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Table of Contents:
NOT SO ANCIENT.
PATMOS TODAY.
SHOULD SEE.
Patmos is a small island (13 sq miles) lying off the west coast of Turkey. It is one of the Dodecanese islands. It was on the trading routes of ships sailing to or from Kusadasi and Didim in old times.
As there were very few encyclopedias around 4000 years ago, its early history is sketchy. However, piecing together pottery, it appears Patmos has an early history like many Greek islands. Sometime between 1600-1200 B.C., the Carians arrive from the mainland (Asia Minor).
Next come the Mycenaeans, beginning in the Peloponnese and island-hopping eastward.
By 1200 B.C., the Dorians from the north gain control of many of the islands.
Patmos in Mythology.
The island began as “Letois,” in honor of the goddess Artemis, daughter of Leto. The sister of Apollo, she was the goddess of wild animals, the hunt, and vegetation.
Her friend, the moon goddess Selene, cast her moonbeam over the waters illuminating the sunken island of Patmos.
With the help of her brother Apollo, Artemis convinces Zeus to raise the island from the sea.
Patmos in the Classic Years.
There is a very little history about Patmos during this period. However, it appears the Patmians identified themselves as Dorians from Argos, Epidaurus, and Sparta in the Peloponesse. Possibly after siding with Sparta against Athens in the Peloponesse War.
The Hellenic Years.
Due to its size and location, Alexander the Great pays the island little attention during his campaign to Asia.
However, his general Ptolomy will seize the Greek islands in the land grab over Alexander’s kingdom after his death.
For the most part, he leaves Patmos alone as it is not of naval importance. Patmos will become a somewhat successful little island. With success comes pirates and others wanting to acquire your wealth. It is during this period that the island builds an acropolis, complete with fortification walls and towers.
The Romans are Coming.
Circa 200 B.C., Patmos comes under Roman rule.
It is no use to the Romans if it is not a major port for trade or naval operations. Instead, like many of the small Greek islands, they use it as a place of exile.
Less Ancient Patmos History.
Circa 95 A.D., the Romans exile St. John the Divine to the island of Patmos.
During his approximately 15 years on the island, he would receive and write down the Bible’s Book of Revelations.
Some refer to it as the Apocalypse of John.
And the arguments begin.
John was from Patmos but was not the Apostle. Or he was the Apostle of Jesus, or he was just a believer by the name of John.
Apocalypse comes from the Greek “apokalypsis,” which is possibly the language John writes in. The Greek text begins with the word “apokalypsis.”
The meaning of the Greek word is “revelation,” as in unfolding or exposing. The Greek word does not mean the world’s destruction, although the meaning blurs over thousands of years. This is also open to debate.
Some, but not all, will agree it is the last book of the New Testament. And some will say it is the only New Testament book about the unveiling of the future. But these are all open to debate. For example, I’m sure some will argue he wrote it on a laptop.
It appears that John will stay on Patmos for approximately 15 years before returning to Ephesus. There he will build a house for the Virgin Mary, or he doesn’t. And here we go again. What you believe is correct for you.
Byzantine and Recent History.
By 100 A.D., Patmos is an important naval strong point for Miletus in Asia Minor. A fortress needs a community to support it, so the island thrives.
With the beginning of the Byzantine Empire (circa 330 A.D.), the islands fall under the leadership of Constantinople.
With the growth of Christianity, the Pagan Greek, then Roman temples became churches or building supplies for churches. Few relics remain on Patmos from the Greeks or Romans.
Unfortunately, continuous raids by the Arabs and other tribes drive the locals to flee the island. Reports by prisoners in exile circa 904 say the island did not have water or local food.
Circa 1054, the Christian Church divides into two major branches: the Western Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church. The Greek islands remain under the governing and now Eastern Orthodox leadership of Constantinople.
The Byzantine Emperor begins assigning the Greek islands to soldier-priests to spread the Eastern Orthodox religion. Circa 1088, he assigns Patmos to John Christodoulos. He will build the first part of the monastery (The Chapel of Saint Anne) within the first three years. Although he also fortifies the site, by 1093, numerous pirate attacks drive them from the island. The second part, the Monastery of St. John, will sit unfinished until monks return circa 1100.
Post Byzantine Patmos.
Crusaders would claim the island in the 1204 land-grab frenzy following the fall of Constantinople.
The island falls under the “protection” of the Pope. By the 1300s, the Knights of St John, who are on Rhodes to the south, are the protectors. Although Patmos pays for this protection, neither protect the island from plundering pirates or land-grabbing kingdoms.
The island turns to the Turks for protection from the pirate Barbarossa and other invaders.
When the Ottoman Turks seize Constantinople circa 1453, many Byzantine families flee to Patmos.
The Knights of Rhodes manage to protect many of the Dodecanese islands until 1522. When they flee Rhodes, many of the surrounding islanders also flee. Patmos almost becomes a ghost island.
Patmos and the Ottomans.
Like much of Greece, the Ottomans take control, then move on, leaving a small garrison to rule the Greeks. As long as the Greeks pay their yearly fees, the Ottomans leave them alone. The locals can worship as they please, including Christianity.
