PAROS USEFUL TELEPHONE NUMBERS
Paros Area Code : 22840
COUNCIL - Mayors secretary : 21200, 21222
NAOUSSA PAROS : 51220 - 51691
PAROS PORT AUTHORITY : 21240
PAROS NAOUSSA HARBOUR OFFICE : 51495
PAROS POLICE STATION : 23333
PAROS AIRPORT : 91257
PAROS TAXI : 21500
PAROS PARIKIA BUS STATION (KTEL) : 21133
PAROS NAOUSSA BUS STATION (KTEL) : 52865
PAROS HEALTH CENTRE : 22500 - 3
-------------------------------------------------
Paros is a popular holiday resort, having notable tourist development and offers all the necessary facilities to the modern traveller. The capital of the island is Parikia on the west coast. Second in size is Naoussa, one of the most beautiful small harbours of the Aegean. A very important for Paros are its lively picturesque villages. The larger villages are Lefkes, Marpissa, Pisso Livadi, Ta Marmara, Prodromos, Kostos, Drios, Angairia and Aliki.
SIGHTS : SETTLEMENT OF PARIKIA - OLD MARKET
Parikia, built approximately half way down the west coast, around a large safe bay, is the capital of the island, the administrative and economic centre and the passenger and commercial port.
We go back in time to the Byzantine period and at the time of the church Ekatondapiliani, when many aristocrats inhabited the old town which slowly changed its name from Paros to Parikia. Parikia is a modern town with facilities which cover all the needs of a modern tourist. Branches of most banks operate here, also, post office, health centre, internet cafe, tourist offices and car rental businesses. There are plenty of hotels, rooms to let and campsites (Livadia, Krios and Parasporos), giving the visitor a wide choice of accommodation.
As we walk the narrow streets around the castle (Palaia Agora), we come across many tavernas, snack bars and restaurants, serving delicious food. There are also many shops concentrated along the coastal road.
PAROS EKATONDAPILIANI
The "Jewel" of Paros is the temple of the Panayia Tis Ekatondapiliani (Our Lady of One hundred Gates), one of the most ancient Christian monuments of Greece. It is situated in the northeastern part of Parikia, a small distance from the port. It was built in the 4th century. Saint Helena, mother of Constantine the Great, was going to Agios Topous to find the Timio Stavro (part of the Holy Cross), she stopped with her boat in Paros where she prayed and made a promise that if she found the Holy Cross she would build a large church on the site of Ekatondapiliani. Her prayer was answered and she found the cross and carried out her promise. According to another tradition, the church was built by Constantine the Great at the command of his mother. Initially it was a cruciform basilica which was destroyed, possibly by fire.
It was reconstructed during the Justinian period. The temple of Ekatondapiliani was built by the student of Protomastora who built Agia Sophia in Constantinople. During the Frankish and Turkish occupations, it suffered plundering and destruction, the worst being the damage by earthquakes in 1773. In 1959, the restoration began again which today has its original form, in other words, a cruciform basilica incorporating a dome. On the southern side of the temple is the area where baptisms took place, from the 4th century, it is the most ancient and well preserved in the Eastern Orthodox countries. The Byzantine Museum of Parikia is housed within Ekatondapiliani displaying icons, wooden sculptures and ecclesiastical heirlooms.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM OF PAROS
In Parikia, next to the high school is the Archaeological Museum. Here are exposed neolithic finds from the prehistoric settlement on the small island of Saliango, such as the marble idol of "Hontris Kyrias" (Fat Lady) and other wonderful pieces of pottery.One of the masterpieces of the Paros Museum is the statue of Nikis (5th century BC) which portrays a form of a winged female. .A second piece of work is the statue of a mermaid of the 6th century BC. Of the remaining sculptures, the most outstanding one is the statue of the godess Artemis, of huge dimensions (3,7m) from Dilio,the seated statue of the female deity as well as the bottom part of the large statue of Athina, all from the 5th century BC.
One of the most important monuments of Greek history is also housed in the Archaeological Museum, "Pario Hroniko". It is a marble inscription which was engraved during the middle of the 3rd century BC and it includes 134 verses of chronological references which cover 1.318 years(1528 BC -263 BC). The largest part is found today in the museum of Oxford in Great Britain..
PAROS CASTLE
The Castle was built by Sanoudos, the Duke of Naxos (13th century ). Browsing around it we come across small churches, many of them attached to the walls, such as Panayia tou Stavrou (Our Lady of the Cross 1514), Agia Anna, Agios Markos, Agios Stylianos and Agios Konstantinos with fabulous architecture. It has a roofed forecourt and a fantastic view over the sea, one of the most beautiful in the Aegean.
AESCULAPIUS (THE TEMPLE DEVOTED TO THE GOD OF MEDICINE )
The coastal road (heading south) leads to the hill of Agia Anna where an area of worship to the God of medicine, Aesculapius was discovered. It is a building of the 4th century BC. The temple was open - air and built around a water source. In the same area are some traces of an ancient temple devoted to Pythio Apollona.
Paros DILIO
To the north of Parikia bay, on a high hill opposite Dilo, founded at the beginning of the 5th century BC, a temple devoted to Apollon of Dilio is situated. It is made up of a garden with an altar, a temple of Artemida, Apollo's sister and a small feasting place. In the area of Dilio , a Cycladic graveyard was found (3000 BC)
NAOUSSA BYZANTINE MUSEUM
It is housed in the monastery of Agia Athanassia (17th century) which is situated in the western entrance to Naoussa. It houses more than one hundred Byzantine and post - Byzantine icons (from the 15th - 19th century ), many of which are works of local iconographers.
NAOUSSA FOLKLORE MUSEUM
The Folklore Museum has attracted a large interest also due to its folklore collection where traditional costumes from different areas of Greece are displayed.
NAOUSSA VENETIAN CASTLE
The sea - beaten Venetian Castle which is to the north of the port was built by the dynasty of Sommaripa (15th century ) and has a peculiar fortification design.
Paros KEFALO HILL
East of Marpissa is the hill of Kefalo, with the monastery of Agios Antonios (17th century) on the top. The ascent from Marpissa up to the monastery takes approximately half an hour and is one of the most interesting hikes which Paros has to offer. It is open during the summer months in the mornings
Paros PETALOUDES
On the road which connects Parikia with Alyki, approximately 5kms from Parikia, the road branches off and leads us to a place called Psihopiana, where the monastery of "Hristou tou Dasos" (Christ of the Forest). Slightly further west we come to the valley of Petaloudes (Butterflies), one of the greatest wildlife habitats in Greece.
|
Directory BESTGREEKINFO Don't forget to place your listings here Free.
208 hits
|
Home
