NAXOS TRAVEL GUIDE

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HISTORY

According to Naxos history, the first inhabitants of Naxos were the Careans from Thrace , who worshipped Dionysus, the son of Zeus and god of wine and pleasure. The union of Ariadne and Dionysus endowed the island with fruitful grapevines and fertile soil. To honour this great gift, the inhabitants hold the "Dionysia" cultural festival every year.

During ancient times, Naxos was a major commercial, cultural and artistic centre for many different civilizations. From the Careans, it passed to the Cretans and then to the Mycenaeans, each culture leaving its mark on the island.

Naxos was a great supporter of the Athenian Alliance and became the first island to come under Athenian Rule. Naxos was later a part of the Empire of Alexander the Great, and subsequently part of the Roman and Byzantine Empires. Like many other Cycladic islands , Naxos was a victim of pirate raids, which eventually drove those who lived in the coastal areas of the island to the inland regions. In 1207, the island was occupied by the Venetian Duke Marco Sanudo. From the mid 14th century till the Greek Revolution and Independence in the early 19th century, Naxos belonged to the Ottoman Empire . It was finally liberated and became a part of the New Greek Republic in 1830.