Circa 1590, the Christians build the Church of Panagia Diassozousa.
By the 1600s, Patmos is once again a busy shipping port. They are exporting cotton goods and artworks. They rebuild the monastery.
Circa 1655, the Turks are no longer manning the island. The locals are leading a good life, and the Turks allow the Greeks to self-govern. This low-hanging fruit does not go unnoticed.
The Venetians attack and, by 1700, have control of the island. They build a staircase (Skala) from the port area up to Hora, giving the port its current name Skala.
The theologian Makarios Kalogeras begins the Patmiada School circa 1713 as an intellectual and religious center. It will become an important location of the secret “Society of Friends,” whose purpose is an independent Greek state.
Road to Revolution.
Circa 1768, the Ottomans declared war on Russia. Catherine the Great has been making strides to claim the Ottoman lands for herself. When she sends naval ships to the Greek Peloponesse, she goes too far. Although Patmos is not in the center of the battle, it benefits from the outcome. In the treaty that follows, the Russians gain the right to protect the Orthodox population. Patmos becomes independent from the Ottomans. The Monastery receives sole ownership and shares part of the land with the community.
By 1821, the Greek Revolution for Independence is in full swing. By 1830, the war was over, and the Ottomans evacuated the Greek mainland and many islands. Unfortunately, Patmos is not one of them. Nearby Rhodes becomes the seat of the chief admiral of the Ottoman Navy.
Patmos and the 1900s.
Circa 1912, during the Italo-Turkish War, the Kingdom of Italy seizes the island and several around it. By the end of the year, there is a peace treaty, the Treaty of Ouchy. In the agreement, the Greek islands are to go back to the Ottomans. However, the Balkan War begins the same week, and the Italians are too busy to turn over the islands.
1914 and the world is at war. There is no time to be dealing with the islands.
1923 and the Ottomans are striving for peace with the major powers of Europe. In the Treaty of Lausanne, Turkey has to renounce all claims on the Greek Islands. So the islands remain under Italian control.
In retaliation for the Italian Armistice in 1943, Germany attacks Italy, occupying the Dodecanese islands. They hold on to the island until the end of the war in 1945. During this time, they kill most of the Jewish population.
Patmos After the War.
With the end of the war, the Dodecanese islands become a British military protectorate. However, the British allowed them to run their own local governments, informally uniting with Greece.
The islands would not formally unite with Greece for almost another two years under the 1947 Peace Treaty with Italy.
In the same year, the Patmiada School starts holding classes in the Cave of the Revelation. By 1951 they will be able to build a new school in the town.
The island gets telephone service beginning in 1948. The first power plant will turn on in 1952.
After the Second World War, Patmos, like most islands and small towns, loses its population. As a result, young people move to Athens to find a better living. Some will go as far as America and Australia to start a new life.
Patmos Today.
In 1983, the Greek Parliament declared Patmos a Holy Island. This adds a healthy boost to the Island’s tourism which has been slowly growing since the war.
In 1988, the Monastery of St John celebrated its 900th anniversary. The island celebrates the 1900th anniversary of St John’s Revelation in 1995. Every September, they hold a religious music festival.
The Historic Centre, Monastery of Saint-John, and the Cave of the Apocalypse join UNESCO’s 1999 World Heritage list.
Yes, Patmos is a religious site, and a large number of visitors are Christian pilgrims. But the island offers more than just this.
What is in Patmos for me?
See & Hear.
Wander the narrow twisting walkways of the Chora and find one of its small squares. Sip a cold drink and watch and listen to the endless parade of locals and travelers in the know.
Taste & Smell.
Although Skala (the lower port town) has many restaurants, you will find more tourists than visitors at many of them. So instead, check with your hotel to find the traditional restaurants located outside the main town. Here you will really smell and taste the authentic Patmos cuisine.
Feel.
There is the big white monastery in the middle of the room, and it deserves its UNESCO status. Once the cruise ships depart, visit the cave without long lines. I love the feeling of peace. However, the calmness seems out of place with the images of the Apocalypse.
Find a terrace facing west and enjoy a glass of wine. Then, watch the local sunset while you think back on your inspirational day. There may be better ways to meet the approaching evening, but this one doesn’t suck.
Should See Patmos.
Chora.
The upper town, Chora, contains many religious and secular buildings. It is one of the oldest and best-preserved Choras in the Aegean. The town contains many buildings, dating from the 17th and 18th centuries and a few from earlier.
Monastery of Saint John the Theologian.
This Greek Orthodox monastery also goes by Monastery of Saint John the Divine. The building began circa 1088 with the chapel. This UNESCO World Heritage site houses more than 300 manuscripts. More than 250 are on parchment, and 82 of those are manuscripts of the New Testament. Relics include the skull of St Thomas. Currently, approximately 40 monks are living here.
Ecclesiastical Museum Chora.
Inside the Monastery of Saint John is this small museum. It houses treasures of the monastery, including ecclesiastical ornaments, valuable icons, and more.
