Kos
247998
224191203
2008-07-07T19:04:10Z
Khoikhoi
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{{Infobox Greek Isles
|name = Kos
|native_name = Κως
|skyline = Western archeological site Kos town.jpg
|sky_caption = Ruins of an [[agora]] in Kos town
|map = GR Kos.PNG
|coordinates = {{coord|36|51|N|27|14|E|}}
|chain = Dodecanese
|isles =
|area = 290.313
|highest_mount = Mount Dikaio
|elevation = 843
|periph = [[South Aegean]]
|prefect = [[Dodecanese]]
|capital = Kos (town)
|population = 30947
|pop_as_of = 2001
|postal = 853 xx
|telephone = 22420
|license = ΚΧ, ΡΟ, PK
|website = [http://www.kos.gr www.kos.gr]
}}
'''Kos''' or '''Cos''' ([[Greek language|Greek]]: Κως; [[Turkish Language|Turkish]]: ''İstanköy''; [[Italian language|Italian]]: Coo; formerly ''Stanchio'' in English) is a [[Greece|Greek]] island in the south [[Sporades]] group of the [[Dodecanese]], next to the [[Gulf of Gökova|Gulf of Gökova/Cos]]. It measures 40 km by 8 km, and is only 4 km from the coast of [[Bodrum]], [[Turkey]] and the ancient region of [[Caria]]. The island has both fertile plains and infertile highlands with a population of 30,947. It is comprised of three [[Communities and Municipalities of Greece|municipalities]]: [[Kos (municipality)|Kos]], the administrative center and largest town (pop. 17,890), [[Dikaio]], and [[Irakleides]].
==History==
{{see|Ancient Greece|Roman Greece|Byzantine Greece|Ottoman Greece}}
The island was originally colonised by the [[Carians]]. A contingent from Kos participated in the [[War of Troy]]<ref>''[[Iliad]]'' ii.676, from "Kos, the city of [[Eurypylus]], and the Calydnae isles", under the leaders Phidippos and Antiphos, "sons of the Thessalian king". It is unclear whether Homer is describing cultural affiliations of his own time or remembered traditions of Mycenaean times.</ref> The [[Dorians]]s invaded it in the [[11th century BC]], establishing a Dorian colony with a large contingent of settlers from [[Epidaurus]] who took with them their [[Asclepius]] cult and made their new home famous for its sanatoria. The other chief sources of the island's wealth lay in its wines, and in later days, in its silk manufacture.
Its early history as part of the religious-political [[amphictyony]] that included Lindos, Kamiros, Ialysos, Cnidus, and Halicarnassus,<ref>''The Princeton Encyclopedia of Classical Sites'' (eds. Richard Stillwell, ''et al.''), ''s.v.'' "Kos".</ref> is obscure. At the end of the 6th century Kos fell under [[Achaemenid]] domination, but rebelled after the Greek victory at Cape Mykale in 479. During the [[Greco-Persian Wars]], when it expelled the [[Achaemenid|Persians]] twice, it was ruled by tyrants, but as a rule it seems to have been under an oligarchic government. In the 5th century it joined the [[Delian League]], and after the revolt of [[Rhodes]] served as the chief [[History of Athens|Athenian]] station in the south-eastern Aegean (411-407). In [[366 BC]], a democracy was instituted. After helping to weaken Athenian power, in the [[Social War (357-355 BC)]], it fell for a few years to the [[Mausolus|king Mausolus]] [[Caria|of Caria]]. In [[366 BC]], the capital was transferred from [[Astypalaia]] to the new-built town of Kos, laid out in a [[Hippodamian]] grid plan.
In the [[Hellenistic Greece|Hellenistic]] age Kos attained the zenith of its prosperity. Its alliance was valued by the kings of Egypt, who used it as an outpost for their navy to watch the Aegean. As a seat of learning it rose to be a kind of provincial branch of the museum of [[Alexandria]], and became a favorite resort for the education of the princes of the Ptolemaic dynasty; among its most famous sons were the physician [[Hippocrates]], the painter [[Apelles]], the poets [[Philitas]] and, perhaps, [[Theocritus]].
Kos was also known as Meropis and Nymphæa. [[Diodorus Siculus]] (xv. 76) and [[Strabo]] (xiv. 657) describe it as a well-fortified port. Its position gave it a high importance in Ægean trade; while the island itself was rich in wines of considerable fame ([[Pliny the Elder|Pliny]], xxxv. 46). Under [[Alexander the Great|Alexander III]] [[Macedon|of Macedon]] and the [[Ptolemaic dynasty|Egyptian Ptolemies ]](from 336 B.C.) the town developed into one of the great centers in the Ægean; [[Josephus]] ("Ant." xiv. 7, § 2) quotes Strabo to the effect that [[Mithridates]] was sent to Kos to fetch the gold deposited there by the [[Cleopatra VII|queen Cleopatra]] [[Ptolemaic Egypt|of Egypt]]. [[Herod the Great|Herod]] is said to have provided an annual stipend for the benefit of prize-winners in the athletic games (Josephus, "B. J." i. 21, § 11), and a statue was erected there to his son Herod the Tetrarch ("C. I. G." 2502 ).
[[Image:KOSAscl.jpg|thumb|Ruins of Asclepiaeum outside Kos town and view.]]
[[Image:KosMediev.jpg|thumb|left|Map of Cos by Olfert Dapper, Amersterdam 1702]]
[[Image:KOS.GIF|thumb|Map of Kos.]]
