Tinos Geographical & Historical Outline
Tinos is located in north Cyclades, at the south – eastern of Andros island from which it is separated by the channel of Tinos, which is about 1,5 kilometer wide.
It is the third largest Cycladic Island after Naxos and Andros with an area of 195 square kilometers.
The perimeter of its coast line is 114 kilometers. It has a population of about 10.000.
The terrain is semi-mountainous, with small fertile valleys amongst the hills.
There are a large number of verdant inland villages, surrounded by gardens, vines and olive trees.
The highest mountain is Tsiknias with 726m altitude.
The climate is healthy, dry and mild.
Tinos Geographical & Historical Outline
HISTORY
Tinos owes its name to Tino, the first settler of the island.
Its older names were Ofiousa.
The Phoenicians and the Pelasgians were the first inhabitants of the island and later the Ionians inhabited it.
The most ancient elements of its history go back to the Mycenaean era.
During the 6th century B.C. the island was dependent to Eretria.
In 1204 it was captured by the Venetian brothers Andrea and Jeremiah Gizi, whose family ruled the island until 1390 and weaned it on Catholicism to the degree that it became known as the “Pope’s Island”.
The sudden change from the Venetian reign to the Turkish domination was not so tragic as the Tinians maintained some of their privileges.
They had the right to wear their local clothing, they were not obliged to wear a fez and were allowed to wear red socks, something that was not allowed anywhere else in Islam.
Tinos History
Another important privilege that the Tinians maintained was the fact that they had the freedom to build churches and schools.
The island had the pleasure of substantial self-administration and four elected elders constituted the highest political and administrative authority of Tinos which was called the Municipality of the island Tinos.
This was when the movement of populations was noticed.
From Tinos to Constantinople, Smyrna and Alexandria and from the rest of Greece towards Tinos, due to the privileges it enjoyed in relation to other areas of Greece.
The island had developed into the economic capital of the Cyclades because of the privileges it enjoyed during the Turkish Domination.
Commerce had developed and it had influenced the clothing of the locals.
It was called the “Small Paris”.
Consuls and sub-consuls from France, Russia, England, Denmark and Spain were on the island.
Tinos History
The revolution was declared on 20th April 1821 in Tinos Island.
Tinian marines also served in the war ships of Psara, Spetses and Hydra while many captains offered their vessels for the revolution.
At the end of January of 1823 the icon of Virgin Mary was found and this was considered as a message for the independence of Greece.
Tinos incorporated to the newly hellenic union in 1832 with Cyclades islands.
In August 1940, Tinos is in the front once again, when an Italian submarine torpedoed the cruiser “Elli”.