ARCHITECTURE

The settlements are built in the direction of the East in order to be protected from western winds. Saving space is the general principle. "To have a house enough to seat, to have a field enough to see", says a proverb from Nisyros.

Streets, small, paved, curbed and scalar, follow the ground. In some places they create small or big open and flat spaces used for having a chat or to take some rest. They always end to the plateia (square). In Emboreios, the square is closed embraced by the houses and the church, in Nikeia is elliptic whereas in Mandraki it has been laid out by the Italians. Squares are usually empty in their center, with the church and the coffeeshop on its side, challenging and inviting the locals and everybody passing by, to spread the chairs and start dancing, to stand there and talk about politics like in the ancient markets, to exchange their opinions or their goods. Squares welcome the often feasts and celebrations always having the church on their side tangling the holy and the public element. Although when people were building the settlements had simplicity, operation and how to cover their needs in their minds, the result is complex, sculptural and of high esthetics. Asymmetric because of the ground, symmetric where is possible, settlements match perfectly with the environment. They are mainly related to earth, sky and sea. The mind, the body and the senses are in constant cooperation as they are forced to be constantly adapted to a perpetual dance within space. Even taking a simple walk you can feel the tracks of time stamped on the settlement, the intense physiognomy, the historical wealth integrated in the unconscious, and thus you get back intimate with history. Because creating beautiful cities is not enough you have to visit them in a poetic way.

Houses in Nisyros are two-storeyed and one is not so different from the other. There’s the chimney, the gutter, the stairs, the windows, the colors on the peculiar wooden balconies that are going to make it differentiate. In the ground- floor, the basement, apart from cooking, is also intended for weaving, kneading, baking and storing. On the upper floor, there’s the living room and the bedroom. A wooden platform used for sleeping is quite interesting (single) whereas underneath there’s a storage area created. Pendent folded embroideries isolate this peculiar bed. The yard, often pebbled, is behind the house whereas in Emboreios it’s roofless, internal in the center of the a’ floor and reminds of the patio of the ancient Greek residences.

ARCHEOLOGICAL FINDINGS

Due to its long- century history, Nisyros is quite interesting, from the archeological point of view dating from the neolithical period till the Franciscan middle- age and the modern settlements.

The first settlers were installed here in 5.000 and 4.000 bef. J.C.

Significant remnants of buildings in the Gyali islet testimony their presence. These buildings of the neolithical period were probably used as periodical quarters for the people who worked there in the obsidian excavation pit.

In the center of the island, in the Diavati mountain (in the Nymphios upland) the first worship traces were found. The cave, the consecration corns, the oblation niches and a carved column indicate that this was the place where a hilltop sanctuary was located dedicated to the god Sun maybe since it is directed towards the east. Residents use to gather here in fixed times or in special cases to ask for protection, guiding, healing and protection.

The same elements shall constitute the focal point of the acropolis of the first cities of the Mycenaean period. In the northern part of the Castle in Mandraki we can recognize Mycenaean walls of Cyclopean style. (12th century). But Cyclopean walls can also be found in Tafies, Vatheiá, Messes as well as in the Monastery of Stavros (Cross).

Fortress walls, near Panaghia Kyra are probably rendered to the Dorians (1.100), who disembarked from Pachia Ammos aiming at controlling the only spring of drinkable water in the region.

The acropolis, core of the ancient Greek settlements, initially was a ceremonial holy center which was later on expanded in a place of meeting and commerce. It is protected and limited by walls of iso- structural black trachyte construction. Palaiokastro, classical and Hellenistic acropolis (6th - 4th century), is one of the best preserved acropolis of its kind. Part of its defense system with towers and observatories all over the island and the surrounding islets was in communication with chain system of smoke during the day and fire during the night. Near the gate of the Palaiokastro acropolis, two big stone stairs lead to the battlements. There is till an inscription mentioning the distance that residences must have from the wall.

In the neighborhood of Aghios Savvas there are still walls, maybe remnants of public buildings and ancient temples, of Neptune probably. In the location Ellinika there are remnants of big buildings and an ancient tomb. In the location Kateros and in Drakospilio there are tower-like constructions. Near Panaghia Spiliani there are the traces of a big well-built structure made of black trachyte in the same style as Palaiokastro which are maybe the remnants of a temple which would be dominating due to its position in the island. Outside the gate of Palaiokastro there are remnants of an ancient temple, of Hermes maybe, whereas near Aghia Triada, it is surmised that it is dedicated to Meilichios Zeus. Other temple remnants can be found in the locations Kardia and Kambi.