Except for occasional incursions by [[corsairs]] and some severe earthquakes, the island has rarely had its peace disturbed. Following the lead of its great neighbour, Rhodes, Kos generally displayed a friendly attitude towards the Romans; in [[53]] AD it was made a free city. The island was later conquered by the [[Republic of Venice|Venetians]], who then sold it to the [[Knights Hospitaller]] of Rhodes (the Knights of St John) in 1315. Two hundred years later the Knights faced the threat of a Turkish invasion and abandoned the island to the [[Ottoman Empire]] in 1523. The Ottomans ruled Kos for 400 years until it was transferred to [[Italy]] in 1912. In [[World War II]], the island was taken over by [[Nazi Germany|Germany]] until 1945, when it became a protectorate of the [[United Kingdom]], who ceded it to Greece in 1947.
==Geography==
[[Image:IMG 1281kos south.JPG|thumb|left|Looking along the Kos coastline from the resort of Kardamena]]
The [[island]] is part of a [[Mountain range|chain of mountains]] from which it became separated after [[earthquake]]s and subsidence that occurred in ancient times. These mountains include [[Kalymnos]] and [[Pserimos|Kappari]] which are separated by an underwater chasm c. 70 m (40 [[fathom]]s deep), as well as the [[volcano]] of [[Nisyros]] and the surrounding islands.
There are a wide variety of rocks in Kos which is related to its geographical formation. Prominent among these are the [[Quaternary]] layers in which the [[fossil]] remains of [[mammal]]s such as [[horse]]s, [[Hippopotamus|hippopotami]] and [[elephant]]s have been found. The fossilised [[Molar (tooth)|molar]] of an elephant of gigantic proportions was presented to the [[Paleontology]] Museum of the [[University of Athens]].
The shores of Kos Island are washed by the waters of the Aegean Sea. Its coastline is 112 km long and is caressed by long immaculate [[beach]]es, leading to its main industry being [[tourism]]. [[Agriculture|Farming]] is the principal occupation of many of the island's inhabitants, with their main crops being [[grape]]s, [[almond]]s, [[Ficus|figs]], [[olive]]s, and [[tomato]]es, along with [[wheat]] and [[cereal|corn]]. [[Romaine lettuce|Cos lettuce]] may be grown here, but the name is unrelated.
The main [[village]]s of Kos island are [[Kardamena]], [[Kefalos]], Tingaki, Antimachia, Mastihari, Marmari and Pyli. Smaller ones are Zia, Zipari, Platani, Lagoudi and Asfendiou.
==Culture==
[[Image:Kos seaport.jpg|thumb|left|Port and city view of Kos town on the island Kos.]]
[[Image:Kos Platane1.jpg|thumb|left|The platane of Hippocrates.]]
The main [[seaport|port]] and population centre on the island, also called Kos, is also the tourist and cultural centre, with whitewashed buildings including many hotels, restaurants and a small number of nightclubs forming the famous Kos town "barstreet". The town has a [[14th century]] [[Fortification|fortress]] at the entrance to its [[Harbor|harbour]], erected in 1315 by The Knights of Saint John of Rhodes.
[[Image:Church in Pyli Kos.jpg|thumb|Greek orthodox church in Pyli on Kos island.]]
The ancient physician Hippocrates is thought to have been born on Kos, and in the center of the town is the [[Tree of Hippocrates|Plane Tree of Hippocrates]], a [[Sleep temple|dream temple]] where the physician is traditionally supposed to have taught. The limbs of the now elderly tree are supported by scaffolding. The small city is also home to the International Hippocratic Institute and the [[Hippocratic Museum]] dedicated to him. Near the Institute are the ruins of [[Asclepieion|Asklepieion]], where [[Herodicus]] taught Hippocrates medicine. Kardamena is a popular resort for young British holidaymakers and has a large number of bars and nightclubs.
==Religion==
[[Image:KosHarbourN.jpg|thumb|Port night view.]]
[[Image:KardamenaHarbourPanoramic.jpg|thumb|Panoramic of Kardamena Harbour Front.]]
The main religion practiced is [[Greek Orthodox Church|Greek Orthodoxy]]. Kos has one of the four [[cathedral]]s in the entire Dodecanese. There is also a [[Roman Catholic Church]] on the island as well as a [[Mosque]] catering to the [[Muslim]] community of Kos. The [[Synagogue]] is no longer used for religious ceremonies as the [[Jew|Jewish community]] of Kos was practically wiped out by the [[Nazism|Nazis]] in World War II. It has, however, been restored and is maintained with all religious symbols intact and is now used by the Municipality of Kos for various events, mainly cultural.
==Notable people==
*[[Hippocrates]] ([[5th century BC]]), "father of medicine"
*[[Apelles]] ([[4th century BC]]) painter
*[[Marika Papagika]] (early 20th century) singer
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
{{Commonscat|Kos}}
*{{coor dm|36|51|N|27|14|E|}}
{{Dodecanese Islands}}
{{Dodecanese}}
{{Aegean Sea}}
{{Third Journey of Paul of Tarsus}}
[[Category:Islands of Greece]]
[[Category:The Dodecanese]]
[[Category:Tourism in Greece]]
[[Category:Subduction volcanoes]]
[[Category:Volcanoes of Greece]]
[[Category:Volcanoes of the Aegean]]
[[Category:Dorian Hexapolis]]
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