Syros the Municipality of Cyclades

Another alternation for your vacations on M/S DOXA II is to travel to Syros or Siros a Greek island in the Cyclades, in the Aegean Sea. The island features towns including Ermoupoli and Ano Syros. Of the Island and the Cyclades, Ermoupoli ist he capital. It has always been a significant port town and during the past century even more significant than Pireus.

Let M/S DOXA II sail you to Ermoupoli, the "Queen of the Cyclades", which stands on a naturally amphitheatrical site, with neo-classical buildings, old mansions and white houses cascading down to the harbour. Visit the "City of Hermes" which has numerous magnificent churches, the most interesting of which are Metamorphosis, Koimisis, St Demetrius, Three Hierarchs, Anastasis, Evangelistria and St Nicolas.

For more historic details, you need to know that during Roman times the capital of Syros was situated in the area of contemporary Hermoupolis. At the end of ancient times, the barbaric raids and the plague of piracy, which had scourged the Aegean for many centuries, led Syros to decline. In the Byzantine years Syros constituted together with the rest of the Cycladic islands, part of the Aegean Dominion. After the overthrow of the Byzantium by the Venetian/Francs in 1204, Syros came under Venetian domination and was included in the Ducat of the Aegean. Meanwhile amphitheatric Ano Syros was inhabited. During the Latin period, the majority of the local community were Roman Catholics, but maintained the Greek language. During the reign of almost three and a half centuries of the Ducat of the Aegean, Syros had a singular feudal regime. If you like to learn more about the history, you are able to stay as long as you with M/S DOXA II on the island.

Something about Ermoupoli. You will see that most public buildings, Churches, Schools, stadium and many mansions were built in elegant and neoclassical style, making Ermoupoli at the time, a very modern city with a unique character. As a result Syros changed almost overnight from a rather quiet island into a vigorous centre of crafts, industry and production. Also, due to its large excellent port at Hermoupolis it became a major centre for ship building and refitting. Neorion was the first shipyard of Greece. You can have a look after arriving with M/S DOXA II.