Page 151 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Greek Islands

Alexandroúpoli
Káto
Karioútes
Paleópoli
Sanctuary of Samot hráki
the Great Gods Thermá
Loutra
Gría Váthra
Kamariótissa
Hóra Foniás Canyon
Alónia Mount Ano Meriá
Fengári
Xiropótamos
Profítis Ilías
Lákkoma
Kipos
Beach

0 kilometres 3 N Vatos Beach
0 miles 3 Pahiá Ámmos
Beach

3 DEITIES AND MYSTERIES
Mount Fengári OF SAMOTHRÁKI
⌂ 11 km (7 miles) SE When Samothráki was
of Hóra colonized by Greeks around
700 BC, the settlers combined
The highest summit in the their Olympian deities with
Aegean, at 1,611 m (5,285 ft), those they found here, who had
this granite mass serves as a been introduced by occupiers
seafaring landmark. The views from Thrace, like the Nike of
from the top are superb; in Victory (right). The principal
legend, the god Poseidon deity of Thrace was Axieros,
watched the Trojan War from the Great Mother, an earth
this mountain. The peak is goddess whom the Greeks
usually climbed from Thérma identified with Demeter,
as a 6-hour round trip, though Aphrodite and Hekate. Her
there is a longer and easier consort was the fertility god
route up from Profítis Ilías Kadmilos, and their twin
village on its southwest flank. offspring were the kabiri. The
cult was open to allcomers of
any age or gender, free or slave,
Greek or barbarian. Details of the
4 ' cult’s mysteries remain
Sanctuary of the unknown, as adherents
Great Gods honoured a vow of silence.
⌂ 3 km (2 miles) NE of Hóra
@ Towards Paleópoli
# May–Oct: 8am–8pm Tue– site had the largest following, impressive. The sanctuary was
Sun; Nov–Apr: 8am–3pm and each of the shrines expanded and improved in
performed different rites. Hellenistic times by Alexander
The Sanctuary of the Great Its position in a canyon at the the Great’s successors, and
Gods on Samothráki was, for base of savage, plunging most of the ruins visible today
almost a millennium, the major crags on the northwest slope date from that period. It has
religious centre of ancient of Mount Fengári was per haps remarkable sights like the
Aeolia, Thrace and Macedonia. calculated to inspire awe; Arsinoeion, or rotunda, the
There were similar shrines on today, though thickly over - largest circular building
Límnos and Ténedos, but this grown, it is scarcely less constructed by the Greeks.
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