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  Featured Destination: Kos

GEOGRAPHY: Kos, between Kalymnos and Nisyros, is the third largest of the Dodecanese. It is 290 sq. km. in area, has 112 km. of coastline and 20,350 inhabitants. All year round there are daily car and passenger ferries from Piraeus, 201 nautical miles away, as well as regular connections with the rest of the Dodecanese and Crete. The boat to the outlying islands on the Piraeus - Kavala route links Kos with Melos, Pholegandros, Santorini, Anaphi, the Dodecanese, islands of the north and east Aegean and Crete once a week. There is also a ship to Limmasol in Cyprus every week. Local services operate to other islands of the Dodecanese and during the summer months there are hydrofoils to Rhodes, Symi, Patmos, Nisyros and Samos. Small boats also ply the route from Kos to Kalymnos, Nisyros and Pserimos. In the summer excursion craft sail to Kalymnos, Pserimos and Nisyros and many cruise liners also drop anchor here. There are flights to Athens, Rhodes, Leros and Mykonos via Rhodes. The island's capital and main port is Kos and its second harbor is at Mastichari. With its rich natural vegetation, woodland and running water Kos is quite unlike the other islands of the Aegean. There is an abundance of antiquities and monuments of all eras, there are excellent tourist facilities, highly developed transport and road system and one is guaranteed a delightful vacation.

HISTORY: The island was first inhabited in Neolithic times, as indicated by traces p served in many places, especially at Kefal In Mycenaean times (15th- 12th century B the island was evidently densely populated and took part in the Trojan War. In around 7 BC it joined the Dorian hexapolis, along w Halicarnassus, Cnidus, Lindos, Ialysos, Kameiros, the religious centre of which was t sanctuary of Apollo at Cnidus. At the beginning of the 5th century BC Kos was conquer by the Persians. It joined the Athenian League as soon as these hostilities ceased. Around the middle of the 4th century BC (366 BC) the city of Kos was built and this remained the island's center until the 6th century AD when was destroyed by a terrible earthquake. K was the birthplace of Hippocrates (46 BC) the Father of Medicine and was renown for its Asklepieion. In Roman times it fad into oblivion though it enjoyed something floruit in the Early Christian and Byzantine era. Towards the end of the 14th century passed into the hands of the Knights of John who built their own city on the very of the ancient agora. During the 15th and 1 century the Knights erected the castle which still stands today, sentinel of the harbor trance. The Ottomans captured Kos in 1 and it remained under Turkish occupation until 1912 when it was taken over by the Italians. In 1933 Kos was smitten by yet another catastrophic earthquake and between then 1943 the Italians carried out extensive excavations on the island and the modern town developed. Only in 1948 was Kos incorporated in the Greek state.

SIGHTS-MONUMENTS: Kos, the capital the island, is located on its northeast side. oldest quarter is that around the harbor where the Knights of St. John built their c on the site of the ancient one. Excavations have brought to light foundations of dive ancient buildings of both Hellenistic and man times. Sections of the Classical defensive wall and foundations of a stoa and small temple, possibly of Herakles, have also been revealed. A monumental basilica was erected adjacent to this temple in Early Chris times. Almost in the centre of the city stoa magnificent sanctuary of Aphrodite, w parts of the ancient agora and the great stoa, of which two columns have been restored, have been uncovered to the west of it. Also at the western edge of town, buildings dating from Hellenistic and Roman times have been uncovered; Roman baths, the portico of the Hellenistic gymnasium, the odeum and a Roman villa which has been largely restored. Other features of interest in the town include the enormous plane tree which, according to tradition was planted by Hippocrates who used to teach in its shade. There are numerous notable churches both in town and on the outskirts, some with valuable wall-paintings and iconostases, and some dating to Early Christian times. Finds from excavations all over Kos are exhibited in the Archaeological Museum although many items (mosaic floors and statues) have been transferred to Rhodes. In antiquity Kos was famous as the island of the god Asklepios and the physician Hippocrates, founder of modern medical science. 15 km. southwest of Kos is the Asklepieion, situated in a particularly beautiful area with cypress trees in abundance and a spectacular view of the Asia Minor coast opposite. A temple of Apollo originally stood on this site and the sanctuary of Asklepios was founded in the 14th century BC. During the 3rd century BC a large altar was built, embellished with sculptures reputedly fashioned by the son of Praxiteles. The sanctuary is built on four terraces and the various edifices were constructed at different times. The most important of these was the actual temple of Asklepios, a Doric peripteral building which stood a smaller temple in the Ionic order, close to the altar. Parts of the Roman temple still survive, as well as traces of the Roman baths. The Asklepieion was an important healing institution in ancient times, rivaling our modern hospitals. It was excavated by the Italian School of Archaeology, which was also responsible for its restoration, giving us some idea of its appearance .n Hellenistic and Roman times. 14 km. south of the harbor is the region of Afendio, comprising five settlements built on the hillside, overlooking the open sea. 
 

Some products to help prepare you for your trip...
Kos - Travel Guide	Map of Kos - Nisyros	Kos - Nisyros - Travel Guide	Greece - A Guide to the Archaeological Sites - Travel Guide	The Foods of the Greek Islands	777 Greek Islands - Travel Guide	The Most Beautiful Villages of Greece

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