Koufonisi, Crete
Encyclopedia
Koufonisi known as Lefki in ancient times, is an uninhabited Greek
islet, located 3 nautical miles south of cape Goudero on the coast of eastern Crete
, Lasithi
prefecture, in the Libyan sea
. The island is roughly 6 kilometres long and 5.5 kilometres across. It has an entire surface area of 5.25 km². It forms a close group of islands with Makroulo
, Marmaro
, Strongyli
, and Trachilos
.
Ancient ruins cover the island and can be dated from the Minoan civilisation and the post-Byzantine era when some of the caves were used as chapels during christian persecution by the Ottomans. Due to the wealth of archaeology the island has been described as "a little Dilos".
During the summer, the island is visited by tour boats from the port
of Makrigialos approximately 18 km away.
, that could seat 1,000 people, a temple, a villa with eight rooms, and a number of houses (probably the homes of fishermen). There are also remnants of the statue of a deity at the temple.
Mehmet Pilavas and his 30 men were camped. The insurgents surrounded the jannisaries and a gunfight ensued where Pilavas and 27 of his men were killed. Only three of the jannisaries survived by hiding in crags in the rocks.
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
islet, located 3 nautical miles south of cape Goudero on the coast of eastern Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
, Lasithi
Lasithi
Lasithi is the easternmost regional unit on the island of Crete, to the east of Heraklion. Its capital is Agios Nikolaos, the other major towns being Ierapetra, Sitia and Neapoli. The mountains include the Dikte to the west and the Sitia Mountains to the east...
prefecture, in the Libyan sea
Libyan Sea
The Libyan Sea is the portion of the Mediterranean Sea, north of the African coast of ancient Libya, i.e. Cyrenaica and Marmarica...
. The island is roughly 6 kilometres long and 5.5 kilometres across. It has an entire surface area of 5.25 km². It forms a close group of islands with Makroulo
Makroulo
Makroulo , is an uninhabited Greek islet, located south of cape Goudero on the coast of eastern Crete, Lasithi prefecture, in the Libyan Sea. It forms a close group of islands with Koufonisi, Marmaro, Strongyli, and Trachilos.-See also:...
, Marmaro
Marmaro
Marmaro , is an uninhabited Greek islet, located south of cape Goudero on the coast of eastern Crete, Lasithi prefecture, in the Libyan Sea. It forms a close group of islands with Koufonisi, Makroulo, Strongyli, and Trachilos.-See also:...
, Strongyli
Strongyli (island)
Strongyli , also known as Strongylo, is an uninhabited Greek islet, located south of cape Goudero on the coast of eastern Crete, Lasithi prefecture, in the Libyan Sea. It forms a close group of islands with Koufonisi, Makroulo, Marmaro, and Trachilos....
, and Trachilos
Trachilos
Trachilos , also known as Trachila, is an uninhabited Greek islet, located south of cape Goudero on the coast of eastern Crete, Lasithi prefecture, in the Libyan Sea. It forms a close group of islands with Koufonisi, Makroulo, Marmaro, and Strongyli....
.
Ancient ruins cover the island and can be dated from the Minoan civilisation and the post-Byzantine era when some of the caves were used as chapels during christian persecution by the Ottomans. Due to the wealth of archaeology the island has been described as "a little Dilos".
During the summer, the island is visited by tour boats from the port
Port
A port is a location on a coast or shore containing one or more harbors where ships can dock and transfer people or cargo to or from land....
of Makrigialos approximately 18 km away.
Sponge fishing and purple dye
In ancient times Lefki was important for sponge fishing and for the production of a purple dye made from the gastropod Murex trunculus. The purple dye was a valuable commodity in ancient Greece and was worth its weight in solid silver.Roman ruins
There are Roman ruins on the island including a theatreTheatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
, that could seat 1,000 people, a temple, a villa with eight rooms, and a number of houses (probably the homes of fishermen). There are also remnants of the statue of a deity at the temple.
Greek War of Independence
In April 1823, 28 Cretan insurgents from the eastern part of Crete, under the chieftain Emmanouil Kozani, Emmanouil Alexi, and others boarded a small ship to go to Koufonisi at night where the notorious janissaryJanissary
The Janissaries were infantry units that formed the Ottoman sultan's household troops and bodyguards...
Mehmet Pilavas and his 30 men were camped. The insurgents surrounded the jannisaries and a gunfight ensued where Pilavas and 27 of his men were killed. Only three of the jannisaries survived by hiding in crags in the rocks.