Thásos
Chief town: Thásos (Liménas)
Thásos, an attractive and fertile island, well watered in the north and east, lies just off the eastern Macedonian coast in the northern Aegean, here called the Sea of Thrace (where deposits of oil have recently been found). It is occupied by a range of wooded hills rising to 1,203m/3,947ft in Mt Ypsári and slashed by deep valleys.
Thásos, an attractive and fertile island, well watered in the north and east, lies just off the eastern Macedonian coast in the northern Aegean, here called the Sea of Thrace (where deposits of oil have recently been found). It is occupied by a range of wooded hills rising to 1,203m/3,947ft in Mt Ypsári and slashed by deep valleys.
|
Must-see attractions nearby:
|
The northern and eastern slopes fall steeply down to the sea; on the south and west sides the hills slope down more gradually, forming numerous deep sandy bays along the coasts. The island's income comes from farming, mining (copper, zinc) and increasingly from the tourist trade.
The earliest traces of human settlement on Thásos date from the late Neolithic period. About the middle of the second millennium B.C. Phoenicians settled on the island, but were later displaced by Thracians. In the seventh century B.C. Ionian Greeks from Páros captured Thásos from the Thracians and thereafter grew prosperous through gold- and silver-mining and trade. Between 464 and 404 B.C. the island was occupied, after fierce resistance, by Athens, and later became subject to Philip II of Macedon.
After periods of Roman, Byzantine, Venetian and Bulgarian rule Thásos was occupied by the Turks in 1455. Between 1841 and 1902 it was an appanage of the Khedive of Egypt. It was occupied by Greek forces in 1912, during the first Balkan War.
The earliest traces of human settlement on Thásos date from the late Neolithic period. About the middle of the second millennium B.C. Phoenicians settled on the island, but were later displaced by Thracians. In the seventh century B.C. Ionian Greeks from Páros captured Thásos from the Thracians and thereafter grew prosperous through gold- and silver-mining and trade. Between 464 and 404 B.C. the island was occupied, after fierce resistance, by Athens, and later became subject to Philip II of Macedon.
After periods of Roman, Byzantine, Venetian and Bulgarian rule Thásos was occupied by the Turks in 1455. Between 1841 and 1902 it was an appanage of the Khedive of Egypt. It was occupied by Greek forces in 1912, during the first Balkan War.
Related Attractions
Thásos Museum (Sanctuary of Artemis Polo)
At the north gate of the Kástro at Thásos, southeast of the ancient naval harbor, are the museum, with a fine collection of Greek and Roman finds, and the Agora (fourth century B.C.), flanked by stoas. At its east corner is the Thereon, the residence of the city's chief dignitary. To the southeast is the sanctuary of Artemis Polo (sixth century B.C.).
Hours
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | Closed | 8:30 | 8:30 | 8:30 | 8:30 | 8:30 | 8:30 |
| Close | 15:00 | 15:00 | 15:00 | 15:00 | 15:00 | 15:00 |
Always opened on:
Assumption Day - Christian (August 15)
Óhi Day - Greece & Cyprus (October 28)
Óhi Day - Greece & Cyprus (October 28)
Read More
Kástro
From the shore of Thasos, the land slopes up to an ancient acropolis, now crowned by a ruined medieval castle, the Kástro. At the southwestern end of the castle can be seen an ancient relief of a funeral banquet.
Odeon
Outside the south corner of the Agora are the Odeion (A.D. second century) and, beyond the Roman road, a paved courtyard. Southwest of this can be seen the remains of a triumphal arch erected in honor of the Emperors Caracalla and Septimius Severus in A.D. 213-217 and a temple of Herakles (sixth century B.C.).
Thasos - Town, Greece
The capital and port on the island of Thásos bears the same name, Thásos or Liménas. It occupies the western half of ancient Thásos, the size of which is evidenced by the walls enclosing the ancient naval harbor (now the fishing harbor), stretches of the old town walls, originally 3,515m/3,845yd long, and the foundations of houses and temples which extend in a semicircle, rising southeastward from the shore up the slopes of the ancient acropolis, now crowned by a ruined medieval castle, the Kástro.
Thásos Festival
The annual Thásos festival is held between July and September and includes ancient drama performances.
