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Portara Naxos island 2


Portara Naxos island 2
Photo Information
Copyright: Costantino Topas (COSTANTINO) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1396 W: 4 N: 1378] (9137)
Genre: Places
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2007-07-18
Categories: Castles, Nature
Exposure: f/5.6, 1/400 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version, Workshop
Date Submitted: 2008-05-11 11:30
Viewed: 428
Points: 32
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
PORTARA-NAXOS ISLAND

( SEE MY WORKSHOP)

Naxos (in Greek, Νάξος) is a Greek island, the largest island (429 km² (166 sq mi)) in the Cyclades island group in the Aegean. It was the centre of archaic Cycladic culture.

The island comprises the two municipalities of Naxos and Drymalia. The largest town and capital of the island is Hora, sometimes called Naxos City, with 6,533 inhabitants (2001 census). The main villages are Filoti, Apiranthos, Vivlos, Agios Arsenios, Koronos and Glinado.

Naxos is a popular tourist destination, with several easily accessible ruins. It has a number of beautiful beaches, such as those at Agia Anna, Agios Prokopios, Alikos, Kastraki, Mikri Vigla, Plaka, and Agios Georgios, most of them near Hora.

Naxos is the most fertile island of the Cyclades. It has a good supply of water in a region where water is usually inadequate. Mount Zas (999 metres) is the highest peak in the Cyclades, and tends to trap the clouds, permitting greater rainfall.

This has made agriculture an important economic sector with various vegetable and fruit crops as well as cattle breeding, making Naxos one of the most self sufficient islands in the Cyclades.

Πρόκειται για την είσοδο του Ναού του Απόλλωνα (6ος αιώνας π. Χ) του οποίου το κτίσιμο δεν ολοκληρώθηκε ποτέ. Το νησάκι στο οποίο βρίσκεται η Πορτάρα ονομάζεται Παλάτια και κατά τον 6ο αιώνα π.Χ. ήταν ένα μεγάλο οχυρό.



Naxos Portara :

Naxos can only be described as a lover’s paradise and a poet’s dream with its scenic, breathtaking views that include endless green spaces and high mountains endowed by nature as well as beautiful churches, monasteries, Venetian mansions and castles created by gifted human hands. Of all the landmarks in Naxos, the one on top of every tourist’s must-see list should undoubtedly be the “Portara”.

The Portara or the “Great Door” is essentially a massive
marble doorway, leading to nowhere.





Naxos on the islet of Palatia which was once a hill.

A strip of land connected the north of the port of Naxos to Palatia in ancient times. Today, the strip of land has been replaced by a causeway. Myth has it that the islet of Palatia was exactly where Ariadne, the Minoan princess was abandoned by her lover, Theseus after he killed Minotaur on the island of Crete.

Around the year 530 B.C when Naxos was at its peak of glory, the then ruler, Lygdamis wanted to build the highest and most magnificent buildings in all of Greece in Naxos. He ordered for a massive temple to be built but when a war broke out between Naxos and Samos, the work stopped abruptly.

After that, Lygdamis was overthrown in 506 B.C and the temple, which was supposed to be at least a hundred feet tall, was never completed. Today all that remains of that temple is the Portara. The temple was supposed to be Ionic, 59 m long and 28 m wide with a peristyle of 6x12 columns with double porticos at its end. It is believed that this temple was to be built in the honor of Apollo, the Greek God who protected music and poets. Proof of this lies in the fact that the temple faces in the direction of Delos, which is believed to be Apollo’s birthplace.

However, some scholars believe that this temple was to be built in the honor of Dionysus, the God of wine and patron God of Naxos. The gate is around 6 m high and 3.5 m wide built with four separate columns. Each column weighs about 20 tons.

During the Middle Ages, a church was built behind the Portara. Later under Venetian rule, it was dismantled so that the marble could be used to build the “Kastro” which is a fortress built during the time of the Venetians and other monuments and buildings.

Thankfully, the Portara was too heavy and massive to be completely dismantled. However, today of the four columns only three have survived. One has to agree that even though it is quite a steep climb to the top of the hill, just the experience of viewing the sunset through the Portara is completely worth it. Wherever you are in Naxos, your eyes cannot possibly miss the Portara.

The association of the Portara with Naxos is undeniable so much so that it has become somewhat of a “symbol” of Naxos. Some say that if you make a wish standing at its doorway, you can feel the energy as Apollo begins to make your wish come true.

