Myrina, Greece
Encyclopedia
Myrina is a former municipality
on the island of Lemnos
, North Aegean, Greece
. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Lemnos
, of which it is a municipal unit. It covers the west coast of the island, and has a land area of 82.049 km², about 17.2% of the island's area. Its municipal seat was the town of Mýrina (pop. 5,107 at the 2001 census), located in the middle of the island's west coast. The town is also the capital of Lemnos, as well as the seat of the Metropolitan (Greek Orthodox bishop) of Lemnos. In addition to the town of Myrina, the municipal unit includes the villages of Káspakas (630), Platý (579), Thános (454), and Kornós (331). The municipal unit's total population is 7,488 (2001 census).
According to Herodotus
, when the Chersonese
on the Hellespont came under Athens' rule, Miltiades
the son of Cimon came from Elaeus
on the Chersonese to Lemnos
where he proclaimed the Pelasgians
must submit. The Hephaestians obeyed, giving up their city Hefaestia, but the Myrinaeans from the city Myrina would not be as easily pursued until they too submitted to Athens, thus given control of the island to Miltiades and the Athenians. (Herodotus: The Histories (ed. A. D. Godley, 1920), Cambridge. Harvard University Press. Cited Febr 2004 from The Perseus Project)http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=
The municipal unit's economically active population in 2001 was 3,007. Of them, 14.5% were employers, 12% self-employed, 65.4% wage-earners, 4.1% unpaid, auxiliary family members, and 4% did not declare line of occupation. Of the economically active population, 6.7% worked in agriculture, 4% in light manufacturing, 12.3% in construction, 8.5% in hotels & restaurants, and the rest in other lines of business (source: 2001 Census, National Statistical Service of Greece).
Modern day Myrina is built upon a shallow bay split into two by a promontory jutting out to sea and carrying the ruins of a Venetian
castle. To the north of the promontory lies the so-called Roman Shore (in Greek, Ρωμέϊκος ΄Γιαλός), along which the Greek community had their homes during Ottoman times (prior to 1913, when Greek admiral Kountouriotis defeated the Turks and annexed Lemnos and Myrina to Greece). The name "Roman" dates to the Byzantine Empire, when Greeks were called Romans (Ρωμιοί). To the south of the promontory lies the so-called Turkish Shore (in Greek, Τούρκικος ΄Γιαλός), along which the Turkish community similarly had their homes, before the exchange of populations between Greece and Turkey.
In 2001 the town had 3,022 regular dwellings, of which 30.4% were stone-built, and 75.6% had pitched roofs made of red tiles (source: 18.3.2001 Census, National Statistical Service of Greece).
Behind the fronts of the two Shores, the town is divided into 4 parts: the old town core (encompassing the aforementioned Shores), referred to as Kastro (after the Castle atop the promontory); Androni, to the north (where the women of prehistoric Lemnos are said to have drugged their men before tossing them from the cliff of Petasos (the north horn of the bay of Myrina)); Tchas (most probably from the Russian word часовой, which means sentinel, sentry, or guard, because there was a Russian garrison stationed there for a short time at the end of the 18th c.; less probably from the Russian word час, which means hour), just behind the harbour area; and Nea Madetos, a new (post-1980) settlement of workers´and fishermen's houses on the hill overlooking the Turkish shore from the south. The heart of the town is the market street, running north to south, and joining the Roman Shore to the Turkish Shore. Other landmarks are the OTE (Hellenic Telecoms Organisation) square, also called the bank square because it is the hub of all bank branches of the island, halfway along the market street, and the Perivola square, behind the Roman Shore, where the Lemnos bus station is (providing bus service from Myrina to the villages and back). The Town Hall building is located in the harbour, near the Port Authority building. Myrina also boasts a good provincial hospital, in the Tchas quarter, while presently is in the process of modernising its sewage system.
Communities and Municipalities of Greece
For the new municipalities of Greece see the Kallikratis ProgrammeThe municipalities and communities of Greece are one of several levels of government within the organizational structure of that country. Thirteen regions called peripheries form the largest unit of government beneath the State. ...
on the island of Lemnos
Lemnos
Lemnos is an island of Greece in the northern part of the Aegean Sea. Administratively the island forms a separate municipality within the Lemnos peripheral unit, which is part of the North Aegean Periphery. The principal town of the island and seat of the municipality is Myrina...
, North Aegean, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Lemnos
Lemnos
Lemnos is an island of Greece in the northern part of the Aegean Sea. Administratively the island forms a separate municipality within the Lemnos peripheral unit, which is part of the North Aegean Periphery. The principal town of the island and seat of the municipality is Myrina...
, of which it is a municipal unit. It covers the west coast of the island, and has a land area of 82.049 km², about 17.2% of the island's area. Its municipal seat was the town of Mýrina (pop. 5,107 at the 2001 census), located in the middle of the island's west coast. The town is also the capital of Lemnos, as well as the seat of the Metropolitan (Greek Orthodox bishop) of Lemnos. In addition to the town of Myrina, the municipal unit includes the villages of Káspakas (630), Platý (579), Thános (454), and Kornós (331). The municipal unit's total population is 7,488 (2001 census).
