Eresos
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Eresos Ερεσός |
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 Eresos
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| Coordinates: 39°10′16″N 25°55′52″E / 39.171°N 25.931°ECoordinates: 39°10′16″N 25°55′52″E / 39.171°N 25.931°E | |
| Country | Greece |
| Administrative region | North Aegean |
| Regional unit | Lesbos |
| Municipality | Lesbos |
| Municipal unit | Eresos-Antissa |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Rural | 1,086 |
| Community | |
| • Population | 1,611 (2011) |
| Time zone | EET (UTC+2) |
| • Summer (DST) | EEST (UTC+3) |
Eresos (/ˈɛrəsɒs/; Greek: Ερεσός) and its twin beach village Skala Eresou are located in the southwest part of the Greek island of Lesbos. They are villages visited by considerable number of tourists. Eresos and the village Antissa constitute the municipality Eresos-Antissa.
The municipality of Eresos–Antissa contains five other villages: Messotopos, Vatoussa, Chidira, Sigri and Pterounda located in the west and most barren part of the island. Bare rocky hills, derived from ancient volcanic activity, dominate the area. Skala Eresou is a centre for international tourism and is a favorite spot of Greek families, young people as well as gay women. With its long beautiful beach with dark volcanic sand and its crystal-clear unpolluted water, Skala Eressou was awarded Blue Flag status by the Foundation for Environmental Education.
Stephanus of Byzantium, a lexicographer of the 6th century AD, claimed that the city was named after Eresos, a son of the mythical king of Lesbos, Macar. Archaeology suggests that the city of Eresos was founded in the 8th or 7th century BC. Information about Eresos before the Classical period is extremely scant. The lyric poet Sappho was born at Eresos c. 620 BCE and belonged to an important family who were socially prominent at Mytilene, the island's most important city. In addition, the oldest Greek inscription on the island, which dates to the 6th century BCE, has been found in the hills above Eresos, and is thought to have belonged to a temple. The remains of defensive towers and large enclosures thought to have had a religious purpose built in the decorative Lesbian polygonal style and located at the edges of Eresian territory suggests a certain degree of wealth and prosperity in the Archaic period.
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