Rinia
| Rinia | ||
|---|---|---|
| Waters | Mediterranean Sea | |
| Archipelago | Cyclades | |
| Geographical location | 37 ° 25 ' N , 25 ° 13' E | |
|
||
| length | 7.5 km | |
| width | 3.5 km | |
| surface | 13.904 km² | |
| Highest elevation | 136 m | |
| Residents | uninhabited | |
Rinia ( Greek Ρήνεια [ ˈrinja ] or Ρηνεία [ riˈnia ] ( f. Sg. ), Also Rheneia ) is a now uninhabited Greek island in the Aegean Sea , which belongs to the Cyclades archipelago . The island of Rinia is now owned by the municipality of Mykonos .
Surname
The name of the island is derived from the Greek word for peace (Ειρήνη Eiríni ), from which the female name Irene can also be derived. Due to its close proximity to its neighboring island of Delos , which was much more important in antiquity, albeit a smaller one , Rinia was occasionally called 'Great Delos' in the 19th century (and probably also in earlier times). As an archipelago, the two neighboring islands of Delos and Rinia were sometimes also called 'Délia' ( Greek τα Δήλια ( n. Pl. )), Which in German can best be translated as "the Delischen" .
location
The island is located about nine kilometers southwest of Mykonos and a good 140 kilometers southeast of the Greek capital Athens . The neighboring island of Delos is only separated from Rinia by a 700 to 1,100 meter wide strait .
nature
Rinia is a rather flat and treeless island with a strongly fragmented coastline. It has an area of 13.904 km² with a length (in north-south direction) of 7.5 km and a maximum width of 3.4 km. The island consists of two parts of the island, each 136 meters high, of which the northern part is larger. Both halves of the island are connected by an isthmus about 60 meters wide . The total coastline of the island is about 43 km.
history
The oldest archaeological finds show that the island was settled in the 5th millennium BC. BC ( Neolithic ). The island was also inhabited in antiquity , but was always overshadowed by the then by far more important neighboring island of Delos . The oldest known historical reference to the island of Rinia dates back to 530 BC. In which Polykrates (tyrant of Samos) occupied the island and dedicated it to the temple of Apollo on Delos. In 454 BC The island of Delos (and with it probably also Rinia) fell into the dependency of Athens. This entailed the fact that Peisistratos carried out the so-called 1st catharsis (cleaning, Greek κάθαρσις), which resulted in all graves being removed from the vicinity of the holy temples. This religious purity regulation was tightened at the beginning of the Peloponnesian War , with the so-called 2nd catharsis from 425 BC. All births, deaths and burials on Delos were banned and all graves were moved to the neighboring island of Rinia, which thus became the necropolis of Delos. Around the same time, a sanatorium was set up on Rinia for the seriously ill, who from then on were no longer allowed to stay on Delos. After the fall of the island of Delos, which took place in 87 BC. Was initiated with the 1st Mithridatic War , Rinia also lost its importance and was given up.
There are some less well-known archaeological sites that have at least brought some art-historical finds to light, most of which are exhibited in the archaeological museum of Mykonos .
today
The island has been uninhabited since the 1980s, most recently around 20 people lived on Rinia. Today it serves as a grazing area for mostly semi-wild goats, which are tended by some shepherds who occasionally spend the night here. Since the island has no noteworthy sights, it is only occasionally visited by tourist ships in contrast to Delos. However, the bays of Rinia are increasingly being used as anchorages for yachts.
The island occupies about two thirds of the 15.98 km² Natura 2000 area Nisides Mykonou (Rinia, Chtapodia, Tragonisi) (Νησίδες Μυκόνου (Ρήνεια-Χταπόδια-Τραγονήσι)) GR 4220027.
Trinity Festival
50 days after Easter, on Pentecost Sunday of the Greek Orthodox church year (Greek Πεντηκοστή Pentikostí ), a large folk festival (Greek πανηγύρι panigýri ) takes place every year on Rinia , the so-called Trinity Festival , named after the Holy Trinity (Greek Αιάδα) or the trinity (lat. trinitas 'three number') of God the Father, Son (Jesus Christ) and the Holy Spirit. On this solemn occasion, an estimated 500 to 600 inhabitants (as was the case on Whitsunday June 12, 2011) from the surrounding islands - especially Mykonos , Syros and Tinos - land with boats on the northern beaches of the island. To the north-west of Rinia, surrounded by five small provisional dwellings (the largest seasonal settlement on the island), is the tiny chapel of Aghía Triáda (the Holy Trinity), whose patron saint , the Trinity, is dedicated to the festival to be celebrated. Most of the boats anchor on the nearby beach and tents are set up and used there. At around nine in the evening the festival begins with an open liturgy and a blessing of bread ( eulogy ), which is preceded by the slaughter and preparation of numerous goats. A multi-course feast of traditional local dishes is then served until the early hours of the morning, accompanied by local white wine and dancing enthusiastically in order to pay tribute to the Holy Trinity. The central event in addition to the banquet is the music, which is partly accompanied by singing and played using traditional instruments, as well as the folk dance in the round dance (whereby the wearing of local costumes no longer plays a role). The musical instruments include the bouzouki (a mandolin-like lute), the lyre (a knee violin), the defi or the toumbi (a membrane drum covered with goatskin) as well as the tsambouna (a small bagpipe consisting of a Goatskin windsack, a horn and a chanter made of goat horn). It is danced and celebrated until dawn, after which the festival draws to a close and the guests gradually leave the island - until the next Trinity festival of the following year makes their way back to the otherwise uninhabited island of Rinia.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Aegean Portal, General Information about Rinia ( Memento of the original from 23 August 2011 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. , Greek
