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Plaka - See on Map

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Plaka was originally a place of seasonal residence for the residents of Agios Ypatios and Paleopolis (Hephaistia).

Description

Plaka was originally a place of seasonal residence for the residents of Agios. Ypatios and Paleopolis (Hephaistia), who owned land in the area and were going to cultivate. After 1823, some people started to live there permanently and around 1860 there were gathered enough to create a settlement. The original name of the village was Symferoupolis. This name was given by the Metropolite of Limnos Joachim III, to whom the residents addressed when they decided to set up a community, because interest reasons forced them to leave Agios Hypatios. The name Plaka was given by the homonymous cape with the dun slabs. Since the cape is approximately in the middle of the straight line between Troy and Athos, some felt that this is the "Hermeon lepas" of the ancients, through which the news of Fall of Troy were broadcasted by fire. Although the tip has height of only 70 meters, cape protrudes deep into the sea and has visual contact with both areas. This is why, a beacon of 30 meters high and range of 20 miles was erected here in 1912.

Between the villages of Panagia and the Plaka there is the deserted medieval settlement Axia or Naxa. According to Arg. Moschidis is the ancient region Akesa, which named by Philoctetes, from the verb "akeomai: “healed" because he was healed from a snake bite in this area. It is not a coincidence that in this position a monastery dedicated to the doctors and therapists Agioi Anargiri founded, in an attempt of the Christian religion to usurp the ancient beliefs. Further north, in the site Rousounia, there are thermal springs with water rich in radium, suitable for spa and mud baths. Nearby there was a chapel of Agios Charalambos. Many patients from all over the island used to arrive in the area by their donkeys in order to get suffused by the hot muddy water. A few decades ago, expatriates from the U.S.A. erected a new chapel of Agios Charalambos and cells for the accommodation of the pilgrims.    

Since 1355, there are reports of the existence of the fortified settlement Kastrin in the region of Plaka. Probably is identified with the " Kastrioton Castle ", in which Kritovoulos from Imbros disembarked in 1459 and turned away the Venetians from the island. The inhabitants in the years of Sultan Bayazid II (1481-1512) settled in Paleocastro (Myrina). The remains today are called Paliokastro or Vriokastro.  

In the southern part of the peninsula of Vriokastro, 800 meters away from the shore and eastern of the reef of Vina, remains of ancient sunken city have been identified. Specifically, group of buildings preserved to a height of two meters with monolithic lintels and paved streets. The whole picture reminds the prehistoric city of Limnos, Poliochni. Another ancient sunken city has been found off the east coast in the sea area “Mythones”. The existence of the remains was first mentioned by Choiseul-Guffier in 1785 who equated them with the Homeric island Chrisi, which was precipitated in 197 BC.  

Location

 

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