Sitia
Encyclopedia
Sitia refers both to the port town, with 8,900 inhabitants (2001) and to the municipality with 19,209 inhabitants (2001) in Lasithi
, Crete
(Greece
). It lies to the east of Agios Nikolaos
and to the northeast of Ierapetra
. Sitia port is on the Sea of Crete
, which is a part of the Aegean Sea
and is one of the economic centers of the Lasithi
region. European route E75
, which ends in Vardø
, starts in Sitia. Sitia is served by the Sitia Public Airport
. Sitia has not experienced the effects of mass tourism even though there is a long beach along the road leading to Vai
and several places of historical interest. The town is visited by few tourists.
times; excavations in the neighbouring site of Petras have unearthed architectural remains that date back to the end of the Neolithic period 3000 BC and continue throughout the Bronze Age 3000-1050 BC. In addition, there are several Minoan
settlements unearthed in the various archaeological sites in the municipality, such as in Itanos
and in Mochlos
.
According to Diogenes Laertius
, Sitia was the home of Myson of Chen, one of the Seven Sages of Greece
.
who used it as a base of operations for the Eastern Mediterranean. During the Venetian occupation, the town was destroyed three times: by an earthquake
in 1508, by a pirate attack in 1538 and finally by the Venetians themselves in 1651. Sitia was then conquered by the Ottoman Empire
.
(from Italian
casa di arma), the old fortress overlooking the harbour.
with several domestic destinations, the first landing was on June 7, 1984 and the airport opened officially on June 9, 1984. Construction of new building facilities that included a control tower was completed in May 1993. Runway and apron extension works were finished in May 2003. Recently (2011), the local authorities have completed negotiations with international travel agents for organizing regular charter flights starting from May 2012. Currently (2011), local officials are under negotiations with the low-cost airline Ryanair
In addition, Sitia is served by a port which connects Sitia and eastern Crete with several other Greek islands as well as with the port of Piraeus
. The town also has a marina which accommodates smaller fishing boats and yachts.
Notable examples are:
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...
, 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...
(Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
). It lies to the east of Agios Nikolaos
Agios Nikolaos, Crete
Agios Nikolaos is a coastal town on the Greek island of Crete, lying east of the island's capital Heraklion, north of the town of Ierapetra and west of the town of Sitia. In the year 2000, the Municipality of Agios Nikolaos, which takes in part of the surrounding villages, claimed around 19,000...
and to the northeast of Ierapetra
Ierapetra
Ierapetra is a town in the southeast of the Greek island of Crete and a municipality of Crete region.-History:The town of Ierapetra is located on the southeast coast of Crete, along the beach of Ierapetra Bay. It lies south of Agios Nikolaos and southwest of Sitia and is an important regional...
. Sitia port is on the Sea of Crete
Sea of Crete
thumb|300px|Map of the Sea of CreteThe Sea of Crete is the sea south of the Aegean Sea, north of the island Crete, and south of the Cyclades. The sea also stretches from Kythera east to the Dodecanese islands of Karpathos and Kassos. The bounding seas to the west are the Ionian Sea as well as...
, which is a part of the Aegean Sea
Aegean Sea
The Aegean Sea[p] is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea located between the southern Balkan and Anatolian peninsulas, i.e., between the mainlands of Greece and Turkey. In the north, it is connected to the Marmara Sea and Black Sea by the Dardanelles and Bosporus...
and is one of the economic centers of the 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...
region. European route E75
European route E75
European route E 75 is part of the International E-road network, which is a series of main roads in Europe.The E 75 starts from Vardø, Norway in the Barents Sea and runs south through Finland, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Serbia and Republic of Macedonia to Sitia, Greece on...
, which ends in Vardø
Vardø
is a town and a municipality in Finnmark county in the extreme northeast part of Norway.Vardø was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 . The law required that all cities should be separated from their rural districts, but because of a low population and very few voters, this was...
, starts in Sitia. Sitia is served by the Sitia Public Airport
Sitia Public Airport
Sitia Airport is a small community airport in the region Mponta of Sitia Municipality, on the eastern part of Crete in Greece. The facility is serving the city of Sitia. The airport is located 1 km norht/northwest of the city center.-History:...
. Sitia has not experienced the effects of mass tourism even though there is a long beach along the road leading to Vai
Vai
Vai has several possible meanings:* Vaï, Moroccan-French Canadian rapper* Vai people** Vai language** Vai syllabary* Vai * Văi, a village in Lupşa Commune, Alba County, Romania* Steve Vai, guitarist* Steve Vai's band Vai - see Steve Vai...
and several places of historical interest. The town is visited by few tourists.
