The Temple of Apollo Delian

is located about 4 km from the port. Therefore, reaching it on foot requires considerable effort, especially since the walk is not very pleasant due to the narrow sidewalk or the complete absence of one.

Unfortunately, it happens that despite current information about opening hours, the monument is closed. This is because the archaeological site is not a popular destination even among the island's residents.

It's a pity, as in pre-Christian times this place was the political, cultural, and religious center of the island. There was a theater, a gymnasium, and a bouleuterion, which is a parliament, as well as temples: Apollo – the mythological protector of the island of Kalimnos, and Asclepius – the mythological protector of Kos. The construction of the ancient buildings dates back to the turn of the 4th and 3rd centuries BC. From this period, numerous inscriptions, bases of statues, fragments of vases, and figurines of animals, mainly cattle, have been found here.

The most important building from ancient times concerns the sanctuary of Apollo Delian. Apollo was worshiped on Kalimnos, just like on the neighboring islands: Kos, Nisyros or Rhodes.The additional epithet: "Delian" comes from the affiliation of the mentioned islands to the Delian League*, whose headquarters was the island of Delos.

Unfortunately, the exact location and architectural appearance of Apollo's temple are still unknown.

The Romans, when they took over the island, introduced a new Christian faith. It quickly became the obligatory belief for all residents, effectively, although it was not without persecution and coercion.

After establishing Christianity as the official religion, several basilicas were built on Kalimnos in the 5th and 6th centuries AD.

The construction of basilicas usually involved the destruction of pagan temples and the erection of new ones in the same place.

This had two purposes:

1. The lack of space to worship the old gods informed everyone that the old religion was no longer relevant.

2. The ability to quickly build temples for the new religion, as there was no problem with supplying building materials. When observing the ruins of early Christian sanctuaries, one can notice embedded stones from ancient structures.

The beautifully presented arch of the presbytery is a remnant of the three-nave Basilica of Christ of Jerusalem built in the 5th century AD. The earthquake that struck the island in the 6th century severely damaged the temple, but it was already restored in the 6th century.

* The Athenian League, also known as the Delian League, was formed around 478 BC. It included states in the Aegean Sea area. Its purpose was to protect against Persia. Initially, meetings were held on the island of Delos, and each member island was obligated to pay contributions. Over time, Athens moved the treasury and headquarters to itself, thus allocating finances to increase its own military power. The defeat of Athens in the Peloponnesian War led to the complete dissolution of the league.

The Castle of Chrysocheria

is located on a natural elevation, about 2 km from the port.

It is named after the church of Panagia Chrysocheria, which stood in this place even before the castle was built.

It was built in the 15th century by Fantino Guerini, the knight commander of Kos on the orders of the Grand Master of the Order of the Knights of St. John on Rhodes, who wanted to fortify all the islands belonging to the order.

At that time, there was already a large castle in Chora, which constituted a well-fortified, sizable settlement with many residential buildings.

The inhabitants, forced by commander Fantino Guerini to participate in the construction/expansion of the castle without pay, did not see the need for another. They appealed to the court to abolish the obligation to perform work for the knight from the Order of the Knights of St. John.

In 1445, a trial took place on Rhodes, in which the court ruled in favor of the commander from the Order of the Knights of St. John.

As a result, from 1436 to 1453, that is, before and after the expansion, the castle was used as a residence by Fantino Guerini, the knight commander of Kos.

To this day, the walls with the coats of arms have been preserved: of the aforementioned commander of Kos, the Grand Master, and the general one of the Order of the Knights of St. John, as well as cisterns and other structures, and two independent entrances, each offering different views. It is worth using both.

* The castle was probably previously owned by the castellan. Commander Fantino Guerini expanded and renovated it.

Kalimnos

is a Greek island belonging to the Dodecanese archipelago, which consists of twelve islands.

Known for the wealth of its inhabitants, it is considered the richest island in the entire Dodecanese.

Located just 12 km from Kos, it is a popular destination during the holidays.

Every day, ferries from the port of Mastichari set sail with several carriers.

Kalimnos is known and advertised as the "island of sponge divers." This has long been the main source of income for the residents. It brought wealth and fame to the island throughout the Mediterranean region. A sponge colony disease in 1986 has resulted in only a few boats going out to fish nowadays.

The island is not fertile, so agriculture is not one of the main occupations of the residents. And, although Kalimnos still retains its local character and is not as commercialized as nearby Kos, tourism plays an increasingly important role in the economy.

Kalimnos is popular among mountain climbing enthusiasts, as it offers over 2000 routes of varying difficulties.

Below are suggestions for places worth visiting on the island during a day trip, without renting a car:

A monument commemorating three heroes of Imia

Imia consists of two small, uninhabited islets located halfway between the Greek island of Kalimnos and the Turkish peninsula of Bodrum. Imia was the subject of a dispute in 1996 between powers over its ownership.

The following story seems interesting:

On December 26, 1996, a Turkish cargo ship accidentally ran aground off the eastern islet of Imia.

A Greek tugboat responded to the call for help. Initially, the Turkish captain refused assistance, arguing that he was in Turkish waters. Ultimately, he agreed to be towed to a Turkish port by the Greek tug.

After being transported to the port of Bodrum, the Greek captain filled out the necessary paperwork regarding the fee for the international assistance provided.

The Turkish captain refused to pay, claiming that the freighter was in Turkish waters.

The next day, the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs notified the Greek authorities of the existence of a sovereignty dispute. After another two days, on December 29, 1995, it declared the islets of Imia as Turkish territory.

On January 9, 1996, Athens rejected the claim.

The public learned about the event only on January 20, 1996, when a Greek magazine published an article about it.

The report triggered a strong reaction, resulting in four citizens of Kalimnos, including the mayor, raising the Greek flag on the eastern islet of Imia on January 25, 1996.

