Modern Greek Culture Blog: Syros

Syros is a member of the Cyclades Islands in the Aegean Sea.
(http://www.map-of-greece.org/)

(http://www.greece-map.net/cyclades.htm)

The capital of Syros is Ermoupoli, meaning the Town of Hermes. In mythology, Syros was the birth place of Hermes, the God of Commerce. The name fits the city, for it used to be the main port of Greece, and thus experienced a lot of commercial activity.
Syros is approximately 84 square kilometers with a population of about 22,000. Despite its small size, Syros is the capital of the Cyclades Islands because of its strategic central location.
In the 19th century, the port of Ermoupoli was even more significant than the port of Piraeus in Athens.
Unlike most of the Cyclades, half of the population on the island is Catholic.
Because Syros is the capital of the Cyclades Islands, it does not depend solely on tourism and is therefore in a relatively good position economically.
Ermoupoli is home to Greece's first ship yard, Neorio, where ships are still serviced today (notice the large ships and cranes in the picture above).

History

Like most Aegean Islands, Syros experienced barbaric raids and piracy for many centuries which ultimately led to its decline toward the end of antiquity.
During the Byzantine period, Syros, along with other Aegean islands joined the Aegean Dominion.
When the Venetians and Franks came to power in 1204, Syros joined the Ducat of the Aegean, under which it had a feudal regime.
During the Latin Period, the majority of the population in Ermoupoli was Roman Catholic, but still spoke Greek.
Then in the mid 16th century, the Ottomans took over the island and the Ducat fell.
Under Ottoman rule, the islands were given quite a few privileges such as tax reductions and religious freedom.
Agreements made by France and the Vatican with the Ottoman authorities allowed the Catholics to be protected by France and Rome, further securing the Catholic population on the island.
This social and religious freedom led the Syriots to take a position of neutrality during the Greek Revolution.
The island became a safe haven for refugees during the war.
The influx of many different people brought new cultures to the area.
As a result, Syros became an administrative and cultural center of Greece.
Ermoupoli was rebuilt by the refugees in the neoclassical style between 1822 and 1865
In 1829, Syros joined the Hellenic Kingdom.

Significance

Ermoupoli is the largest city in the Cyclades Islands.
The neoclassical design of the buildings and houses is much different from the typical white-washed buildings common among the Cyclades Islands.
The island was Roman Catholic until the migration of refugees during the Revolution brought in Greek Orthodoxy. Today, the two religions peacefully co-exist on the island, and marriage between the two is common.
Two large hills create the backdrop to the port city (as shown in this picture).
Atop one hill, Ano Syros Hill, is the Roman Catholic Church, and atop the other hill, Vrodado Hill, is the Greek Orthodox church, The Church of Anastasis.
Syros is one of the most significant places for Roman Catholicism in Greece.
http://www.syros.com.gr/syros/info/hermoupolis_en.htm