In the remnants of the Roman Baths, outside Palloi, there was found the inscription (Happy shall be the man who was cured having passed by the olive-gate of the baths of Ippocrates” proving that there was an old therapeutic center of Hippocrates disposing of therapeutic baths. Since the Roman period still remains a paved room of the Roman baths.

A great number of Roman headstones can be found in the archaeological museum of Nisyros as well as in Rhodes, which most of them were carved on marbles of the classical period representing human figures on a head- on position. Relief sepulchral steles, sculptures, chapiters of Ionian and Dorian style, architectural members, marble altars with relief bucranes are exposed in the museum.

The first paleo- christianic churches and monasteries were built above or next ancient temples and many times with the same materials. Nisyros disposes at least of ten, most of them in the style of the three- aisle Hellenistic basilica with two colonnades, a semi-circular arch and a marble or stone temple. Churches and monasteries of the Byzantine period are located in the settlements as well as all around the island.

The Ioannites knights consolidated the Byzantine castles in the cities. The most important of them is the Venetian Castle (1306 post J.C.) dominating in Mandraki which is built with square stones and resistant lime mortar. Oblong embrasures, blazons of sovereigns and shields decorate the walls.

In the castle, the Monastery of Panaghia Spiliani (15th century). The church is located in a cave sap. It disposes of an interesting wooden temple with paleo- christianic drawings.

The most impressive modern monuments are the settlements themselves, Mandraki, Emboreios, Nikeia and their houses.

SCIENTIFIC TOURISM

The great variety of the composition and forms of the rocks constituting the island, the extended and easily accessible natural sections and the wonderful climate all year long, render Nisyros an open- air geological museum. One of the most appropriate places in the world to admire and study, be taught and teach the most active procedures of our planet. A paradise, not only for volcano specialists but also for all visitors respecting and loving nature who are trying to be taught about their own infinitesimal time of existence from its timeless wisdom. It’s not only its geological side that makes Nisyros one of the most appropriate places for such a creative relationship of the human kind with nature. The structure and the composition of the island was the underlay to create this extraordinary bio- diversity in its territory. The dense bushy vegetation, the “actives” (Sacropoterium spinosum), the myrtle (Lavandula stoechas), the “skitthos” (Cistus creticus & Cistus salviifolius), the thyme (Thimus capitatus), the “thympi” (Satureja thymbra), as well as the tall crops (Spartium junceum), the “glastroi” (Daphne gnidioides) and the prickly bushes (Calicotome villosa), are some of the obstacles that sightseers shall encounter apart from the paths which is a pleasant obstacle though given the variety of plants and animals that they can admire all around them is endless. More than 450 self- sown species form the flora of the region, among them “campanula from Nisyros” (Campanula nisyria), unique species of an endemic plant welcomed by the island. The dwarfish brushwood heather (Erica manipuliflora, the “skitthos” and the thyme in the area of Ramos- the southern part of caldera’s bottom, in the zones where temperature and the ground’s particular composition make their survival extremely difficult, are quite interesting.

The big variety of trees is another characteristical feature of Nisyros which can characterize it as the unique “green” active volcano in the Aegean Sea. Some of them is the remaining self- sown vegetation- oak tree (Quercus macrolepis), brier (Quercus coccifera), “agramythia” (Pistacia terebinthus) and wild olive (Olea europaea sylvestris). Wild olive is the tree about which we know that was found in Nisyros 30.000 years ago, since some petrified leaves have been located in ash layers of equivalent age. Most of the trees existing today in Nisyros are planted by humans (olives, fig trees, almond trees, oak trees and “agramythia”).

Unique active volcano in the Aegean with such short and tall vegetation welcoming a very rich fauna – from reptiles till the beasts of prey. Walking around Nisyros you can’t help becoming a friend with the kourkoutavloi, the huge black-ash lizards (Agame stelio), rushing to hide under the lava or in the dry walls, the big spiders standing in your way with their strong cobwebs, the “kyanoi” of Aristotle, the beautiful blue crakes being annoyed by you- to the hawks constantly swinging in the universe. Meetings with the tameless goats, the free herbage cows, animals usually in a semi-wild condition.

Crystal blue waters allow us to enjoy a beautiful rich seabed; even looking outside water the continuity of the balance between the sea and ground areas is quite stressed. It is made clear why this small island has been a significant place of habitation from the pre-historic period of the human kind because it is connected with myths and action dating since ancient years keeping the buildings and the memories of civilization.

Tourist development, which delayed arriving here is being carried out at a slow pace even today which allows keeping the balance between nature and humans and providing the opportunity and the challenge to continue this cohabitation without any perturbation.