The digital application "Paths of Culture in Sikinos" and the project "Recording and Highlighting the Flora of Sikinos" are two new initiatives implemented in 2025 with funding from the Cycladic Identity Initiative of the Museum of Cycladic Art.

Cycladic Identity aims at protecting the cultural and natural heritage of the Cyclades, as well as preserving, restoring, and showcasing their unique identity. With Culture, Biodiversity, and Intangible Cultural Heritage as its core priorities, the initiative functions as a platform for attracting and distributing resources to programs implemented by organizations active on the islands. The initiative is now completing its second year, having already supported 16 programs across 11 Cycladic islands, including one inter-Cycladic project. (Cover photo: Cycladic Identity Initiative)

The network of paths in the Cycladic islands is part of the region's cultural heritage and unique character. These trails were created over centuries with great effort and a deep sense of aesthetics by the local inhabitants. On Sikinos, the trail network includes seven marked routes with a total length of 56 kilometers, connecting landscapes of exceptional natural beauty with archaeological sites, chapels, and traditional settlements. (Photo: Cycladic Identity Initiative)

The "Paths of Culture in Sikinos" application, implemented by the Hellenic Society for the Environment and Cultural Heritage (ELLET), is a digital tool that allows visitors to explore the island’s historic trails safely, accurately, and with in-depth information about its cultural identity. In July, the first presentation of the app was held at Sikinos Elementary School. The event included a live demonstration of the application’s features, as well as an open discussion with the local community about the importance of preserving and highlighting the Cycladic identity through digital tools.

The new application, “Sikinos Paths”, available for free on both Android and iOS, serves as a navigation assistant for hikers, enhancing their safety through offline maps and reliable trail information. It also provides bilingual content (Greek–English), supporting the tourism promotion of Sikinos and attracting visitors looking for authentic exploration experiences. To ensure maximum accessibility, the island's trail signage has been updated with modern signs featuring QR codes that link directly to the application.

Trail 1 (Chorio – Episkopi – Manalis Well – St. Panteleimon – Alopronia) - walking distance12,9 km, distance Time 4 hours 30 mins - includes sightseeing of traditional windmills, the Episkopi church and ancient monument, the Byzantine churches of St. Anne and St. George, cobbled paths with impressive low stone walls, the chapel of St. Panteleimon, and  traditional vineyards (Source: GREEK PATHS OF CULTURE) (upper photos: Cycladic Identity Initiative)

Footpaths were shaped over the centuries through the hard work and refined sense of beauty of our ancestors. They connected towns and villages, facilitating not only the movement of goods but also the exchange of culture. Over time, however, with the advent of modern transportation, many of these paths were abandoned—overgrown by vegetation or, in some cases, bulldozed and paved over as a convenient way to build road networks. The Hellenic Society for the Environment and Cultural Heritage (ELLET), through its “Paths of Culture” initiative, seeks to breathe new life into surviving footpaths of particular natural beauty and historical value. The “Greek Paths of Culture” program has already been implemented in 12 regions across Greece, and in October 2019, it  was honored with a Europa Nostra Award in the Awareness-Raising category. (Source: Hellenic Society for the Environment and Cultural Heritage - ELLET)

Flora of Sikinos (Photos: Cycladic Identity Initiative)

The second program completed in Sikinos is "Recording and Highlighting the Flora of Sikinos". Implemented by the Sikinos Association, this important initiative focuses on the scientific documentation, educational use, and public presentation of the island’s natural wealth. The project concentrated on cataloguing endemic and aromatic plants, as well as documenting the various flora species found on Sikinos. As part of this effort, a physical herbarium—a collection of dried and carefully documented plant specimens—was created. In July, the program and the herbarium exhibition were presented at Sikinos Elementary School. Students on Sikinos will now have the opportunity to learn about the island’s flora, gaining valuable knowledge with the aim of becoming future stewards of their natural heritage. Additionally, a proposal is underway to develop plans for cultivating aromatic plants on the island, focusing on native species with the best potential to thrive.

