Petra (Lesbos)
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Petra municipality Δημοτική Ενότητα Πέτρας (Πέτρα) |
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| Basic data | |||
| State : |
 Greece
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| Region : |
North Aegean
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| Regional District : | Lesbos | ||
| Municipality : | Dytiki Lesvos | ||
| Geographic coordinates : | 39 ° 20 ′ N , 26 ° 11 ′ E | ||
| Height above d. M .: | 177 m (average) |
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| Area : | 72.479 km² | ||
| Residents : | 3,358 (2011) | ||
| Population density : | 46.3 inhabitants / km² | ||
| Code No .: | 530111 | ||
| Structure: |
3 city districts 2 local communities |
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| Located in the municipality of Dytiki Lesvos and in the regional district of Lesvos | |||
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Petra ( Greek Πέτρα ( f. Sg. ), Rock ') is a municipality in the municipality of Dytiki Lesvos on the Greek island of Lesbos . The village of the same name was recognized as a rural community (kinotita) in 1918 , raised to an urban municipality (dimos) in 1994 with the incorporation of Lafiona and Skoutaros , and expanded in 1997 to include the rural communities of Stypsi and Ypsilometopo. On the occasion of the administrative reform in 2010 in the municipality of Lesvos, this municipality became a municipality and has been part of the Dytiki Lesvos municipality since 2019.
location
Petra is located 55 km from the island's capital, Mytilene , on a bay in which the small islands of Ai Giorgis, Mikro Nissi, Glaronissi and Myrmigi, nature reserves and refuge for wild birds, are located. Petra borders in the north on Mithymna (Molivos), in the east on Mandamados , in the southeast on Kalloni and in the southeast on Agia Paraskevi .
The main town is located on a long sandy beach in a fertile coastal plain, from which its landmark, a 40 meter high rock with the Panagia Glykofiloussa church protrudes.
history
The area of Petras has been inhabited since ancient times, as evidenced by the graves discovered at Keramidaria. According to the legend, Achilles anchored in the bay on the way to Troy .
During the reign of Sultan Mehmed II , Ottoman troops under Mahmud Pasha landed on Lesbos in 1462 and devastated the island. On March 12, 1676, the French pirate Hugo de Crevelier and 800 men attacked Petra and looted it. He spared the churches but took 500 young men and women with him.
In 1865 the place was sacked by Ottoman troops, who took all the gold, silver and silk they could get hold of. As if by a miracle, the silver cover of the Madonna icon, the silver censer from 1667 and the chalice from 1742 were spared.
Petra was captured by Greek troops on December 6, 1912; in the days before it had been ravaged and set on fire by looting, kidnapping and murder of civilians. Along with the entire island, Greece came under international law in 1920.
Administrative division
The municipality of Petra is divided into three city districts and two local communities.
| District local community |
Greek name | code | Area (km²) | 2001 residents | Residents 2011 | Villages and settlements |
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| Petra | Δημοτική Κοινότητα Πέτρας | 53011101 | 12,878 | 1305 | 1208 | Petra, Agios Georgios, Miradellia, Petri |
| Lafionas | Τοπική Κοινότητα Λαφιώνας | 53011102 | 9,552 | 224 | 154 | Lafionas |
| Skoutaros | Δημοτική Κοινότητα Σκουτάρου | 53011103 | 12,928 | 1100 | 1037 | Skoutaros, Ambelia, Anaxos Skoutarou |
| Stypsi | Δημοτική Κοινότητα Στύψης | 53011104 | 25.306 | 1024 | 855 | Stypsi |
| Ypsilometopo | Τοπική Κοινότητα Υψηλομετώπου | 53011105 | 11.815 | 96 | 104 | Ypsilometopo |
| total | 530111 | 72.479 | 3739 | 3358 | ||
Localities and settlements
Petra
Petra (1108 inhabitants), the seat of the municipality, is very much shaped by tourism, which has long since replaced agriculture and fishing as the main source of income. The long sandy beach directly in front of the village, numerous small hotels and pensions, vehicle rentals, restaurants, taverns and bars, souvenir and handicraft shops Petra has achieved a certain fame because the first women's cooperative in Greece was founded here in 1983 with the support of the then ruling PASOK . She played a key role in promoting the development of a more gentle tourism. The rural women banded together for economic reasons in order to become financially independent. Many women in the cooperative rent out guest rooms. They also run a small restaurant.
- The tiny village of Petri (39 inhabitants), in which a number of foreigners have bought houses, lies high above Petra, between nut trees and poplars. The path leads to the historical source "Achilliopigada", from which Achilles is said to have drank water.