According to Herodotus
Herodotus
Herodotus was an ancient Greek historian who was born in Halicarnassus, Caria and lived in the 5th century BC . He has been called the "Father of History", and was the first historian known to collect his materials systematically, test their accuracy to a certain extent and arrange them in a...
, when the Chersonese
Chersonese
Chersonese is a name that was given to several different places in ancient times. The word is Latin; it derives from the Greek term for "peninsula", chersonēsos, from chersos + nēsos ....
on the Hellespont came under Athens' rule, Miltiades
Miltiades
Miltiades or Miltiadis is a Greek name. Several historic persons have been called Miltiades .* Miltiades the Elder wealthy Athenian, and step-uncle of Miltiades the Younger...
the son of Cimon came from Elaeus
Elaeus
Elaeus is a Greek city in Thracian Chersonese, a colony of Ionian Teos, hometown of the mythological hero Protesilaus....
on the Chersonese to Lemnos
Lemnos
Lemnos is an island of Greece in the northern part of the Aegean Sea. Administratively the island forms a separate municipality within the Lemnos peripheral unit, which is part of the North Aegean Periphery. The principal town of the island and seat of the municipality is Myrina...
where he proclaimed the Pelasgians
Pelasgians
The name Pelasgians was used by some ancient Greek writers to refer to populations that were either the ancestors of the Greeks or who preceded the Greeks in Greece, "a hold-all term for any ancient, primitive and presumably indigenous people in the Greek world." In general, "Pelasgian" has come...
must submit. The Hephaestians obeyed, giving up their city Hefaestia, but the Myrinaeans from the city Myrina would not be as easily pursued until they too submitted to Athens, thus given control of the island to Miltiades and the Athenians. (Herodotus: The Histories (ed. A. D. Godley, 1920), Cambridge. Harvard University Press. Cited Febr 2004 from The Perseus Project)http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=
The municipal unit's economically active population in 2001 was 3,007. Of them, 14.5% were employers, 12% self-employed, 65.4% wage-earners, 4.1% unpaid, auxiliary family members, and 4% did not declare line of occupation. Of the economically active population, 6.7% worked in agriculture, 4% in light manufacturing, 12.3% in construction, 8.5% in hotels & restaurants, and the rest in other lines of business (source: 2001 Census, National Statistical Service of Greece).
The town of Myrina
Modern day Myrina is built upon a shallow bay split into two by a promontory jutting out to sea and carrying the ruins of a Venetian
Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice or Venetian Republic was a state originating from the city of Venice in Northeastern Italy. It existed for over a millennium, from the late 7th century until 1797. It was formally known as the Most Serene Republic of Venice and is often referred to as La Serenissima, in...
castle. To the north of the promontory lies the so-called Roman Shore (in Greek, Ρωμέϊκος ΄Γιαλός), along which the Greek community had their homes during Ottoman times (prior to 1913, when Greek admiral Kountouriotis defeated the Turks and annexed Lemnos and Myrina to Greece). The name "Roman" dates to the Byzantine Empire, when Greeks were called Romans (Ρωμιοί). To the south of the promontory lies the so-called Turkish Shore (in Greek, Τούρκικος ΄Γιαλός), along which the Turkish community similarly had their homes, before the exchange of populations between Greece and Turkey.
In 2001 the town had 3,022 regular dwellings, of which 30.4% were stone-built, and 75.6% had pitched roofs made of red tiles (source: 18.3.2001 Census, National Statistical Service of Greece).
Town quarters
Town features
Many of the town's streets are stone-paved alleys. The Roman Shore in particular is quite beautiful, aligned as it is with stone-built houses of neoclassical design (built from the mid-19th to the early 20th century), where the island's rich Greeks lived (many of the houses are still occupied by the descendants of those Greeks, most of whom made their fortunes as businessmen in British Egypt, part of the Greek diaspora there). The archaeological museum displays numerous exhibits from the island's remote (mostly prehistoric) past. With its clean, long, and sandy beaches, and its own Castle to boot, Myrina is a tourist attraction. Visitors and locals like bathing in the Roman Shore (or the Shallow Waters (in Greek, Ρηχά Νερά) beach, adjacent to the Roman Shore on the north), and having dinner at one of the fish taverns circling the traditional harbour in the Turkish Shore, enjoying the caiques there and a view of the castle at night. During the summer Myrina holds various outside theatrical and musical events.Notable people
- Ilias IliouIlias IliouIlias Iliou was a Greek lawyer and politician, member of the Greek Parliament and leader of the United Democratic Left . He was also a distinguished writer and jurist.- Early years :...
(1904-1985), politician - Rallis Kopsidis (1929-), painter and writer