Finikas
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Finikas parish Δημοτική Ενότητα Φοίνικα (Φοίνικας) |
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| Basic data | |||
| State : |
 Greece
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| Region : |
Crete
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| Regional District : | Rethymno | ||
| Municipality : | Agios Vasilios | ||
| Geographic coordinates : | 35 ° 12 ' N , 24 ° 24' E | ||
| Height above d. M .: | 0 to 1310 m (cryoneriti) |
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| Area : | 138.335 km² | ||
| Residents : | 3,266 (2011) | ||
| Population density : | 23.6 inhabitants / km² | ||
| Code No .: | 730202 | ||
| Structure: | 10 local communities | ||
| Located in the municipality of Agios Vasilios and in the Rethymno regional unit | |||
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Finikas ( Greek Φοίνικας ( m. Sg. ), Palm tree ') is a municipality in the municipality of Agios Vasilios in the regional district of Rethymno on the Greek Mediterranean island of Crete . According to the 2011 census, a total of 3226 people live in Finikas. The main town of the municipality is Plakias .
geography
Geographical location
Finikas is located on the south coast of Crete on the Libyan Sea . In addition to the fertile coastal plain between Asomatos and Plakias, its area includes the two mountain ranges Kryoneritis (up to 1310 meters above sea level) and Kouroupa (983 meters). Other places in the municipality are along the upper valley of the Megalopotamos River and in the hill country north of the two mountains. The two roads through the Kotsifou and Kourtaliotiko gorges connect the northern part of Finikas with the southern one.
The brooks that strive south from the mountains flow onto sandy or pebble beaches in the bays of the otherwise rocky coastal region. The largest of these bays are those of Plakias and Damnoni , both of which have been opened up for tourism in recent decades.
The municipality of Finikas has an area of 138.3 km². The east-west extension is about 19 kilometers, the north-south extension 12 kilometers.
Neighboring communities
Finikas borders the municipality of Sfakia in the west and the municipality of Rethymno in the north . In the east is the municipality of Lambi of the municipality of Agios Vasilios.
structure
For the structure, see Agios Vasilios # church structure .
climate
Crete has a mild Mediterranean climate with over 300 days of sunshine a year, with strong south-east winds ( sirkos ) occasionally driving up temperatures in the summer . Rainfalls are also less common in the south than on the north coast and the mountain regions. On the island there are small-scale, diversified climatic zones with considerable fluctuations between high and lowlands as well as in the regions of the coastal sections separated by the mountain ranges.
Since Finikas is in the south of the island, the area is also significantly influenced by the Sirkos , although northwest winds prevail for most of the year. The winter temperatures are moderate due to the frequent occurrence of warm and humid air masses from the southwest. On the south coast there are almost 3000 hours of sunshine per year, about 10% more than in the north of Crete. The climate of the Finikas parish is also split in two by the Kouroupa and Kryoneritis mountain ranges . North of the mountains it is often cloudy, cooler and less windy than on the coast.
The area south of the Kouroupa mountain range to the sea is dominated by its own small-scale climate, which is mainly characterized by the frequent and increased occurrence of the north wind Voreas (Βόρεας). The spatial location between the two highest mountain ranges of Crete, the Psiloritismassiv and the Lefka Ori , at a narrow point of the island, together with the two deep gorges Kotsifou and Kourtaliotiko, causes an increase in the summer north wind that is common in the Aegean Sea . On the one hand, this can lead to a pleasant cooling off of the hot summer months, on the other hand, to weeks of strong and gusty wind, which can hinder many outdoor activities. If a wind force of 4 Beaufort is announced for Heraklion or Chania, for example , you can expect 6 or more in Finikas.
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Average monthly temperatures for Plakias
Source: Plakias - information brochure, Χορηγοι: Δήμος Φοίνικα / Συλλογοι ξενοδοχων νοτιων περιοχων Ρεθυμνου κτιε επαγγεσ .ματιεσ
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Surname
The municipality is named after the historic town of Finikas , located in a valley west of Sellia , north of Souda Bay . In its place today, in addition to the ruins of abandoned houses, those of the abandoned monastery of the same name can be found. The church of the monastery has already been restored, and reconstruction work is currently being carried out on a monastery building under the supervision of the Archaeological Institute. The place name Finikas is based on the Greek word Finix (φοίνιξ) "palm", which refers to the Cretan date palm ( Phoenix theophrasti ) , which occurs in several places in the municipality . The most famous location of this plant species is the Preveli Gorge . An extensive population can also be found in Souda Bay, west of Plakias .
history
In prehistoric times, the Minoan and Mycenaean epochs on Crete, today's municipal area of Finikas was probably very sparsely populated. In any case, hardly any historical finds are known from this period. However, there are indications that after the Dorian immigration to the island (since around 1000 BC ) on the coast of Finikas, the two places Lamon on the Bay of Plakias and Phoinix were north of Souda Bay . The main town of the region in Hellenistic-Roman times was Lappa, north of Finikas .
