CULTURAL SIGHTS OF SYROS
If you think that holidays are not just relaxing and resting, but also getting in touch and knowing important aspects of the cultural heritage of the place you visit, Syros is definitely the destination you were looking for.
Cultural sights, archaeological sites of great historical value, emblematic architectural masterpieces, great museums, majestic churches and an enormous gastronomic tradition, make up the cultural identity of Syros.
Walk through the alleys of the old town in Ano Syros, which stands there from the Middle Ages, admire the Diocese of the Catholics, Saint George (San Tzortzis) with its three-storey bell tower and visit the villages that constitute real cultural attractions.
At Miaoulis Square in Hermoupolis, you will admire the imposing building of the Town Hall, the Cultural Center, as well as the neoclassical buildings of the era, of excellent architecture, all created in the 19th century. It is no coincidence that the city is often referred to as an “open-air museum”.
However, the jewel of Syros is the famous “Apollo” Municipal Theater that nowadays hosts the most important cultural events of the island.
The most important archaeological sites of Syros as well as two of the most important sites of the Cyclades, “Chalandriani” and “Kastri” are located in the northern part of the island. The traces of the Medieval Castle that encircled Ano Syros are still visible in the modern settlement.
Just 1 km north of Ano Syros, there is the place where the philosopher Pherecydes lived in the 6th century BC. It is the famous Ferecydes cave! Here, you literally feel that you are hanging between the sky and the sea, while the amazing view takes your breath away.
The island’s museums are also of great interest. Among them the most important is the archaeological museum, which is one of the oldest museums in Greece. The Museum of Cycladic Art Replicas, the Industrial Museum and Markos Vamvakaris museum set up a network of historical and cultural expression and heritage.
Tsiropinas Mansion in Posidonia is an excellent sample of magnificence and culture. You will be impressed by the surroundings and the architecture of this unique mansion built in 1916 by the Tsiropinas brothers.
In the Mausoleum of Saint George located in Hermoupolis, you have the opportunity to admire monuments that bear the signature of important artists and sculptors such as Fytalis, Vitalis and Spanos. The Mausoleum “hosts” the island’s history and culture. You will feel really amazed reading the names of famous personalities of Greek history such as Mavrokordatos, Benakis, Antoniadis and Rodonakis on some of the monuments.
Of course, you shouldn’t miss visiting the historical site of Tarsana, at the north of Hermoupolis, where the art of wooden shipbuilding has been preserved for 200 years as well as the Catholic and Orthodox churches of the island, some of which constitute significant cultural and historical monuments of Syros.
It’s impossible to visit Syros and not taste its local gastronomy which is key feature of its strong cultural identity. Syros Loukoumi (Turkish delight), Halvadopita (nougat pie), as well as the “San Michali” cheese made exclusively on the island, are Syros’ most famous ambassadors.