Cave of the Apocalypse.
Below the Chora is a white-washed building housing the entrance to the cave. This grotto is possibly the spot where John of Patmos received his visions for the Book of Revelation.
Patmian Ecclesiastic School.
Makarios Kalogeras establishes the school on the hill above the cave circa 1713. It would be a center of the secret “Society of Friends,” whose purpose is an independent Greek state. The current building dates from the 1950s above the original site.
Holy Monastery of Zoodochou Pigi.
Southwest of the St John Monastery is this convent of the life-giving source (Zoodochos Pigi.) The convent dates from 1607.
Simantiri Mansion.
Next to the Zoodochos Pigi monastery, this Folklore Museum is in a former 1625 mansion with work by Smyrnian artisans.
Nikolaidis Mansion.
Towards the eastern end of the Chora is this residential museum. The building dates from the 17th and 18th centuries. The collection dates from the island’s prehistoric period onward.
Windmills of Chora.
East of Chora are two windmills dating from 1588 and a third from 1863. Before this time, locals would grind cereals by hand or under animal power. The Roman mills using water were of no use on this dry island. The windmills would eventually lose out to electrical, but not before the 1950s. The windmills then sat empty until a 2009 restoration. Today, one is a small milling museum, one produces electricity, and the other pumps water.
Skala.
The lower town or harbor area is where you will find most accommodations, cafes, and shops. Outside of walking the narrow streets or along the harbor, there is not much to see in the Skala.
Monastery of Panagia Koumana.
Across the harbor from Skala on the hill is this white-washed monastery. The monastery dates from1748 and the church from1780. The monastery sits against a rock outcropping, once a hermit’s cave. The view back towards Skala is great.
Arki Island.
Access is by ferry from Skala harbor and takes about 40 minutes each way. There is not much to the island, which is part of its attraction.
You will not find motor vehicles, one of the reasons it is on the Natura 2000 network of nature protection areas. There are bits of a Byzantine castle on the ruins of a 4th century B.C. structure. Like most islands, the Church of Pantanassa is the main attraction. There are approximately 80 residents.
Marathi Island.
Marathi (Marathos) is even quieter than Arki. With less than 20 residents in the summer, it has no roads. A few tavernas, some beaches, and simple accommodations make this one of Greece’s less-inhabited islands.
Grikos.
A ten-minute drive south of Skala, this charming village offers some more upscale accommodations and a lovely beach.
Rock of Kalikatsou.
At the western end of Grikos Bay is this large rock (petra.) With numerous cave-like crevices, it is a source of several legends. For example, some say it once held the temple of Aphrodite.
Church of Saint John the Theologian
This small whitewashed church is east of Grikos, near the coast. The original structure probably dates to before the monastery’s construction. It sits upon the ruins of some ancients baths. Legend says that Saint John was baptizing Christians in this area.
Kampos Village.
Like Chora and Skala, Kambos consists of an upper village, Pano Kambos, and a lower, Kato Kambos. The lower is basically a beach, a few tavernas, and small accommodations.
Pano Kambos is the main village and is the center of an agriculture and farming community. Here you will find additional taverns, shops, and accommodations.
Church of the Annunciation.
On the main street of the upper town is this white-washed Evangelical Church.
Church of Panagia tou Geranou.
East of Kampos, towards the tip of the island, is this small church. Excavations point to the present-day church sitting on an earlier church and possibly a pagan temple.
Church of Saint Nicholas of Evdimos.
On the main road from Pano Kambos to Kato Kambos is this small church. Just up from the beach, it is one of the oldest churches on the island. The sanctuary and bell tower date from the early 1800s. A few parts of the chapel are from even earlier and still have parts of the original frescoes visible. Also, check out the mosaic St. Nicholas icon.
Patmos Beaches.
There are no super beach clubs on Patmos. And this is O.K. There are several nice beaches, many with cafes nearby.
Paralia Petra Beach.
This rocky beach, adjacent to the Rock of Kalikatsou, is good for swimming and relaxing. There are sunbeds and umbrellas for rent.
Paralia Panagia Geranou.
This pebble beach near the church of the same name has no services. However, it’s great for those looking for peace and quiet.
Psili Amos.
This rock and sand beach is out the south end of the island. Outcroppings on either side protect the beach from the wind. Shade is under trees on a first-come basis. There is a cafe.
Paralia Kampos.
The main beach in Kampos is also a popular one. There are ample chairs and umbrellas for rent, as well as several cafes nearby.
Paralia Vagia.
One bay east of Kampos is this rocky, sandy beach with no services or shade. It is the opposite of Kampos.
There are several other small beaches around the island. Unfortunately, most of them have little to no services.
Patmos Summary.
Any time you can visit a UNESCO site, I recommend it. But see some of the rest of the island as well.
It is not one of the party islands of Greece, but that’s not a completely bad thing.
The lack of tourists means you are going to get the real Greek experience.
Expect traditional Greek cuisine. There are no fast-food chains or Asian-fusion cafes.
Let the island’s peace and serenity wash over you.
Visit Patmos.