporary economic recovery took place, due to the development of cotton industry.

The second world war dealt a serious blow to Syros, and economic decline was intensified during the postwar decades. However, already since the eighties, along with the generalized economic recovery and the rise of the living standards in Greece, the economic situation improved helped in a large measure by the development of tourism on the island.

Nowadays Syros is the local administration centre of the Cyclades as well as an important centre of trade because of its shipyard, tourism and cultural life.

This page is best view using IE 5.0 or equivalent browser.
For further information contact Paul Duffy at pvduffy@eircom.net