Geographical & Historical Outline of Kos
Kos is the third largest of the Dodecanese islands, after Rhodes and Karpathos.
It has an area of 290 square kilometers and 112 kilometers of coastline.
It lies at the entrance to the Keramikos gulf in Asia Minor.
The largest part of Kos consists of plains, with the mountains Dikaios and Sympetros confined to the south-east of the island.
Ii is fertile and verdant and has abundant running waters, enchanting sandy beaches, a wonderful climate and mineral springs.
Geographical & Historical Outline of Kos
Kos was inhabited from prehistoric times and flourished greatly in the Mycenaean period, taking part in the Trojan War.
In the 7th and 6th c. it was part of the Dorian Exapolis, along with Alikarnassos, Knidos, Lindos, Ialysos and Kameiros.
After the end of the Persian Wars it became a member of the First Athenian Confederacy.
The island is the home of Hippocrates (467 – 357 BC), the father of medicine, whose career and teaching were a landmark in the island’s history.
The foundation of the new city of Kos in 366 BC marked the beginning of a period of prosperity, during which the island became one of the most important naval and commerce powers in the Mediterranean.
In the 2nd c. BC it came under Roman sovereignty and fell into obscurity.
In Byzantine times it flourished once again, but in the 11th c. it was sorely tried by the Saracen raids, after which it came under the control of the Genoese, followed by the Venetians, and in 1315 was ceded to the Knights of the Order of St. John.
In 1522 it passed into the hands of the Turks and from 1912 to 1948 was occupied by the Italians.
Kos has now developed into a cosmopolitan center and is starting to feature high in the list of tourist preferences.
In addition to its superb natural setting, it offers important archaeological monuments and finds, an excellent tourist infrastructure and easy access by both air and sea.
