Sikinos is from the smaller islands of Cyclades.
This however does not decrease the interest of island
and of cource its unique picturesqueness.
Is found in the southern department of cluster, sport ween Ios and
Folegandros. It has extent 41 km2 and population 300 residents.
The form of island is elongated. His south-eastern side is smooth
while in the north-western department exists a abrupt precipice of
300 roughly meters above the sea. The taller mountain of island is
the Troylos (552 m.) that is in the middle of island. The
ground of Sikinos is rocky and its department is covered
by olive
trees in which is owed also the chosen olive oil of island. In exceptional
quality products of island is included also the thyme
honey.
The most important parts of Sikinos are the village and the Castle.
Abstain from each other certain hundreds meters. Big number of houses
and two settlements is not lived today because the continuous reduction
of population. The last years the residents are assembled
in the Castle, abandoning the Village. It is very beautiful village
with stone whitewashed houses and narrow graphic roads. The
green here is very little and the water is ensured by tanks and by
a small aqueduct.
More specifically the Castle is famous for his pure Cycladitic
architecture and the church Pantanassas that is the metropolis
of island.
In north-westernly the Castle is found the graphic church of Saint
Kingdom and Saint Anargyron. From mainer sightseeings of the island
is the monastery of Zoodochoy Pigis that resembles with
fortress and sometimes is useful as shelter of residents from the
raids of pirates. This monastery was built in 1690 and celebrates
Friday afterwards Easter of Orthodoxe.
In the middle of monastery dominates the church of Zoodochoy Pigis.
Southly-western the Country is found also the Bishopric, region of
archaeological interest in which was found church in form
of rectangle of parallelepiped, with two marmarines columns of
Dorian rythm in left and right her entry. It is at the prevailing
opinion ancient temple of Pythio Apollo that at the christian
years was changed in christian temple. Street 3,5 km connects the
two basic settlements of island with her bight of Ano Providence
or Alopronoias where at the last decades has been created seasonal
settlement. Here is found the harbor of island and has been manufactured
jetty for the boats and small piscatorial shelter for the service
of ships. Near beaches are Saint Georgios, Dialiskari and Saint
Panteleimon and the unique Black Cave.
The ancient name of island was Oinoi, because the extensive
vine-growing. According to the mythology, when the women of Limnos
made revolution and slaughtered the all men of island, the girl of
king ThoantaYpsipyli, in order to save her father,
she put in a pithari that he threw in the sea. This pithari
was drifted by the waves and it reached in the coasts of Oinois
(Sikinoy), where certain fishermen saved Thoanta.
By the union of Thoanta with naiada was given birth in Sikinos
and from this took his name the island. From the ancientest still
years and up to the release of Greece from the Turkish balance, the
island changed a lot of conquerors. The 10th cebtury bc Sikino
was lived by Iones. In Romanic and later in the Byzantine years,
Sikinos
fell in oblivion while the continuous raids of pirates in
the region, undermined him more and more. Followed Enetoi, Russians
- for short time interval - and Turks. The union of island with remainder
Greece came in 1829.