Kissamos

Kissamos municipality Δήμος Κισσάμου
Basic data
State :	Greece
Region :	Crete
Regional District :	Chania
Geographic coordinates :	35 ° 29 ′  N , 23 ° 39 ′  E Coordinates: 35 ° 29 ′  N , 23 ° 39 ′  E
Area :	341.18 km²
Residents :	10,790 (2011)
Population density :	31.6 inhabitants / km²
Community logo:
Seat:	Kissamos
LAU-1 code no .:	7405
Districts :	3 municipal districts
Local self-government :	1 city district 28 local communities
Website:	www.kissamos.gr
Location in the Crete region

Kissamos ( Greek Κίσσαμος ( f. Sg. ) Also ( m. Sg. ), Latinized: Cisamus) is a municipality (Δήμος, Dimos ) in the northwest of the regional district of Chania on the Greek Mediterranean island of Crete .

Although the official name of the city is only Kissamos , the name Kastelli Kissamou ( Greek Καστέλλι Κισσάμου ), Kasteli Kissamou or just Kastelli is still widespread among the population as well as on maps and in travel guides. The name was changed to distinguish it from the small town of Kastelli, southeast of Heraklion .

The city forms a kind of middle center for the region with a few supermarkets, various shops of all kinds, an infirmary, police and fire department and many other offers. The next bigger city is Chania .

geography

Geographical location

The city of Kissamos is located about 40 kilometers west of Chania , on the Gulf of Kissamos , which is bordered to the west by the Gramvousa peninsula and to the east by the Rodopou peninsula . It is located almost on the eastern border of the municipality that extends south to the island of Elafonisi , west to the sea at Cape Xoskalo and north to Cape Kokala on the island of Agria Gramvousa.

history

In ancient times, the town of the same name, which dates back to the post-Minoan period, was located on the site of today's Kissamos. Whether Kissamos was a port of Polyrrhenia is disputed. To this day, the relationships between Phalasarna , a port of antiquity, Kissamos itself and Polyrrhenia have not been finally clarified.

Under Roman rule Kissamos achieved a certain degree of independence in the 3rd century AD. From Roman times a house, a bathing facility, a cistern and the remains of an aqueduct, as well as small remains of a theater, were discovered. In the Tabula Peutingeriana , the place is named Cisamos and is listed on a road that came from Cydonia (Chania) via Cantano ( Kandanos ) to Liso ( Lissos ) on the south coast. Further excavations are ongoing in various parts of the city.

In 342 Kissamos became a bishopric. It was taken by Genoa in the 12th century and fortified by the Venetians in 1550 . Components of the Roman port were used for the walls, the stones of which came from the ruins of the post-Minoan settlement.

As the first fortified place on Crete, the castle fell to the Turks in 1645. In 1692 and 1821, the Cretan insurgents temporarily took the place. Another attempt to wrest Kissamos from the Turks failed in 1866. Only small parts of the fortification walls can now be seen.

The municipality of Kissamos was formed by amalgamating the municipalities and current municipalities of Innachori, Kissamos and Mythimna on the basis of the Kallikratis Law from 2010. The administrative seat is the small town of Kissamos with 4236 inhabitants on the northern coast of the municipality on the Gulf of Kissamos .

Culture and sights

Archaeological Museum

Mosaic in the museum

In Kissamos there is an archaeological museum, which moved into a building from the Venetian period in the city center that was specially renovated in 2000. The exhibition, which is lavish by Greek standards, shows objects from antiquity in the Kissamos region.

With the beaches of Balos , Elafonisi and Falassarna , three of the most popular destinations in Western Crete are located near the city.

Other sights include the Venetian fortress on the offshore island of Imeri Gramvousa , the Byzantine rotonda of the Archangel Michael in Episkopi, the Chrysoskalitissa monastery , the remains of the Temple of Artemis in Dyktina on the Rodopou, the ancient finds in Falassarna and Polyrinia . At Kokkino Metochi are the remains of the Venetian Villa Trevisan. There is also an ecotourist hotel with a restaurant in Milia. Next to Kolymbari there is the Orthodox Academy of Crete at the monastery of Gonia., There are also formations made of marl at Potamida, the stalactite cave of St. Sophia can be found at Topolia and the remains of a Byzantine fortress in Rokka.

There are also large numbers of cultural events. In addition to the holy festivals ( Greek πανήγυρη ), the annual representation of a Cretan wedding in midsummer and a small carnival parade in spring in Kissamos as well as the chestnut festival in October in Elos should be mentioned.

In the east is the German military cemetery in Maleme . In the southeast lies one of the longest European gorges: the Samaria Gorge . In the south, Paleochora borders the ancient sites in Yrtakina, Elyros, Lissos , and Syia in the area.

Economy and Infrastructure

Kissamos is characterized by agriculture and the trading center of the surrounding area. Tourism has so far only played a subordinate, albeit growing, role.

traffic

Kissamos has two ports: a small fishing port and the ferry port at Cape Kavonisi, which is about three kilometers northwest of the city in the direction of Kaliviani . From there, excursion boats leave for the island of Imeri Gramvousa and the so-called “pirate bay” Balos on the northwest coast of the Gramvousa peninsula. The ANEN Lines ferry, which has been operating all year round since 2006, via the islands of Antikythira and Kythira to Gythio in the Peloponnese also starts from there. There are further connections to Chania via the motorway, as well as from there via the large ferry port in Souda to Athens and via Chania airport within Greece to Athens and Thessaloniki , as well as various European destinations, especially in summer. In addition, the regular buses of the KTEL Chanion run regionally and nationally .