Municipality
The municipality Sitia was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the merger of the following 3 former municipalities, that became municipal units:- ItanosItanosItanos is a former municipality in the Lasithi peripheral unit, eastern Crete, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Siteia, of which it is a municipal unit. Its territory is rich in ancient archaeological sites, notably a Minoan city in Roussolakkos and the...
- Lefki, LasithiLefki, LasithiLefki is a former municipality in the Lasithi peripheral unit, eastern Crete, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Siteia, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 2,117 . The seat of the municipality was in Ziros....
- Sitia
History
The earliest settlement of the town dates back to before MinoanMinoan civilization
The Minoan civilization was a Bronze Age civilization that arose on the island of Crete and flourished from approximately the 27th century BC to the 15th century BC. It was rediscovered at the beginning of the 20th century through the work of the British archaeologist Arthur Evans...
times; excavations in the neighbouring site of Petras have unearthed architectural remains that date back to the end of the Neolithic period 3000 BC and continue throughout the Bronze Age 3000-1050 BC. In addition, there are several Minoan
Minoan civilization
The Minoan civilization was a Bronze Age civilization that arose on the island of Crete and flourished from approximately the 27th century BC to the 15th century BC. It was rediscovered at the beginning of the 20th century through the work of the British archaeologist Arthur Evans...
settlements unearthed in the various archaeological sites in the municipality, such as in Itanos
Itanos
Itanos is a former municipality in the Lasithi peripheral unit, eastern Crete, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Siteia, of which it is a municipal unit. Its territory is rich in ancient archaeological sites, notably a Minoan city in Roussolakkos and the...
and in Mochlos
Mochlos
Mochlos is a modern island in the Gulf of Mirabello in eastern Crete, and the archaeological site of an ancient Minoan settlement. There is evidence that Mochlos was not an island in Minoan times, but was attached to the mainland and acted as an eastern harbor.The name Mochlos also applies to the...
.
According to Diogenes Laertius
Diogenes Laertius
Diogenes Laertius was a biographer of the Greek philosophers. Nothing is known about his life, but his surviving Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers is one of the principal surviving sources for the history of Greek philosophy.-Life:Nothing is definitively known about his life...
, Sitia was the home of Myson of Chen, one of the Seven Sages of Greece
Seven Sages of Greece
The Seven Sages or Seven Wise Men was the title given by ancient Greek tradition to seven early 6th century BC philosophers, statesmen and law-givers who were renowned in the following centuries for their wisdom.-The Seven Sages:Traditionally, each of the seven sages represents an aspect of worldly...
.
Venetian Era
The town was later expanded and fortified by the VenetiansVenice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
who used it as a base of operations for the Eastern Mediterranean. During the Venetian occupation, the town was destroyed three times: by an earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
in 1508, by a pirate attack in 1538 and finally by the Venetians themselves in 1651. Sitia was then conquered by the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
.
Modern Era
After the Venetians moved out of Crete, the town was abandoned for two centuries until it was resettled by farmers in 1869. The main remnant of the Venetian occupation is the KazarmaKazarma fortress
Kazarma , from , "the guard barracks"), is the Venetian-era fortress of the city of Sitia in Crete, Greece. This fortress was built in the 13th Century.- External links :*...
(from Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
casa di arma), the old fortress overlooking the harbour.
Infrastructure
The municipality of Sitia is served by Sitia Public AirportSitia Public Airport
Sitia Airport is a small community airport in the region Mponta of Sitia Municipality, on the eastern part of Crete in Greece. The facility is serving the city of Sitia. The airport is located 1 km norht/northwest of the city center.-History:...
with several domestic destinations, the first landing was on June 7, 1984 and the airport opened officially on June 9, 1984. Construction of new building facilities that included a control tower was completed in May 1993. Runway and apron extension works were finished in May 2003. Recently (2011), the local authorities have completed negotiations with international travel agents for organizing regular charter flights starting from May 2012. Currently (2011), local officials are under negotiations with the low-cost airline Ryanair
Ryanair
Ryanair is an Irish low-cost airline. Its head office is at Dublin Airport and its primary operational bases at Dublin Airport and London Stansted Airport....
In addition, Sitia is served by a port which connects Sitia and eastern Crete with several other Greek islands as well as with the port of Piraeus
Port of Piraeus
The Port of Piraeus, as the largest Greek seaport, is one of the largest seaports in the Mediterranean Sea basin and one of the top ten container ports in Europe. The port is also a major employer in the area, with more than 1,500 employees who provide services to more than 24,000 ships every year...
. The town also has a marina which accommodates smaller fishing boats and yachts.
