Ikaria
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About Ikaria
Ikaria, also spelled Icaria is a Greek island 19 km south-west of Samos.
It is one of the middle islands of the northern Aegean, 660 km² in area with 160 km in coastline and a population of about 7,000 inhabitants. The topography is a contrast between verdant slopes and barren steep rocks. The island is mountainous for the most part. It is traversed by Aetheras range, whose highest summit is 1,040 metres. Most of its villages are nestled in the plains near the coast, with only some of them on the mountains. Ikaria has a tradition in the production of strong red wine. Many parts of the island are covered by large bushes, especially ravines, making the landscape lush with green. There are no rare species of fauna on the island. Besides pets, only small goat herds make their presence known, disturbing the serenity of the island with their bells. Ikaria's climate is considered mild.
Ikaria is steeped in history, it has been inhabited since at least 7000 BC when it was inhabited by the Neolihic pre-hellenic people that Greeks called Pelasgians.. In the sixth century BC Ikaria was absorbed by Samos and became part of Polycrates’ sea empire. The Ikarians used to being invaded, created their own warning device to alert others when there was impending danger. According to local historians, the Ikarians left to their own devices, built seven watchtowers around the coast. As soon as a hostile or unknown sail was seen, the watchers immediately lit a fire and then ran to a cistern that was always filled with water. They pulled out a wooden bung in the bottom and the water, of course, began to leak out. The garrisons of the other towers had been alerted by the fire to do the same thing at the same time. Inside each cistern in each castle were identical lines, like those on a measuring jar. Each of these calibrations had a different message attached to it: "pirates attacking", "unknown sail approaching", etc. When the water level reached the level of the appropriate message, the senders re bunged the cistern and put out the fire and everyone in the other towers could read off the size and proximity of the danger.
During this time, the Ikarians seldom built villages. Each house was remote from its neighbour, had only one door and was barricaded behind high walls. A working chimney could be a giveaway, so they endured smoke-filled rooms which were kept bare of lootable belongings. Tradition promises that everyone slept on the floor and hid their belongings in niches in the walls. Men and women wore much the same clothes: woven linen skirts for the women, kilts for the males. This lifestyle is said to have procured longevity, and also classlessness. The quality of life improved greatly after 1960 when the Greek government began to invest in the infrastructure of the islands assisting in the promotion of tourism.
Despite a difficult history, which during different eras involved defending against pirate attacks, surviving a 400-year Turkish occupation, war, civil war, starvation, and poverty, the spirit of the Ikarians has never been broken, it has survived, overcome, and prevailed. Ikarians exhibit a great pride in their island and a love of family and education. Many Ikarians and their descendants have gone on to great success - whether success is defined as the achievement of wealth or power (both at home and abroad) or as the overcoming of great obstacles to achieve a balanced life. Ikarians pursue not only work but also the pleasure of being with family and friends, especially when accompanied by a cup of coffee or a shot of ouzo with octopus or kalamari (caught earlier that day from Ikarian waters), a glass of wine and good food (including bread fresh from the oven of the town baker). Ikarians look forward to the various Saint's Days when, in the central square of different towns and villages, they can feast and dance the "Kariotiko" throughout the night to the music of live bands featuring the violin and bouzouki. Time, for most Ikarians, is something to enjoy and savor with good company and surrounded by nature and the beauty of the mountains and the Aegean Sea. Time is not something to worry about or be driven by. The word “deadline” is unknown to most Ikarians. One can never be late, because one can never be expected to be anywhere at any given moment in time. To most visitors, this at first is disconcerting and often frustrating; later it is liberating. Most people who have been to Ikaria for any length of time do not want to leave, and, when they must, they dream of returning. And whether they are able to return or not, it is often sufficient, wherever they may find themselves, to have experienced Ikaria, to know that it exists, and to know that they can return to it, if only in mind, and free themselves of the concerns and stresses created by the demands of today's fast-moving, modern societies.
