THE SIGHTS OF THE ISLAND OF ANAFI IN THE CYCLADES IN GREECE

• Anafi has one of the nicests and most unspoilt choras (capital) of all the Greek islands, very authentic with pretty Cycladic houses and exterior baking ovens. The small capital Chora lies on a hill in the southwest of the island above the port of Agios Nikolaos. Most inhabitants of Anafi reside in this location on the hill, the Chora, which is connected by an asphalt road to the tiny port of Agios Nikolaos, where the few ferries arrive. From the port there is occasionally a bus to the Chora at the top of the hill and every now and then there is another bus back. The rest you will have to walk, because there are no cars for rent (but see the update). In the larger part of the Chora traffic (cars) is not allowed. The Chora lies on an altitude of 260 meters and originates from medieval times. There are narrow cobbled streets and many old and newer churches. Some of them have Byzantine icons. The streets lead upwards to the remains of the old kastro. You can see the findings from ancient Anafi in the Archaeological Collection. • There is a Venetian castle and the remains of an old city in Kastelli at an altitude of 327 meters. The ancient city of Anaphe and its successor the Venetian castle are placed on the cone-shaped mountain Kastelli. At the ruine field there are several burial chambers with niches, a water basin and traces of temples. The city was founded in the 8th century BC by the Dorians and flourished during Roman times. Here you can see the remains of the city walls and many Roman artefacts can be seen. The most interesting is a sculptured sarcophagus next to the small church of Panagia sto Dokari. On the island there are also the remains of an old Roman port that was called Katalymatsa. • In the southeast of the island on the top of a hill there is a deserted monastery that is built on the site of an ancient Temple of Apollo. On an isthmus there are the remains of an the ancient Apollo sanctuari. This place is now the monastery Zoodochos Pigi and it has been a place of pilgrimage since the Turkish occupied the island. Quite substantial remains of the temple walls and of the temple itself can still be seen. • The old Kalamiotissa Monastery stands on the highest and most impressive rock, on the east side of the island Anafi. It is unreachable by sea and hard to get to from the land. Nowadays the monastery is abandoned.

© Hans Huisman, http://www.angelfire.com/super2/greece/ 2014