From the first Byzantine epoch after the fall of the Roman Empire and the subsequent rule of the Arabs over Crete, from 826 to 961 AD, no historical traces have remained in the area of Finikas. In the second Byzantine epoch from 961 AD and the time of belonging to the Republic of Venice from 1204 AD, some monasteries and churches, some of which still exist today, were built. Finikas belonged to the administrative district of Kato Sybritos with the area of today's municipality Lambi , which was part of the diocese Sybritos with the former Amari eparchy .
After that, the municipality of Finikas formed the Eparchy Agios Vasilios with the main town Spili (formerly also Spilion ) for a long time with the neighboring municipality of Lambi . The eparchy was named after the former capital Agios Vasilios, which is located in the northern plain of today's Finikas. With the community reform at the end of the 1990s and the associated division of the eparchy, Plakias became the administrative seat of the newly founded community of Finikas. As of 2011, the former communities of Finikas and Lambi are reunited to form the community of Agios vasilios.
German occupation
Like all western regional districts of the island, the area of today's municipality was under German occupation during World War II . Its location on the important connection road from Rethymno to Agia Galini and the gorges that provided the only access to the south coast made it the location of several German garrisons. German soldiers were stationed in Myrthios and Koxare, among others. Memorial stones in almost all villages commemorate those who died during this time either as resistance fighters or as victims of German reprisals.
The village of Kali Sykia (Καλή Συκιά) in the far west of the municipality was the victim of a retaliatory action by the "Schubert Jagdkommando" in 1943: Since most of the men in the village had fled to the mountains, women and the elderly in particular were shot or burned alive in their houses . Sergeant Major Schubert in charge was sentenced to death by a special court for war criminals in Athens on August 5, 1947, and executed on October 22, 1947. Today a memorial on the village square commemorates the events.
In February 1944 there were fights with ELAS partisans near Koxare , which prompted the Wehrmacht to take rigid retaliatory measures: Large parts of the village and the village church were destroyed and many young men were first deported to labor camps in Yugoslavia and later to various German concentration camps.
A beach belonging to the village of Rodakino (Ροδάκινο) was the end point of the spectacular kidnapping of the German commander in chief of Crete, Lieutenant General Heinrich Kreipe . On May 15, 1944, he and his kidnappers were picked up by a British motorboat and taken to Egypt.
Culture and sights
Monasteries
The Preveli monastery above the bay , which gave the bay its name in tourist parlance, is only inhabited by a few monks. During the German occupation of Crete in World War II , it played a role through its support of the Cretan resistance and British agents.
Museums
- Folklore Museum “Papageorgoulakio” in Asomatos
Beaches and coves
Beaches and bathing bays in the area of Finikas are from west to east: Polyrizos , Korakas near Rodakino , Souda , Plakias , Damnoni , Ammoudaki , Ammoudi , Schinaria , the palm beach of Preveli and Drymiskiano Ammoudi .
Regular events
- Annually in the second half of September: “Day of Tourism” on the eastern parking lot of Plakias. Local specialties are offered free of charge, a raffle and traditional music and dance are performed. The event is organized by the local women's association of Plakias (Συλλογος Γυναίκων του Πλακιά).
media
In the municipality of Finikas and beyond, the private radio station "Radio Finikas" of the same name can be received on UKW 97.5, which mainly plays Greek pop music and Cretan folk music, supplemented by programs with English-language rock and pop music.
Economy and Infrastructure
The agricultural center of Finikas is the plain, which extends from the exit of the Kourtaliotiko Gorge in a south-westerly direction to the sea. Part of the year-round flowing water of the Megalopotamos stream is routed around the valley with an elaborate irrigation system, with the artificial stream bed following a contour line with the lowest possible gradient for almost 20 kilometers. From there, the water is managed by a cooperative and diverted to the gardens and plantations.
The area of Finikas, north of the Kouroupa mountain range , still has an unusually high forest cover for southern Crete . Angouseliana is the central and largest village in this area untouched by tourism .
The region gained tourist fame primarily through the good bathing opportunities in Plakias and Damnoni Bay, where larger hotel complexes and tourist infrastructure have been built since the 1980s. As a result, tourism has become the most important industry in the region. The Hapimag Group also has a resort near Damnoni.
literature
- Marlen von Xylander: The German occupation on Crete 1941–1945 (= individual publications on military history. Volume 32) Rombach Verlag, Freiburg i. B. 1989, ISBN 3-7930-0192-X .
swell
- ↑ Results of the 2011 census at the National Statistical Service of Greece (ΕΣΥΕ) ( Memento from June 27, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) (Excel document, 2.6 MB)
- ↑ Marlen von Xylander: The German occupation on Crete 1941-1945. P. 117.
Web links
- Website of the municipality of Finikas (currently only in Greek) ( Memento from April 16, 2010 in the Internet Archive )
- www.finikas.de - Animal Welfare Initiative
- Thomas F. Strasser et al .: Stone age seafaring in the Mediterranian. (Report on archaeological finds on the coast of the municipality of Finikas, English)