Symi Island Greece
Symi Island History
The history of the island begins in the ancient times when some of its names were Kirki, Aigli and Metapontis. The island got its current name from the nymph Symi, who according to greek mythology married the God of the seas Poseidon and brought to life Hthonios who became the leader of the islands inhabitants.
Homer mentions Symi in the Heliade, for its participation in the Trojan war, headed by the Symiot King Nireas.
Later in history, Symi was conquered in 1309 by the knights of St. John. Then a period of prosperity began for the island with the development of shipping, sponge commerce, boat building and other crafts. In 1832 Symi was found under the Turkish dominion which was followed in 1912 by the Italian dominion.
Symi confronted poverty at that time: the replacement of sailing with motor ships occurred, sponge diving decreased and world war II begun resulting in a greate migration wave of Symiots abroad.
From 1943 when the Italian dominion ceased and onwards, Symi changed hands several times between the English and the Germans, with the English taking over the island for the third time in 1944. On May 8th 1945, the Germans signed the treaty of the Dodecanese surrender, while on April 1st 1947, the British military command handed over his rights to a Greek one.
At last, it was on Symi that on March 8th 1948 the Protocol of integration of all Dodecanese islands to the Greek state was signed.
