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Myrina - See on Map

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Myrina is the capital of Limnos.

Description

Myrina is the capital of Limnos. The city of Myrina was inhabited before the Bronze Age, as evidenced by antiquities that have been found. She was named after Myrina, who was daughter of king Kritheas of Iolkos and wife of the first mythical king of Limnos, Thoas. Myrina’s foundation dates back to the 12th or 13th century B.C, a time that Limnos was dominated by the Minyans and probably it was the same time that the first castle was built. The present castle was built in 1186 by Andronikos Komninos the 1st. It has been repaired during the years 1207-1214 by Philokalos Navigajoso, by John V Palaeologos in 1361, by the Venetians in 1477 and in the late 16th century by the Turks. In 1780, after the repairs that had been made by Tzezaerli Hasan Pasha, it was equipped with 150 cannons.

The castle of the city covers an area of 144 acres. It was the strongest fortress of Limnos and that’s why the city was called Castle at the late Byzantine period until 1955. During the Middle Ages and the Byzantine period, the city was ranked second on the island after Hephaestia. It became again the capital in the late Byzantine period and the period of Turkish domination.

The whole city has got an authentic and traditional style, with the quaint streets, the mansions in Romeikos Yialos, the main market, and the small harbor. The Venetian Castle with its deer, the Archaeological Museum, the prehistoric city, the Metropolitan Cathedral of Agia Triada, the Ecclesiastical Museum, the Ntapia on the hill of Chas, are some of the most interesting sights. Romeikos Gialos and Richa Nera are the two closest beaches which you may approach on foot. The beach of Avlonas is lying just outside Myrina on the way to Kaspakas. On the left side, stands Porto Mirina Hotel, and at its center is located the ancient temple of Goddess Artemis.


 

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