Syrna (island)
Syrna
Σύρνα | |
|---|---|
Settlement | |
UTC+3 (EEST) | |
| Postal code | 855 xx |
| Area code(s) | 22470 |
| Vehicle registration | ΚΧ, ΡΟ, ΡΚ |
Syrna (
Ancient Greek: Σύρνος)[1] or Sirna or Agios Ioannis, is a small island about 4 km2 in area to the south-east of Astypalaia in the Dodecanese group of Greek islands, situated to the south-east of the country. It is mostly covered with juniper and garrigue scrub. The few inhabitants raise livestock, catch fish and practice arable agriculture. The island is important for migrant and breeding seabirds and raptors, including Cory's shearwater, yelkouan shearwater and Eleonora's falcon.[2]
History
A shipwreck of the late Roman period (2nd century CE) was found using sonar technology near the island by the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research in 2000.[3]
On 7 December 1946, the ship Athina Rafiah (originally the
HMS Chevron, HHMS Themistocles and HHMS Aegean managed to rescue the survivors.[4]
An extra dimension to the incident is added in a reminiscence by Dr Raymond Mills, who, with a medical team, and
HMS Javelin, together with two minesweepers”, and records that eight of the refugees had perished in the aftermath of the wreck and had been buried on the island.[5]
References
- ISBN 978-0-691-03169-9.
- ^ "GR165 Sirna island and nearby islets" Hellenic Ornithological Society. Retrieved 20 Jan 2009
- ^ "Cooperation of the Hellenic Centre of Marine Research (HCMR) – with the Department of Underwater Antiquities (EEA)" Hellenic Centre of Marine Research. Retrieved 20 Jan 2009 Archived 11 November 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "HMS Providence, 2nd Minesweeping Flotilla" Archived 2 November 2009 at the Wayback Machine www.britains-smallwars.com. Retrieved 20 Jan 2009
- ^ ‘With Durrell on Rhodes, 1945-47’, by Raymond Mills, in Twentieth Century Literature, Vol. 33, No. 3, Lawrence Durrell Issue, Part 1 (Autumn, 1987), pp. 312-316.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
 | This South Aegean location article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |