CGT 9-12 10/11/09 15:59 Page 51
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cyprus, greece & turkey knowledge
Crete is Greece’s largest island in terms of size –
but also one of its richest in history and mythology.
Phoebe Ferris-Rotman visits Spinalonga and
highlights some of the island’s other top excursions
R
ocky Spinalonga, covered in wild But the island’s more recent history is even
flowers and crowned by a crum- more intriguing. When the Turks were
bling fortress, is a short way out banished from Crete in 1898 they fled to
from the coast of the small Cretan Spinalonga and refused to leave. In order to
fishing town Elounda. Its tiny size belies its reclaim the island, Cretans sent a colony of
historical legacy, for it has a fascinating past. leprosy sufferers there in 1904. The lepers
The fortress was built in 1579 were sent as outcasts, and
by the Venetians, who once were forbidden to set foot
colonised Crete. They built the back on the mainland. To
fort to defend the approach to survive, they traded crafts for
the gulf against pirates and food to mainlanders who
Turkish invaders. The island’s arrived by boat, but were not
name came from the Greek allowed to set foot on the
“Stin Elounda”, meaning “to island. Eventually leprosy was
Elounda” but because the Vene- cured and there were fewer
tians could not understand the and fewer residents on the
expression, they familiarised it island. The last lepers left the
es
to spina (thorn) longa (long), colony in 1957 and the island
tur
which was taken up by locals was left empty until renewed
orld Pic
W and remains to this day. interest and Turn to 52
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