Psara
Encyclopedia
Psara is a Greek
island in the Aegean Sea
. Together with the small uninhabited island of Antipsara
it forms the municipality of Psara. It is part of the Chios peripheral unit, which is part of the North Aegean Periphery
. The only town of the island and seat of the municipality is also called Psara.
Psara had 448 inhabitants according to the 2011 census. It has a small port linking to the island of Chios and other parts of Greece.
, 22 km (about 13 nmi) from the northwestern point of the island of Chios and 150 km (about 75 nmi) eastnortheast of Athens
. The length and width is about 7 x 8 km and the area of the island is 43 km². The highest point of the island is "Profitis Ilias" (512 metres (1,679.8 ft)).
. It is made of white cloth bordered with red with a large red cross and the inscriptions of the name of the island "ΨΑ-ΡΑ" and the words Eleftheria i Thanatos
(Liberty or Death) in capital red letters. The cross is standing on an upside down crescent, flanked on one side by a sword, on the other by a serpent killed by a bird. The flag was carried during the War of Independence by Psariot ships
An original flag of Psara, is preserved at the National Historical Museum of Greece
first referred to the island as Psyra.
The islanders' sole source of livelihood has always been fishing, mainly for the locally abundant slipper lobster
s, and shipping, with some tourist development in recent years.
Psara joined the Greek War of Independence
on April 10, 1821. A noted native naval leader of the time was future Prime Minister of Greece
Constantine Kanaris
. The island was invaded on June 21, 1824 by Egypt
ian forces under the command of Ibrahim Pasha
.
On July 4 the resistance of the Psariots ended with a last stand at the town's old fort of Palaiokastro. Hundreds of soldiers and also women and children had taken refuge there when a Turkish force of 2000 stormed the fort. The refugees first threw a white flag with the words "Ελευθερία ή Θάνατος" ("Eleftheria i Thanatos
", "Freedom or Death". Then, the moment the Turks entered the fort, the local Antonios Vratsanos lit a fuse to the gunpowder stock, in an explosion that killed the towners along with the their enemies — thus remaining faithful to their flag to their death. A French officer who heard and saw the explosion compared it to a volcanic eruption of Vesuvius.
A part of the population managed to flee the island, but those who didn't were either sold into slavery or killed. As a result of the invasion, thousands of Greeks have met a tragic fate. The island was deserted and surviving islanders were scattered through what is now Southern Greece. Theophilos Kairis
, a priest and scholar, took on many of the orphaned children and developed the famous school the Orphanotropheio of Theophilos Kairis.
The tragic event of the destruction of Psara inspired the poet Dionysios Solomos
— the author of the Hymn to Liberty — to write a poem about it called "The Destruction of Psara".
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
island in the Aegean Sea
Aegean Sea
The Aegean Sea[p] is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea located between the southern Balkan and Anatolian peninsulas, i.e., between the mainlands of Greece and Turkey. In the north, it is connected to the Marmara Sea and Black Sea by the Dardanelles and Bosporus...
. Together with the small uninhabited island of Antipsara
Antipsara
Antipsara is a small, Greek island in the Aegean Sea.Antipsara had 4 inhabitants according to the 2011 census. It lies about 3 km west of the larger island Psara, from which its name is derived. Geographic conditions make it inaccessible from the north and west side. Evidence exists of settlement...
it forms the municipality of Psara. It is part of the Chios peripheral unit, which is part of the North Aegean Periphery
Peripheries of Greece
The current official regional administrative divisions of Greece were instituted in 1987. Although best translated into English as "regions", the transcription peripheries is sometimes used, perhaps to distinguish them from the traditional regions which they replaced. The English word 'periphery'...
. The only town of the island and seat of the municipality is also called Psara.
Psara had 448 inhabitants according to the 2011 census. It has a small port linking to the island of Chios and other parts of Greece.
Geography
Psara lies 44 nautical miles (81.5 km) northwest of ChiosChios
Chios is the fifth largest of the Greek islands, situated in the Aegean Sea, seven kilometres off the Asia Minor coast. The island is separated from Turkey by the Chios Strait. The island is noted for its strong merchant shipping community, its unique mastic gum and its medieval villages...
, 22 km (about 13 nmi) from the northwestern point of the island of Chios and 150 km (about 75 nmi) eastnortheast of Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
. The length and width is about 7 x 8 km and the area of the island is 43 km². The highest point of the island is "Profitis Ilias" (512 metres (1,679.8 ft)).
Flag
The flag of Psara was designed by the Psariots and bears symbols of Filiki EteriaFiliki Eteria
thumb|right|200px|The flag of the Filiki Eteria.Filiki Eteria or Society of Friends was a secret 19th century organization, whose purpose was to overthrow Ottoman rule over Greece and to establish an independent Greek state. Society members were mainly young Phanariot Greeks from Russia and local...