Bishopric

Kissamos is the seat of the metropolitan (diocese) Kissamos and Selino. Through the activities of the popular long-time Metropolitan Irineos Galanakis , the diocese gained importance for all of Crete. His successor is Metropolitan Amphilochios Andronikakis.

Community structure

The municipality of Kissamos is made up of the following districts and localities. They are divided into a total of 102 inhabited settlements and living spaces:

• Inachori parish (Δημοτική Ενότητα Ιναχωρίου, 912 pop.)
  • Location Amygdalokefalion (Αμυγδαλοκεφάλιον), 112 inh.
  • Location Elo (Έλος), 223 inh.
  • Location Kambos (Κάμπος), 107 inh.
  • Location Kefali (Κεφάλι), 80 inh.
  • Location Perivolia (Περιβόλια), 39 inh.
  • Location Strovles (Στροβλές), 65 inh.
  • Village Vahti (Βάθη), 127 inhab.
  • Village Vlatos (Βλάτος), 157 inhab.
• Kissamos municipality (Δημοτική Ενότητα Κισσάμου, 7,579 pop.)
  • Village Gramvousa (Γραμβούσα), 796 inhab.
  • Village Kalathenes (Καλάθενες), 160 inhab.
  • Village Kallergiana (Καλλεργιανά), 520 inhab.
  • Kissamos (Κίσσαμος), 4,275 pop.
  • Village Koukounara (Κουκουναρά), 88 pop.
  • Village Lousakies (Λουσακιές), 373 inhab.
  • Village of Platanos (Πλάτανος), 1,179 inhab.
  • Location Polyrrinia (Πολυρρηνία), 78 inh.
  • Location Sirikari (Σηρικάρι), 110 inh.
• Mythimna municipality (Δημοτική Ενότητα Μυθήμνης, 2,299 inh.)
  • Location Cherethiana (Χαιρεθιανά), 70 inh.
  • Drapanias village (Δραπανιάς), 427 pop.
  • Village Faleliana (Φαλελιανά), 163 inhab.
  • Village Kaloudiana (Καλουδιανά), 385 inhab.
  • Village Malathyros (Μαλάθυρος), 89 pop.
  • Location Pervolakia (Περβολάκια), 150 inh.
  • Location Potamida (Ποταμίδα), 224 inh.
  • Village Rokka (Ρόκκα), 88 pop.
  • Location Sasalos (Σάσαλος), 48 inh.
  • Village Sfakopigadion (Σφακοπηγάδιον), 116 inhab.
  • Village Topolia (Τοπόλια), 225 inhab.
  • Village Voulgaro (Βουλγάρω), 314 inhab.

Community views

• 

  Kissamos beach promenade
• 

  View from the Gulf to Kissamos
• 

  Balos Bay
• 

  Falassarna
• 

  Elafonisi Beach

Sports

The local football club Kissamikos currently plays in the Greek second division .

Personalities who have worked on site

• Irineos Galanakis (* 1911; † 2013), bishop from 1957 to 1971 and again from 1982 to 2005, later Metropolitan of the Diocese of Kissamos and Selino. Metropolitan of the Greek Orthodox metropolis of Germany from 1971 to 1980. Involved in the founding of ANEK Lines and ET.AN.AP. and the Orthodox Academy of Crete.

Web links

Commons : Kissamos  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Official homepage of the place (en, el)
• Information about the archaeological museum on the website of the Ministry of Culture (el)
• Ktel Chanion Website of the regional public transport company (de, el, en)
• Official homepage of Kissamos TV (el)
• My-kaliviani.com: Kissamos

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b} 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)
2. ^ Tilmann Bechert: Crete in Roman times . Zabern, Darmstadt / Mainz 2011, ISBN 978-3-8053-3901-8 , p. 52
3. ^ Tilmann Bechert: Crete in Roman times . Zabern, Darmstadt / Mainz 2011, ISBN 978-3-8053-3901-8 , p. 47
4. ^ Franz Mehling (ed.): Knaurs Kulturführer Greece . Weltbild, Augsburg 1998 (licensed edition by Droemer 1982), ISBN 978-3828906709 , p. 269.
5. ^ Kissamoshotels.com: The Kissamos Archaeological Museum , accessed February 24, 2017
6. ↑ West-crete.com: The Byzantine church of Rotonda , accessed February 19, 2017 (en)
7. ↑ Alpha-omegaonline.com: Overview of northwest Crete , accessed on February 19, 2017 (en)
8. ^ Kissamoshotels.com: History , accessed February 19, 2017
9. ↑ Milia's homepage ( Memento of the original from August 10, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
10. ↑ oac.gr Homepage of the Orthodox Academy (el, en)
11. ↑ Kreta-Umweltforum.de: Brief overview of the formations in Potamida from 2005 , accessed on February 22, 2017
12. ↑ Kreta-Umweltforum.de Information about the stalactite cave and Elos from 2004 , accessed on February 22, 2017
13. ↑ Cretanbeaches.com: Rokka Gorge , accessed February 22, 2017
14. ↑ Kissamoshotels.com Overview of the cultural events in Kissamos , accessed on February 19, 2017
15. ↑ Radio-kreta.de short report on the chestnut festival from October 1, 2016 , accessed on February 19, 2017