The island of Sikinos, one of the last inhabited islands in the Cyclades to retain significant uninhabited areas, has been proposed for a detailed study of its flora. Covering an area of 41,000 acres, with approximately 4,500 acres historically cultivated, Sikinos has traditionally maintained a predominantly agricultural lifestyle, setting it apart from many other small Cycladic islands. Unlike its neighbors, it lacks a strong maritime tradition, focusing instead on cultivation. The island’s cultivable lands, rocky barren landscapes, gorges, and uncultivated areas provide a unique habitat for characteristic flora, including potentially many endemic species that remain largely unaffected by cultivation, pesticides, road construction, and building developments. (Photo: Cycladic Identity Initiative)

Sikinos is a relatively small Cycladic island, perfect for a quiet holiday filled with relaxing walks through scenic locations and swimming in crystal-clear waters—far from the crowds. The visitor escapes the stress and anxiety of everyday life on this charming island, nestled between Ios and Folegandros. Sikinos is characterized by terraced landscapes, low stone fences, and countless chapels scattered across a scenery bathed in the stunning green and blue hues of the Aegean Sea. While its terrain is largely rocky and lacks abundant greenery, the island’s most striking feature is the steep cliff on its northwest side, where the picturesque Chora is perched. (Source: visitgreece.gr, Photo: aegeanislands.gr)

Chora is one of the most beautiful capital towns in the Cyclades, with stone manors and narrow alleys. It has two settlements, the oldest of which is called Kastro (Castle), also called Sikinos, while the second settlement, Chorio (the Greek word for village), has been built in recent years. (Photo: aegeanislands.gr)

The monastery of Zoodochos Pigis (meaning Life Giving Fountain) or Chrysopigi, built at the top of a cliff, in an amazing location, gives at first the impression of a castle. It was built in 1690 and as it appears from the fortification, the battlements and the murder holes, it was a last resort of the Sikinians every time the Castle was under malicious raiders. The visitor enjoys a breathtaking sunset from there.  (Photos: aegeanislands.gr)

The monument of Episkopi on Sikinos is a Roman mausoleum dating back to the 3^rd century. Because of its conversion to a Byzantine church, it was continuously used and has therefore survived nearly intact. Its ancient structure, combined with interventions from several historical periods, offers an incomparable palimpsest of archaeological periods that is rarely preserved in ancient monuments. The Ephorate of Antiquities of the Cyclades decided to restore the building in 2016 and reopen it to the public. During the restoration work on Episkopi, archaeologists made many valuable discoveries, such as inscriptions and remnants of Roman and Byzantine wall paintings, which were preserved by implementing a microclimate monitoring system. The most important find was the hermetically sealed grave of a woman of high rank, named ‘Neiko’, which was dated to the 3^rd century. This "palimpsest of history" was awarded the European Heritage Award / Europa Nostra Award in 2022 for its significant cultural value and restoration efforts. (Source: europeanheritageawards.eu,  Photo: Ephorate of Antiquities of the Cyclades )

Read also:

Cycladic Identity initiative moves into its second phase – “Greek Islands Trail, Cyclades” to propose a unified hiking route

Cycladic Identity: keeping alive the heart of the Cyclades

Cycladic architecture, stunningly blending with the endless blue of the Aegean sea

I.A.

The post Exploring Sikinos Island: Cultural Trails and Natural Treasures Through Innovation appeared first on Greek News Agenda.

Skarkos, on the Aegean island of Ios, is the largest, most important and best preserved Early Bronze Cycladic settlement known to date. A temporary exhibition titled “Cycladic Nexus – A Journey of Connections Across Time: Skarkos”, hosted at the Archaeological Museum of Ios (28.6-31.10.2025), aims to create a dialogue between contemporary art and the dynamic of the ancient Cycladic community of Skarkos, and by extension, the Cycladic civilization.

The hill of Skarkos, featuring the Early Cycladic II settlement, overlooks the Lower Plain and the port of Ios from the east. Discoveries at Skarkos of raw materials and finished products imported to Ios from other Cycladic islands, mainland Greece, and other parts of the Aegean indicate that the settlement played an active role in the maritime trade of the period. (cyclades.culture.gov.gr )

 Skarkos hill occupies a privileged geographic position in the middle of the western side of Ios, where one of the most spacious and safe natural harbors of the Cyclades coexists with one of the island’s largest arable lands, the Lower Plain (cover photo: www.presidency.gr). Human presence at Skarkos was continuous from at least the Early Cycladic I period (3200 to 2800 BCE) through to late antiquity. However, the architectural remains dominating the hill belong to a large, flourishing settlement dating from the period of significant development and outward expansion of the Early Cycladic world, known as the Early Cycladic II period or the cultural unity of Keros-Syros (2700 to 2400/2300 BCE). This major settlement has been preserved in an exceptional state of conservation, providing a comprehensive picture of Cycladic societies of the mid-3^rd millennium BCE, which were previously known mainly from cemetery finds, often looted. (Dr. Mariza Marthari, director of the Skarkos excavation, cyclades.culture.gov.gr, odysseus.culture.gr)

The site of Skarkos has been systematically excavated between 2002 and 2007. The project was honored with the 2008 EU Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Top Prize for Conservation, recognized for the outstanding quality of conservation work and, above all, for the minimal and extremely sensitive nature of the interventions, which caused no detrimental impact on this unique landscape.

