Why Visit
The capital of Sikinos island is Chora, constructed on the slopes of a mountain and offering amazing view to the Aegean Sea. Chora is a great sample of Cycladic architecture, with paved streets, white sugar houses and blue-domed churches. A small village is gradually developing around the port, but this is mostly a place with tourist facilities and accommodation. The sandy beach at the port is the most popular and organized beach of the island. The other beaches of the island are more secluded and can be reached on foot or by bus. Worth a visit are also the old Monastery of Episkopi and the small but interesting Folklore Museum.
History
The original name of Sikinos in the ancient times was Oinoe which derives from the word "oinos", meaning wine in Greek. The first reference of this name was made by Solon in 604 BC revealing that Sikinos has been popular for its wine cultivation since the ancient times. However, an interesting story lies behind the current name of the island, Sikinos. Thoas, the king of the island of Lemnos, had to flee from his home island to save himself from the local women. The women in Lemnos had started revolt against all the males and slaughtered them one by one. Thoas managed to escape by hiding in a trunk. The trunk was drifted all the way to Oinoe. There, Thoas met a nymph and had a son with her whom he named Sikinos. The island was named after this man.
The archaeological and historical remnants found in and around Sikinos show that the island has been inhabited since the Mycenean times. The Ionians were the first to occupy the island, in the 10th century B.C. Following them, the Dorians arrived from the mainland during the 5th century B.C. Sikinos followed the lack of the other Cycaldic islands and received many attacks from the pirates. It as ruked by the Venetians and the Turks who conquered the island in 1537. The island suffered a lot during the Turk regime. The people fought bravely against the Turks and as a result, the island got its freedom in the 19th century and became part of the Greek state in 1830.
According to the first census of the island in 1834, Sikinos had 979 inhabitants that time. The next significant milestone in the history of Sikinos occurred during the period 1936-1940, during the dictatorship of Ioannis Metaxas. More than 1,000 people, the communists and the socialists, were, deported to the Cyclades. Sikinos also bore the brunt of the refugees. The refugees outnumbered the island population. During World War II, the island was under Italian and German occupation. The Greek Civil War and the Marshal Plan changed the face of the island to today's form. Nowadays, although most of the Greek islands developed their own infrastructure and flourished in tourism activities, Sikinos lagged behind because of lack of natural resources and skilled workforce. The islanders had to cope up with the ensuing poverty. In the census of 2001, Sikinos had only 238 inhabitants.
Museums - Archeological
There are two main museums in the small island of Sikinos: the Byzantine Collection and the Folklore Museum. Located in the central square of Chora, the capital of Sikinos, the Byzantine Museum features exhibits of the island's most important icons. These icons mainly consist of post-Byzantine icons of the Cretan school, as well as pictures from the Byzantine and Post-Byzantine season of Sikinos. These icons are only put on display during the summer months and are moved to church of Panagia Pantanassa during the winter.
Located in Chorio, the Folklore Museum of the island of Sikinos features exhibits, artifacts and material that shed light on the island's past. Located in an olive oil press, the Museum is in fact the family home of an American expatriate who served the US Navy for a major part of his life. The Greek born man has extensive knowledge regarding the process of making olive oil and even the history of the island as well.
Beaches
Port beach, Agios Georgios, Dialiskari, Malta
Religious Monasteries and Churches
A walk out in the countryside and the hills of Sikinos is a pleasant experience as you will come across with many churches and surviving monasteries. The few churches scattered in Chora and the surrounded villages are considered the islands attractions for their unique appearance and breathtaking location.
The symbol of Chora (Panagia) is the church of Pantanassa, the island's Cathedral. It is an excellent monument built in 1787 with a nice collection of byzantine icons. It is built in 1787 and hosts some beautiful Byzantine icons. The historical monastery of Zoodochos Pighi, also known as Chrissopigi dominates the highest peak of Chora. Although Catholic, its strong walls make it seem like a fortress from a distance. In fact, it once provided protection from the pirate aids.
North of Kastro are located the small churches of Agios Vasilios and Agioi Anargyroi. Remains from Byzantine monasteries and other suggested monuments exist in the ancient town of Sikinos. There you will find the church of the Assumption of the Virgin and the monastery complex of Episkopi.