- Miradellia (61 inhabitants) is one kilometer to the east
Lafionas
Lafionas (154 inhabitants, or Lathiona Λαθιώνα from the ancient Greek lanthanō , 'to be hidden') is located about five kilometers southwest of Petra on Mount Roudi with a beautiful view of the sea. The Church of the Dormition of Mary, a three-aisled basilica, was built in 1870 and renovated in 1920. To the south of the village are the ruins of an early Christian church and the chapel of Agios Alexandros, next to it a sarcophagus made of gray trachyte , in which the holy ascetic Alexandros was buried.
Nearby is the ruined mountain village of Klapados, which was the scene of the last victorious battles of the Greek forces against the Turks in December 1912 for the liberation of the island. From here an ecological hiking trail runs through state pine forests, from which there are great views of Anaxos, Petra, Mithymna, and Eftalou.
Stypsi
Stypsi (855 inhabitants) is a lively mountain village ten kilometers from Petra at an altitude of 400 meters, which is protected by Mount Lepetymnos in the north.
Skoutaros
Skoutaros (881 inhabitants), a large village about eight kilometers from Petra on the northern slope of the Skotinos, which probably gave the place its name. The residents mostly live from sheep breeding and olive cultivation, in recent years partly from tourism. The place has two olive oil presses, a kindergarten, elementary school, a country doctor's practice, the "Anaxos" culture and sports club. On the village square is the Church of the Dormition of Mary, a three-aisled basilica with a carved iconostasis and a bell tower made of gray trachyte . The nearby classicistic former school building from 1909 is also made of trachyte.
- Anaxos Skoutarou (152 inhabitants), originally the port of Skoutaros, about 3 km west of Petra, is a prosperous beach settlement with a beautiful sandy beach that is conducive to tourist development. Numerous taverns and bars, hotels and holiday apartments as well as vehicle rentals benefit from it.
- To the west of Anaxos is the beach of Mikri Tsichranta (Ambelia, 4 residents), behind which a green valley extends.
- Further west Megali Tsichranta with the chapel Agios Panteleimon.
Ypsilometopo
Ypsilometopo (104 inhabitants), two kilometers east of Stypsi at an altitude of 400 meters, a small village hidden under green trees. The Taxiarches Church at the entrance to the village, built in 1807, a three-aisled building made of dark trachyte with three altars and a carved iconostasis. The Aslanis spring under high plane trees provides crystal clear water. The women's cooperative for agrotourism and handicrafts from Stypsi-Ipsilometopo has a second workshop here. Near the village is the Agios Dimitris chapel, built in 1954 on the site of an early Christian three-aisled basilica, of which the column bases and some components are still preserved.
Attractions
- 114 steps carved into the rock lead to the church of Panagia Glykofilousa ( Greek Παναγία η Γλυκοφιλούσα , Sweet Kissing Madonna ') on the rock. The church, built in 1747 and restored in 1840, has a beautiful iconostasis and some preserved frescoes. The view of the place, the surroundings and the gulf is impressive.
- In the village there is also the church of Agios Nikolaos with frescoes from the 17th century.
- In Petra there are several well-preserved patrician houses from the 19th and 20th centuries with planted courtyards and artistically worked entrance doors with beautiful door knockers. The newly restored "Residence of the Vareltzidena" not far from the central square with carved balconies and valuable interiors with beautiful frescoes functions as a museum.
- An ouzo distillery is located in an inconspicuous building . It was founded in 1884 by Vasilis Kouroumichalis, who learned how to distill ouzo and cognac in Istanbul. The tradition of distilling ouzo is continued by his granddaughter Ourania Kouroumichalis.
Personalities
- Takis Eleftheriadis , painter (1911–1987)
- Thrassyvoulos Stavrou , poet (1886–1979)
- Germanos Karavagelis (1866–1935), born in Stypsi, was bishop of Kastoria , organized the Greek resistance during the battles with the Bulgarians until the liberation of Macedonia in 1912 .
Single receipts
- ↑ Results of the 2011 census, Greek Statistical Office (ΕΛ.ΣΤΑΤ) ( Memento from June 27, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) (Excel document, 2.6 MB)
- ↑ Zeit-Online of March 13, 1992, Cornelia Filter: Visiting Sappho's daughters
- ↑ Αρχοντικό Βαρελτζήδαινας Πέτρας, Archaeological Receipts Fund (Greek, English)
- ↑ Article about Takis Eleftheriadis (Greek) ( Memento of the original from January 11, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
