Culture of Sifnos Island. Places to visit - old town, temples, theaters, museums and palaces

Sifnos has a turbulent past. Once there was an important outpost of the Phoenicians and Koreans. Later the island became famous for its ceramics, became a target for pirate raids and their home base, later moved to the Venetian Empire, and returned to Greece relatively recently. With such a history, it is not surprising that you can see here a large number of monuments from different eras. The main port of the island, Kamares, was used by Phoenicians and Johnites. Little has been preserved here from the ancient epochs. It is now a small and rather expensive town in the traditional Cycladic style. Everyone who wants to feel the atmosphere of the modern Greek islands should walk here.

However, just 6 kilometers from the modern port city is Apollonia, the modern capital of the island. This is not only an amazing, beautiful place with white stone houses but also the location of the famous Folk Museum, which can be found on the central square of Platia Iroon. The museum is known for a good collection of household items and handicrafts, national costumes and weapons of local residents. It is open every day from 9.30 to 22.00 with a siesta break, but may not receive visitors, regardless of the schedule. Also in Apollonia there is an 18th century church, Panagia Uranoforia, which was built with fragments of the 4th century BC Apollo temple. These preserved parts of the ancient structure are among the oldest found in this region of Greece. It is worth going up to the “cathedral with a balcony” of Agios Spyridon, not only for the sake of the building itself but also for the beautiful view of the whole island.

Not far from Apollonia, you can find the village of Artemion. There are many beautiful mansions in Neoclassical or Venetian style. The local church of Panagia-Gurnia is famous, like the 17th-century temple of Agios-Georgios, for its frescoes, and the Koch church was built on the foundation of the ancient temple of Artemis. If you find the Panagia-Gurnia church closed, then ask for a key in the neighboring house – the locals are happy to show the cult structure to the travelers. In Artemion, you can see the People's Exhibition of Yiannis Atsonios, which is, in fact, a house museum, furnished in accordance with the customs and traditions of the local residents. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Be sure to stroll along the old capital of the island, the city of Castro. There are many buildings that preserved from the 15th-17th centuries. Several churches of the 18th century, columns and coat of arms classical for the Venetian architecture, narrow streets with arches. Here you can even see the ancient sarcophagus, located almost in the middle of the pedestrian part of the street. The archaeologists have discovered in the territory of Castro the ruins of an older settlement, and today everything that they managed to find on the territory of the Acropolis is exhibited in the local Archaeological Museum. You can get there only from Thursday to Sunday from 8 to 14.30. You can find the museum in the upper part of the settlement in the building of the former Catholic Church.

If you love monasteries and temples, then you should go on the road to Faros. The fact is that between Faros and neighboring Platis Gialos there is the most beautiful monastery of Chrysopigi on the beach, where a church, built in the 17th century, has remained to this day. Another beautiful monastery can be seen very near the village of Vati, which inhabitants, like in the old days, are engaged in fishing. The Monastery of Taxiarches is consider the most beautiful of all that are located in Sifnos, and it means something, considering the abundance of the local religious buildings. When visiting churches and monasteries, remember that you will not be allowed inside wearing too revealing clothes.