The settlement of Skarkos is organized around the hilltop and features a drainage system for the removal of rainwater. The dense urban fabric develops along two main central roads, each up to 2 meters wide, which encircle the summit of the hill and periodically widen to form small or larger open spaces. Short roads, perpendicular to these main arteries, connect the foothills to the hilltop and vice versa. The road network incorporates building blocks, each comprising between two and eight structures. (Source: cyclades.culture.gov.gr , photo www.presidency.gr)

Skarkos, Early Cycladic II settlement: the entrance of Building B (left) and the external staircase of Building D (right). To date, 55 buildings have been uncovered, most of which are impressive two-story structures featuring spacious entrances, stone-built staircases, paved upper floors, built-in wall cupboards, and chests made from schist slabs. These buildings are primarily private residences and exhibit remarkable similarities in their internal layout and use of space. However, one building, known as the Building of the Figurines, has been excavated with a different primary function: it served as a workshop. This building housed a marble carving workshop where figurines and vessels were crafted from local white and blue marble (cyclades.culture.gov.gr )

Skarkos, Early Cycladic II settlement: Figurine made of blue marble, Archaeological Museum of Ios (cyclades.culture.gov.gr)

The movable finds, like the buildings, reflect a relatively advanced lifestyle for the southern Aegean in the 3^rd millennium BCE. There is an abundance of clay tableware, storage containers, and cooking vessels. Stone vessels and tools also appear in great variety. Additionally, mainly schematic marble figurines have been identified, along with objects made of metal, bone, and clay. Movable finds from Skarkos are on display at the Archaeological Museum of Ios.

Skarkos, Early Cycladic II settlement: Local amphora (upper), Bowls of the Urfirnis ceramic category, imported to Ios (lower), Archaeological Museum of Ios (cyclades.culture.gov.gr)

Skarkos, Early Cycladic II settlement: Local tableware (lower), Archaeological Museum of Ios (cyclades.culture.gov.gr)

Skarkos, Early Cycladic II settlement: Local pithos (left), Presentation of the findings at the Archaeological Museum of Ios

Skarkos , Early Cycladic II settlement: Stamped, clay, cube-shaped objects. The seals, the stamped vessels, and the many clay, cube-shaped, stamped objects—which were tied like tags to bags and containers and found inside the buildings—leave no doubt that sealing was a common practice at Skarkos. It seems that in certain cases, declaring ownership or personal identity was useful or necessary. (cyclades.culture.gov.gr)

The Cyclades Ephorate of Antiquities, in collaboration with the Non-Profit Civil Company FIGMENT, presents contemporary artworks at the Archaeological Museum of Ios, fostering a creative dialogue with the museum’s exhibits. The temporary exhibition titled “Cycladic Nexus – A Journey of Connections Across Time: Skarkos” (June 28–October 31, 2025) bridges past and present through contemporary artistic expressions.

The exhibition draws inspiration from the prehistoric settlement of Skarkos and, by extension, the Cycladic civilization. Artists from diverse disciplines explore themes such as movement, communication, and connection through painting, sculpture, installations, embroidery, and digital prints. The human trace—whether presence or absence, journey or trauma—runs through the works, prompting reflections on collectivity and historical consciousness.

Stavros Kassis, Ephemera, objet trouvé papers, postcards, photos, cardboard, clips, glass, 31 x 42 cm (upper left), Thanos Makris, Ephemeral Exercises of Melancholia – After Skarkos VII, 2025, Digital print on acryluxe, 29.7 x 42 cm (upper right), Antigoni Kavvatha, Journey IV, 2018, arylics on mylar, 61 x 440 cm (lower)

Constantin Massos, The Passage, 2016, mixed media on canvas, 100 x 140 cm (upper left), Ifigeneia Sdoukou, Sailing, 2023, hand-dyed and embroidered fabric, 100 x 65 cm (upper riglht), Miltos Skouras, Untitled, 2022, oil on canvas, 70 x 160 cm (lower)

The exhibition’s curators, Evgenia Iskou and Natalia Mitsioni, explain: “The exhibition is not merely a reference to cultural continuity. It is an artistic proposition that views history not as a static archive, but as a dynamic topography — a field of meaning that directly concerns us. In the encounter between the ancient and the contemporary, viewers are invited to reflect on movement, transition, exchange, and collectivity — not as abstract concepts, but as fundamental lived experiences shared by both the Early Cycladic inhabitants and the modern individual”.