For some, it is a marble wonder through which one can see the whole of Naxos as if it were a beautiful image in a photo frame… an image that will last forever in your mind…

Note dal mio amico POLPO.. in Italia c'è un paese
in provincia di Messina che si chiama Giardini Naxos e si trova vicino la celebre Taormina? Le origini storiche di Giardini Naxos risalgono al 735 a.C. quando un gruppo di coloni sbarcò a Capo Schisò e fondò quella che concordemente viene indicata dagli storici antichi come la prima colonia greca di Sicilia. viene chiamata Naxos come l’omonima isola del mare Egeo.
bobocortis, paololg, siamesa, dip, Oldtree, trekks, belido, Budapestman, JorgeCK, JanD, greek, isabela_sor has marked this note useful
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To polpo56: Ciao LudoCOSTANTINO 1 05-11 12:28
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Critiques [Translate]

Ciao Costantino,
bella la composizione, anche se la foto soffre una generale mancanza di nitidezza.
A proposito di Naxos, sai che in Italia c'è un paese in provincia di Messina che si chiama Giardini Naxos e si trova vicino la celebre Taormina? Le origini storiche di Giardini Naxos risalgono al 735 a.C. quando un gruppo di coloni sbarcò a Capo Schisò e fondò quella che concordemente viene indicata dagli storici antichi come la prima colonia greca di Sicilia; viene chiamata Naxos come l’omonima isola del mare Egeo.

Geia sou Kwstantine
Mia omorfi fwtografia apo ena ksexwristo meros. Poli kalo fws kai meletimeno kadrasima. To plires shmeiwma symplirwnei eksoxa tin parousiasi
Na 'sai kala
Xristos

Hi Costantino ;

netlik ve renkler güzel elinize sağlık

Önder Kahraman

Helo Costatino
Your great serie of intresthing pic . continue and this one is very good to
TFS
Cheers,Braca

Ciao Costantino.
Gradevole immagine solare.
Non disturba la simmetria.
Bello l'effetto dei due mari.
Ciao.
Bobo.

Ciao Costantino,
bella composizione, per le linee e le forme ma soprattutto per il bel colore del mare. Molto bello anche l'ingrandimento del portale nel tuo WS. Ottimo lavoro, come sempre.
Ciao e buona settimana.
Paolo.

Hi Costantino,
Superb composition showing this marvelous island.The note is very good. Congratulations.
Regards
Maria

  • Great 
  • dip Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1722 W: 0 N: 829] (8121)
  • [2008-05-12 0:22]

Geia sou Costantine,
i Portara apo mia endiaferousa gonia lipsis me kali prooptiki pou odigei to vlemma kat'eutheian sto kurios thema,
kalos fotismos kai fusika xromata,
xaireto,
Dimitris.

Hi Constantino,
thanks for the informativ note.
I try to imagine how it was to live at this place. At the coast there normally is lot's of strong wind. The buildings in former times, especially those out of large stones, probably are quite draughty I assume.
Your photo gives a nice impression of this place. Perhaps, someday I will travel to naxos in holiday. It sounds really interesting, but probably really hot in the summer time.

hi Constantino

Good composition and pov to show the path way leading to the island and frame on top. Good contrast and sharpness, nice texture

tfs, bill

Hi Constantino,

It looks a beautiful island. You found a nice pov with this pathway between blue water. Good clarity and exposure. Well done!
Regards,
Carlos

Hi Costantino,
Spectacular and fine shot for this place with attractive composition. The ancient sanctuary door in the background is very fine detail, atnosphere is splendid. Have a nice day
George

  • Great 
  • Vames Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 517 W: 0 N: 331] (2715)
  • [2008-05-12 5:31]

γεια σου Κώσταντινο,ωραίο πλακόστρωτο με θέα το λόφο !

Hi costantino,
another excellentpicture accompany by a very nice write-up. Beautiful composition showing the pretty island.
well done,
regards joRge

  • Great 
  • JanD Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 561 W: 0 N: 216] (5675)
  • [2008-05-13 1:45]

Howdy Constantino!
Very interesting place. Good info. Original POV. Nice lightness. Very funny colors. Good shot.
Regards!

  • Great 
  • greek Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 639 W: 0 N: 449] (3841)
  • [2008-05-13 2:02]

kalimera,

na sou pw tin alitheia i Naxos de mou arese katholou gia toso megalo nisi. Omws i portara tis me to dwriko aperito yfos tis me kerdise kathws kai to iliovasilema ekei,orea prooptiki kai i foto sou mou thymizei elliniki tania tis finos! Na kapou ekei krybetai i laskari me tin karayanni kai ti blaxopoulou! :) galantis

Another superb place in a beautiful presentation
Still the quality of the shot is not perfect ,missing something
But I like the overall image
Hugs

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