In retaliation, on January 28, 1996, Turkish journalists landed on Imia by helicopter to lower the Greek flag and raise the Turkish one. This entire event was broadcast live by Turkish television.

In response, a Greek war patrol boat conducted another flag exchange.

On January 31, 1996, Turkish special forces landed on the western islet of Imia, thereby escalating the already significant tension.

The Greek side did not remain indifferent – three hours later, a reconnaissance plane took off. Greek soldiers confirmed the presence of Turkish forces on Imia. During the return, a helicopter crashed over the islets. Three Greek officers died, to whom the monument in a small square near the port of Kalimnos is dedicated.

The story, which could have led to an armed conflict, was resolved thanks to the USA, which sent an official to mediate the dispute. He negotiated with the authorities of both countries, preventing direct contact between them. As a result, both countries promised to withdraw their troops.

The dispute regarding the cause of the helicopter crash involving the three Greek officers was never resolved.

The monument was designed and made by a sculptor from Kalimnos. It features three bronze busts of the fallen officers over the islets of Imia, along with an anonymous captain with a grandson, who, with his hat removed, bows to pay his respects.

The Chora Castle, known as the Great Castle

is located at a similar distance from the port as the Temple of Apollo Delian, but on the other side of the town spread between the mountain ranges. The last stretch of the road leading to the castle is quite steep, as the castle is situated at an altitude of 255 m above sea level.

Considering the artifacts found in the soil, it is believed that the site was inhabited even in prehistoric times.

The current structures are remnants from the medieval period.

The first fortifications of the current castle were likely built in the 11th century. However, in the 15th century, the island was taken over by the Order of the Knights of St. John, which carried out extensive reconstruction, expansion, and strengthening of the fortifications.

In the middle of the eastern wall, a polygonal tower was erected for firearms, two large public cisterns were built in the center of the settlement, and double marble coats of arms were placed on three buildings.

The fortified area covers an extensive territory of as much as 30,500 m². No wonder, it was a medieval town with residential buildings. The settlement could accommodate up to 1,500 people. The buildings were constructed very closely, often "touching" to save as much space as possible. The walls of some structures were integrated into the outer wall. Access to other parts of the settlement was only possible through very narrow alleys.

Depending on the family's wealth, the apartments were either single-story or two-story, with simple or more complex designs.

The houses had built-in wardrobes. Fireplaces were used for cooking and heating. Clay pipes drained rainwater from the roofs to small underground cisterns.

The northern part of the settlement is the best preserved because since the 18th century, the southern part has been systematically used as building material for the newly emerging settlement of Chora.

In addition to residential buildings, you can visit churches, of which ten have been preserved. Inside, interesting wall paintings still amaze visitors.

The ruins of two olive oil production presses have survived, including a broken round limestone tank and a cylinder for crushing fruits.

Chora Castle constituted the medieval settlement of Kalimnos until the early 18th century, when the settlement of Chora began to develop rapidly in the lower part of the island.

Roman tomb

Returning from Chora Castle, heading towards the Archaeological Museum, there is a Roman tomb. Today neglected and completely destroyed, it was once an above-ground monument with four burial chambers.

The Archaeological Museum of Kalymnos

is located on the way back to the ship, just 600 m from the port. I suggest visiting it at the end of your tour of the island, as this place is a true "treasure trove of knowledge," making it a perfect summary of your day spent in Kalymnos.

There is only one condition, you must arrive here during opening hours, which are between 8:30 AM and 3:00 PM on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, or Sunday, as the museum is closed on other days of the week.

It's worth it.

The museum is modern, having opened in 2009, and features several interesting "gems." Detailed descriptions regarding the history of the island and its most historically significant sites cannot be found in any guidebooks.

The most important exhibit of the museum is a Hellenistic bronze sculpture depicting a woman. Named "The Lady of Kalymnos," it was discovered by a local fisherman in 1995 when he went out to fish in the morning. In the net pulled from the sea, he found not only fish but also a huge bronze sculpture.

The work was transported to Athens, where it was cleaned of marine remnants. After several months of conservation work, "The Lady of Kalymnos" was placed in the National Archaeological Museum. It is currently the main attraction of the Archaeological Museum in Kalymnos.

Among the sculptures found in the Temple of Apollo Delian, noteworthy are: a large statue of Apollo and Asclepius.According to archaeologists, the coexistence of both sculptures, depicting father and son, in one place is not coincidental. It refers to the cult of the neighboring island - Kos. There, in the Asclepius Sanctuary, on the middle terrace, there was a sanctuary of Apollo, while at the highest level, there was a temple dedicated to Asclepius.

Diving Museum

is located by the port. It is open from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM, excluding Saturdays and Sundays. The place is particularly interesting because Kalymnos is known as the "island of sponge divers." Diving was therefore the main occupation of the locals.

Monuments

Returning along the promenade to the ship, one is struck by the large number of monuments. Besides the easily recognizable ones, such as the diver, Neptune, or Nike, there are several monuments dedicated to notable individuals or commemorating important events, an example of which is the previously mentioned Monumentto the heroes of Imia.

The monument to Prof. Skevos Zervos is one example that shows the residents of Kalimnos remember and appreciate those who have done something good for the island.

Prof. Zervos was born in Kalimnos. During his student years, he worked as a diver, a sponge fisherman. However, he did not spend his life that way. He pursued his education.

In 1910, he became the first surgeon to successfully perform a testicular transplant from a monkey to a human.

While working at the medical faculty of the National University in Athens, he developed a system for remotely monitoring heart function. He enabled data transmission over distances.

Gaining immense international fame, he did not forget his home island.

Together with his family, he built a hospital and orphanage in Kalimnos.