Giorgos Alexandridis, Accommodations, 2020, installation, stoneware clay, 21 x 12 x 11 cm (each)

Nikos Tranos, Nausea (from the series terrain), 2017, 50 ceramic heads glazed in lifebuoy orange and double-fired at 1020°C, 2 Viennese chairs — domestic furniture salvaged from the streets of Athens, 150 corks from champagne and wine bottles, iron rods, 113 x 55 x 115 cm (Courtesy of Zoumboulakis Galleries)

Participating artists: Giorgos Alexandridis, Odysseas Glykas, Antigoni Kavvatha, Stavros Kassis, Thanos Makris, Konstantinos Massos, Varvara Mavrakaki, Antonios Panagopoulos, Periklis Pravitas, Ifigeneia Sdoukou, Miltos Skouras, Nikos Tranos.

The island of Ios is a charming Cycladic destination, famous among young visitors for its vibrant nightlife. According to ancient tradition, Ios was the burial place of Homer and also the homeland of his mother. The island’s name, Ios, derives from the ancient word “ion,” meaning flower, a reference to the abundant blossoms that once covered the island in antiquity. Ios is home to several sites of significant archaeological and historical value.

Chora lies very close to the harbor in Ormos and warmly welcomes travelers arriving on the island. Built on a hillside, its summit is crowned by the ruins of a medieval castle. Chora is one of the finest examples of a traditional village designed according to Cycladic architecture. Its snow-white houses, picturesque arcade-covered alleys (stiyadia), twelve windmills, and churches with arched belfries and light blue domes create a uniquely charming residential area. (visitgreece.gr)

The landscape of Ios is determined by the numerous churches and chapels that are scattered everywhere and are, as one would say, an integral part of the beauty of the island. The local tradition wants the churches of the island to be 365, one for each day of the year.(visitiosgreece.com/en/churches-and-monasteries/)

The Hiking Network of the Municipality of Ios is a network of short paths, which is addressed to visitors to the island who wish to get to know the natural and cultural environment of Ios.

Ios offers a plethora of lovely bays and beaches with golden sand and blue-green waters.

Gialos is the large beach with fine sand, next to the port. A part of it is organized but it also has many tamarisk trees that can offer their shade.

Mylopotas is the most organized and busy beach of the island. A beach with golden sand and clear blue waters south of Chora (3 km). Along the beach there are umbrellas, sunbeds and beach bars for all ages. (Source: aegeanislands.gr)

Tris Klissies, three wonderful windless beaches in the southern part of the island. Due to their protection from the winds, the port of the island was old. At the bottom of the sea, the visitor can see the remains of the old port.

Manganari is a series of sandy coves that form at least three large beaches and numerous smaller, with easy access to the southern part of Ios. Its natural beauty is renowned not only on Ios but throughout the Cyclades. Manganari caters both to visitors seeking organized beaches with umbrellas, sunbeds, restaurants, and beach bars, and to those who prefer a quieter, more secluded beach experience.

(Source : https://visitiosgreece.com/en/)

Read also:

The Gaitis-Simossi Museum on Ios Island

I.A.

The post Skarkos on Ios: Early Cycladic Heritage Meets Contemporary Art appeared first on Greek News Agenda.

Following 4 successful exhibitions, the Museum of Cycladic Art collaborates once again with the Athens International Airport by organizing the exhibition "Women of the Cyclades through time". The exhibition, located in the "Art & Culture" area on the Arrivals level of Athens International Airport, opened on October 7, 2024, and will run until May 31, 2025.

The exhibition explores the history of the Cyclades, depicted through the marble female figurines crafted by local islanders during the 3^rd millennium BC. These Cycladic figurines, part of the world-renowned collection of the Museum of Cycladic Art in Athens, reflect a society that revered women, representing the female form as a mother, goddess, offering, or ritual object of uncertain purpose. The white marble sculptures of the Early Cycladic period (3200–2000 BC) bring these figures to life, portraying women with prominent features, slightly rounded bellies, or incised lines indicating pregnancy or postpartum.

