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THE LEGEND SAYS that
god Zeus was born in Crete, grew up in Naxos and gave his name to
the island's highest mountain, Zas. Dionysus, the god of wine and
pleasure, joined up with Ariadne, goddess of fertility, and their
union endowed the island with fertile soil and fruitful grapevines.
Between 7th and 6th centuries BC, the island was ruled by an oligarchy
of rich noblemen known as pacheis (the fat ones). Around 520 BC,
the tyrant Lygdamis took control over Naxos, started to build his
temple at Hora, but soon was forced to abdicate. The half-built
temple was demolished, its only remains being a marble gateway.
Naxos was successively ruled byPersians, Athenians, Spartans, Egyptians
and Romans. The Venetian Marco Sanudo was the ruler of Naxos from
1207. He established a Duchy of the Archipelago, divided the island
into 56 estates and built fortresses and tower houses which can
still be seen today. The Turks occupied Naxos in 1564, the island
was freed in 1821, in The War of Independence, and in 1850 became
part of the Greek state. |
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BY AIR; The Naxos Airport is 3 km south of Hora, the island's capital city. From Athens, Eleftherios Venizelos Airport at Spata, there are daily flights all over the year. The duration of the flight is 45 minutes. .  
Police Station
22850 22100Port Police 22850 23300 Port Authority 22850 22300 Health Center 22850 22346 Airport of Naxos 22850 23292 Olympic Airways - Naxos 22850 23043 Olympic Airways - Athens 210 936-3363 Port Authority of Piraeus 210 422 6000 Port authority of Rafina 22940 22487 Port Authority of Thessaloniki 2310531505 |
AT HORA;The unfinished temple of Apollo, a 7m high marble frame standing on Palatia islet, is Naxos' landmark. It is called Portara.
The town's northern shore, Grotta, has an important archaeological site with remains of the Mycenian city of Naxos.
Kastro, or Castle, is a residential area dating from 1207, when the Venetian Marco Sanudo made Hora the capital of his duchy.
The Archaeological Museum is housed in the former Franciscan school, where the novelist Nikos Kazantzakis was a pupil. The collections include Cycladic, Hellenistic and Roman figures.
Tel. 22850 22725
Della Rocca-Barozzi Venetian Museum is situated within the Kastro, on the northwest gate. It is the preferred location for outdoor music concerts, accompanied by food and wine. Tel. 22850 22387
The Roman Catholic Cathedral and Naxos Cultural Centre are two important places to visit in the Kastro area.