. It is made of white cloth bordered with red with a large red cross and the inscriptions of the name of the island "ΨΑ-ΡΑ" and the words Eleftheria i Thanatos
Eleftheria i thanatos
Eleftheria i thanatos is the motto of Greece. It arose during the Greek War of Independence in the 1820s, where it was a war cry for the Greeks who rebelled against Ottoman rule. It was adopted after the Greek War of Independence. It is still in use today, and is a popular theory regarding the use...
(Liberty or Death) in capital red letters. The cross is standing on an upside down crescent, flanked on one side by a sword, on the other by a serpent killed by a bird. The flag was carried during the War of Independence by Psariot ships
An original flag of Psara, is preserved at the National Historical Museum of Greece
History
It has been inhabited since the Mycenaean period, its inhabitants relying on the sea to make a living as the island is a treeless and rocky with little shrubbery. HomerHomer
In the Western classical tradition Homer , is the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, and is revered as the greatest ancient Greek epic poet. These epics lie at the beginning of the Western canon of literature, and have had an enormous influence on the history of literature.When he lived is...
first referred to the island as Psyra.
The islanders' sole source of livelihood has always been fishing, mainly for the locally abundant slipper lobster
Slipper lobster
Slipper lobsters are a family of decapod crustaceans found in all warm oceans and seas. Despite their name, they are not true lobsters, but are more closely related to spiny lobsters and furry lobsters. Slipper lobsters are instantly recognisable by their enlarged antennae, which project forward...
s, and shipping, with some tourist development in recent years.
Destruction of Psara
Greek War of Independence
The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution was a successful war of independence waged by the Greek revolutionaries between...
on April 10, 1821. A noted native naval leader of the time was future Prime Minister of Greece
Prime Minister of Greece
The Prime Minister of Greece , officially the Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic , is the head of government of the Hellenic Republic and the leader of the Greek cabinet. The current interim Prime Minister is Lucas Papademos, a former Vice President of the European Central Bank, following...
Constantine Kanaris
Constantine Kanaris
Constantine Kanaris or Canaris was a Greek Prime Minister, admiral and politician who in his youth was also a freedom fighter, pirate, privateer and merchantman.-Early life:...
. The island was invaded on June 21, 1824 by Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
ian forces under the command of Ibrahim Pasha
Ibrahim Pasha of Egypt
Ibrahim Pasha was the eldest son of Muhammad Ali, the Wāli and unrecognised Khedive of Egypt and Sudan. He served as a general in the Egyptian army that his father established during his reign, taking his first command of Egyptian forces was when he was merely a teenager...
.
On July 4 the resistance of the Psariots ended with a last stand at the town's old fort of Palaiokastro. Hundreds of soldiers and also women and children had taken refuge there when a Turkish force of 2000 stormed the fort. The refugees first threw a white flag with the words "Ελευθερία ή Θάνατος" ("Eleftheria i Thanatos
Eleftheria i thanatos
Eleftheria i thanatos is the motto of Greece. It arose during the Greek War of Independence in the 1820s, where it was a war cry for the Greeks who rebelled against Ottoman rule. It was adopted after the Greek War of Independence. It is still in use today, and is a popular theory regarding the use...
", "Freedom or Death". Then, the moment the Turks entered the fort, the local Antonios Vratsanos lit a fuse to the gunpowder stock, in an explosion that killed the towners along with the their enemies — thus remaining faithful to their flag to their death. A French officer who heard and saw the explosion compared it to a volcanic eruption of Vesuvius.
A part of the population managed to flee the island, but those who didn't were either sold into slavery or killed. As a result of the invasion, thousands of Greeks have met a tragic fate. The island was deserted and surviving islanders were scattered through what is now Southern Greece. Theophilos Kairis
Theophilos Kairis
Theophilos Kairis was a Greek priest and revolutionary. He was born in Andros, Cyclades, Ottoman Greece, as a son of a distinguished family....
, a priest and scholar, took on many of the orphaned children and developed the famous school the Orphanotropheio of Theophilos Kairis.
The tragic event of the destruction of Psara inspired the poet Dionysios Solomos
Dionysios Solomos
Dionysios Solomos was a Greek poet from Zakynthos. He is best known for writing the Hymn to Liberty , of which the first two stanzas, set to music by Nikolaos Mantzaros, became the Greek national anthem in 1865...
— the author of the Hymn to Liberty — to write a poem about it called "The Destruction of Psara".
Historical population
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1824 | 7,000 |
| 1981 | 460 |
| 1991 | 438 |
| 2001 | 422 |
Notable people
- Constantine KanarisConstantine KanarisConstantine Kanaris or Canaris was a Greek Prime Minister, admiral and politician who in his youth was also a freedom fighter, pirate, privateer and merchantman.-Early life:...
(1793/1795-1877) admiral, freedom fighter and politician, Prime Minister of Greece
External links
- http://www.chios.com/island/psara.htm (also in German and Greek)
- http://www.sansimera.gr/archive/articles/show.php?id=156&feature=H_katastrofi_ton_Psaron (The destruction of Psara, in Greek)
- http://www.ptolemais.com/shmaies/epanastatimena.htm (The flags of the rebellious islands (Psara), in Greek)