Since the early 20th century, artists like Brancusi, Modigliani, Archipenko, Moore, Giacometti, and Hepworth have been inspired by the simplicity of prehistoric Cycladic art. They were particularly drawn to the depiction of the female form, which became a universal archetype and a lasting influence on modern art.

Marble female statue, 2700 – 2400/2300 BC © Museum of Cycladic Art, photo: Paris Tavitian

The central exhibit of the exhibition is a copy of the large Cycladic figurine of the Museum of Cycladic Art, believed to represent a female deity embodying the essence of her era's art. The exhibition also features a video that showcases the lives of Cycladic women from ancient times to the present, offering insights into a culture both distant and remarkably familiar.

Museum of Cycladic Art – The Stathatos Mansion - photos: Paris Tavitian © Museum of Cycladic Art

"Women of the Cyclades through time" at the Athens International Airport serves as a prelude to the major archaeological exhibition titled "Kykladitisses: Untold Stories of Women in the Cyclades". This exhibition, organized by the Museum of Cycladic Art in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and the Ephorate of Antiquities of the Cyclades, will be held at the Museum of Cycladic Art (The Stathatos Mansion) from December 12, 2024, to May 4, 2025. It will feature around 180 artworks dating from early prehistory to the 17^th century. Following this, the exhibition will be transferred to the Archaeological Museum of Thera (Santorini) in June 2025, where it will be displayed under the same form.

The exhibition is curated by Dr Dimitris Athanasoulis, Director of the Ephorate of Antiquities of the Cyclades, and the Scientific Directors of the Museum of Cycladic Art, Dr Panagiotis Iossif, Professor at Radboud University in the Netherlands, and Dr Ioannis Fappas, Assistant Professor of Prehistoric Archaeology at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.

Left: Marble statue of Artemis Elaphebolos (killing a deer), Late Hellenistic period, Archaeological Museum of Delos © Hellenic Ministry of Culture, photo: Andreas Santrouzanos

Right: Archaic Kore of Thera, 7th century BC, photo from a temporary exhibition at the Archaeological Museum of Thera, September 2022 © Hellenic Ministry of Culture

The exhibition features exceptional pieces from the Ephorate of Antiquities of the Cyclades and the Museum of Cycladic Art, many of which have never been displayed outside the Cyclades or the Museum. It also includes select antiquities from the National Archaeological Museum, the Canellopoulos Museum, the Epigraphic Museum of Athens, and significant private collections. Among others, the Archaic Kore of Thera and an Hellenistic statue of Artemis from Delos.

The artefacts narrate the islands’ history through the perspective of its female inhabitants, focusing on the evolving roles of women throughout time. It delves into the transformations of women’s societal roles—from deities to mothers and the other way around—and highlights their participation in religious ceremonies and their presence in both public and private life. The exhibition also explores the boundaries of female roles within the community and offers glimpses into the ongoing process of female emancipation.

At a time when women continue to assert their identities, challenge gender roles, and dismantle long-standing stereotypes, this exhibition sheds light on untold stories from the Cycladic world that emphasize the historical journey of women's identity formation from prehistory to the post-Byzantine period.

The tomb of “Neiko” and Episkopi monument on Sikinos - Photos © Ministry of Culture

The famous female burial of "Neiko" from the 2^nd-3^rd century AD will also be featured in the exhibition. Discovered in 2018 at the Episkopi site on the island of Sikinos, Neiko’s tomb contained rich offerings and jewels, indicating her prominent status. Dr. Dimitris Athanasoulis, director of the Ephorate of Antiquities of the Cyclades, stated in the Kathimerini newspaper, that while the original plan focused on the tomb’s grave goods, the inclusion of the skeleton itself is essential for a more complete presentation, as it holds significant information. The burial, marked by intentional bone fractures and bound hands and feet, suggests the woman was believed to be demon-possessed, possibly due to epilepsy, leading to what’s called a "divergent burial." The skeleton has since been carefully preserved in a conservation lab and will be displayed in the exhibition as found, in a special showcase (Source: Kathimerini).

The Monument of Episkopi, a Roman mausoleum dating back to the 3^rd century, converted to a Byzantine church on Sikinos, was among the winners of the 2022 European Heritage Awards. The high-quality restoration project “combined meticulous research with cautious conservation”.

I.A.

The post Athens International Airport welcomes visitors with a foretaste of the major exhibition at the Cycladic Museum “Kykladitisses: Untold stories of women in the Cyclades” appeared first on Greek News Agenda.