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Naxos Νάξος
The City of Naxos
Geography
Coordinates:	37°5′N 25°28′E / 37.083, 25.467
Island Chain:	Cyclades
Area:[1]	429.785 km² (166 sq.mi.)
Highest Mountain:	Mt. Zas (999 m (3,278 ft))
Government
Greece
Periphery:	South Aegean
Prefecture:	Cyclades
Capital:	Naxos (city)
Statistics
Population:	18,188 (as of 2001)
Density:	42 /km² (110 /sq.mi.)
Postal Code:	843 xx
Area Code:	22850
License Code:	EM

Naxos (in Greek, Νάξος; Italian: Nasso; Turkish: Nakşa) is a Greek island, the largest island (428 km²) in the Cyclades island group in the Aegean. It was the centre of archaic Cycladic culture.

The island is comprised of the two municipalities of Naxos and Drymalia. The largest town and capital of the island is Hora, sometimes called Naxos City, with 6,533 inhabitants (2001 census). The main villages are Filoti, Aperathos, Vivlos, Agios Arsenios, Koronos and Glinado.

Naxos is a popular tourist destination, with several easily accessible ruins. It has a number of beautiful beaches, such as those at Agia Anna, Agios Prokopios, Alikos, Kastraki, Mikri Vigla, Plaka, and Agios Georgios, most of them near Hora. Naxos is the most fertile island of the Cyclades. It has a good supply of water in a region where water is usually inadequate. Mount Zas (999 metres) is the highest peak in the Cyclades, and tends to trap the clouds, permitting greater rainfall. This has made agriculture an important economic sector with various vegetable and fruit crops as well as cattle breeding, making Naxos one of the most self sufficient islands in the Cyclades. Naxos is also known within Greece for its potatoes.

According to a story in Greek mythology, the young Zeus was raised in a cave on Mt. Zas ("Zas" meaning "Zeus"). Homer mentions "Dia"; literally the sacred island "of the Goddess". Karl Kerenyi, speaking for the ancient Greeks, explains:

Naxos City, temple entrance landmark or the "Portara"

One legend has it that in the Heroic Age before the Trojan War, on this island Theseus abandoned the princess Ariadne of Crete after she helped him for to kill the Minotaur and for to escape from the Labyrinth. The god Dionysus, of wine, festivities, the primal energy of life and the protector of the island, met Ariadne and fell in love with her. But eventually Ariadne, unable to bear her separation from Theseus, killed herself, according to the Athenians, or ascended to heaven, as the older versions had it.

According to another mythological story, the Aloadae had piled Mt. Ossa and Mt. Pelion on top of each other in front of Mt. Olympus, and were seen as a threat to the gods. To solve this problem, Artemis told Otus, one of the two brothers, that if he shall stop the siege of the Olympus she would come and be his lover at Naxos. Another story says that the Aloadae had actually settled Naxos.

The Duchy of Naxos and states in the Morea, carved from the Byzantine Empire, as they were in 1265 (William R. Shepherd, Historical Atlas, 1911)

In 502 BCE the inhabitants of Naxos rebelled against their masters in the Persian Empire; this revolt led to the larger Ionian Revolt, and then to the Persian War between Greece and Persia.

During the 8th and 7th centuries BC, Naxos dominated commerce in the Cyclades.

Further information: Duchy of the Archipelago

In the aftermath of the Fourth Crusade, with a Latin Emperor under the influence of the Venetians established at Constantinople, the Venetian Marco Sanudo conquered the island and soon captured the rest of the islands of the Cyclades, establishing himself as Duke of Naxia, or Duke of the Archipelago. Twenty-one dukes in two dynasties ruled the Archipelago, until 1566; Venetian rule continued in scattered islands of the Aegean until 1714.

The beach of Aghios Prokopis.

Taverna in the traditional town of Filóti.

The Ottoman administration remained essentially in the hands of the Venetians; the Porte's concern was satisfied by the returns of taxes. Very few Turks ever settled on Naxos, and Turkish influence on the island is slight. Turkish sovereignty lasted until 1821, when the islands revolted; Naxos finally became a member of the Greek state in 1832.

• Iakovos Kambanelis (1922) poet, playwright, lyricist and novelist

• Communities of the Cyclades

• Kerenyi, Karl 1951. The Gods of the Greeks.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Naxos

• WikiTravel page on Naxos

37°5′00″N, 25°28′00″E

v • d • e Articles on the Aegean Sea
General
Countries	Greece •  Turkey
Other	Aegean civilization • Aegean Islands • Aegean dispute
Aegean islands
The Cyclades	Amorgos • Anafi • Andros • Antiparos • Delos • Folegandros • Ios • Kea • Kimolos • Koufonisi • Kythnos • Milos • Mykonos • Naxos • Paros • Santorini • Serifos • Sifnos • Sikinos • Syros • Tinos
The Dodecanese	Agathonisi • Arkoi • Armathia • Alimia • Astakida • Astypalia • Chamili • Gaidaros • Gyali • Halki • Kalolimnos • Kalymnos • Kandelioussa • Karpathos • Kasos • Kastellorizo • Kos • Leros • Lipsi • Nisyros • Patmos • Pacheia • Platy • Pserimos • Rho • Rhodes • Saria • Strongili • Symi • Syrna • Telendos • Tilos • Zafora
The North Aegean	Chios • Chryse • Cynda • Fournoi Korseon • Icaria • Imbros • Lemnos • Lesbos • Psara •Samos • Samothrace • Tenedos • Thasos
The Saronic	Aegina • Angistri • Dokos • Hydra • Poros • Salamis • Spetses
The Sporades	Adelfoi Islets • Agios Georgios Skopelou • Alonissos • Argos Skiathou • Dasia • Erinia • Gioura • Grammeza • Kyra Panagia • Lekhoussa • Peristera • Piperi • Psathoura • Repio • Rineia Skyrou • Sarakino • Skandili • Skantzoura • Skiathos • Skopelos • Skyropoula • Skyros • Tsougria • Valaxa
Other	Crete • Dia • Euboea • Gavdos