Health Services
The General Hospital of Sitia was founded in 1947 as a local health center and was later (1994) relocated to a new 7500sqm (110-bed capacity) building and accordingly upgraded to serve as the main hospital for the municipality of Sitia and the surrounding area.Environmentally protected areas
The are a number of sites in the municipality of Sitia that are protected as National Parks, Aesthetic Forests, Wildlife Refuges etc under national and international laws.Notable examples are:
- DionysadesDionysadesThe Dionysades or Gianysades is a small group of islands off Sitia on the northeast coast of Crete. The group includes the islands Gianysada, Dragonada, Paximada, and Paximadaki...
Islands which carry many rare and endangered plant species and also serve as a refuge of several animal species (mostly birds and small reptiles), including the falcon, Falco eleonorae, which finds sanctuary here. - VaiVai (Crete)The palm beach of Vai is one of the largest attractions of the Mediterranean island of Crete. It features the largest natural palm forest in Europe, made up of Cretan Date Palm ....
Palm Forest. - Richtis GorgeRichtis GorgeRichtis Gorge refers to a gorge in Crete, Greece . It is a state protected park near Exo Mouliana, Sitia, eastern Crete that starts at the traditional village Exo Mouliana, which is located on the national road between Agios Nikolaos and Sitia and ends at the secluded Richtis beach, just east of...
and waterfall.
Attractions
- VaiVai (Crete)The palm beach of Vai is one of the largest attractions of the Mediterranean island of Crete. It features the largest natural palm forest in Europe, made up of Cretan Date Palm ....
forest and beach, the largest natural palm forest in Europe. - Moni ToplouMoni ToplouMoni Toplou is a 15th century monastery located in a dry and barren area in the Prefecture of Lasithi, on the eastern part of the island of Crete in Greece. It is about 6 km north of the village of Palekastro and 85 km east of Agios Nikolaos. The monastery was originally called Panagia...
, founded in the mid 15th century, is one of the most significant monasteries in Crete. - Kazarma fortressKazarma fortressKazarma , from , "the guard barracks"), is the Venetian-era fortress of the city of Sitia in Crete, Greece. This fortress was built in the 13th Century.- External links :*...
, in the town of Sitia. - Richtis GorgeRichtis GorgeRichtis Gorge refers to a gorge in Crete, Greece . It is a state protected park near Exo Mouliana, Sitia, eastern Crete that starts at the traditional village Exo Mouliana, which is located on the national road between Agios Nikolaos and Sitia and ends at the secluded Richtis beach, just east of...
and Waterfall at Exo Mouliana village (Map). Pictures1, Pictures2. - Gorge of the Dead (at Kato Zakros).
- Various archeological sites with Minoan civilizationMinoan civilizationThe Minoan civilization was a Bronze Age civilization that arose on the island of Crete and flourished from approximately the 27th century BC to the 15th century BC. It was rediscovered at the beginning of the 20th century through the work of the British archaeologist Arthur Evans...
settlements from the Bronze AgeBronze AgeThe Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
, such as in ItanosItanosItanos is a former municipality in the Lasithi peripheral unit, eastern Crete, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Siteia, of which it is a municipal unit. Its territory is rich in ancient archaeological sites, notably a Minoan city in Roussolakkos and the...
and MochlosMochlosMochlos is a modern island in the Gulf of Mirabello in eastern Crete, and the archaeological site of an ancient Minoan settlement. There is evidence that Mochlos was not an island in Minoan times, but was attached to the mainland and acted as an eastern harbor.The name Mochlos also applies to the...
.
Notable people
- Vitsentzos KornarosVitsentzos KornarosVitsentzos or Vikentios Kornaros or Vincenzo Cornaro was a Cretan poet, who wrote the romantic epic poem Erotokritos. He wrote in vernacular Greek, and was a leading figure of the Cretan Renaissance....
- poet (composer of ErotokritosErotokritosErotokritos is a romance composed by Vikentios Kornaros in early 17th century Crete. It consists of 10,012 fifteen-syllable rhymed verses....
) - Myson - philosopher (one of the 7 legendary wise men of ancient Greece)
- Stratis Kalogeridis - musician of local folk music
- Giannis Dermitzakis - musician of local folk music
- Katerina Papoutsaki - actress
- Giannis Savvidakis - singer
- Giorgos MazonakisGiorgos MazonakisGiorgos Mazonakis is a Modern Laika and pop Greek singer.-Biography:Giorgos Mazonakis born and raised in the neighbourhood of Nikaia, Athens. He grew up listening to traditional folk songs of Stratos Dionysiou, Yiannis Parios, Marinella and Haris Alexiou. Very quickly, at the age of 15, he...
- singer - Eleni Kastani - actress
- Jenny HiloudakiJenny HiloudakiJenny Hiloudaki is a transsexual Greek former model and brothel keeper who regularly attracted the attention of the Greek media...
- model - Seraina Kazamia - model