Gyaros

Compiled by: Io Stavridi

Historical Background of Gyaros Island


Historical Review

Gyaros, a small but historically important island of the Cyclades, covers an area of ​​17.76 square kilometers and has a coastline of 33 kilometers. It is located in the center of the Cyclades, between Andros, Tinos, Syros and Kea. Gyaros has a rich, but dark, history that reflects both its geographical importance and the political course of Greece.

Mythology

The oldest known reference to Gyaro is in Homer’s Odyssey. According to the myth, Poseidon punished Aia the Locrus for the rape of the fortune teller Cassandra by submerging the area where Aia was in the sea, thus creating the “Gyraien petrin”. This mythological narrative not only highlights the harsh landscape of the island but also links its identity to the powerful forces of nature and divine punishment and judgment.

Ancient History

In ancient times, Gyaros emerged as an independent municipality with political autonomy, indicated by its right to mint coins. It is recorded that the island had a permanent population and was an autonomous city-state like many islands of the Cyclades. The geographer Strabo noted the existence of a small fishing village at Gyaros, where the inhabitants relied mainly on fishing for their livelihood. The island was known for producing purple dye and is said to have even sent ambassadors to Julius Caesar to negotiate tax reductions.

During Roman times, Gyaros became notorious as a place of exile. Notable figures such as Gaius Silanos, the proconsul of Asia, and Vivius Serenus, the regent of Exo Hispania, were exiled to the island. The Stoic philosopher Musonius Rufus was also exiled here under the emperor Nero, falsely accused of conspiracy. The inhospitable environment of Gyaros, characterized by rocky terrain and minimal vegetation, made it a suitable location for the isolation of political dissidents.

The worship of deities such as Aphrodite Mychias and Artemis is attested by inscriptions and copper coins minted on the island, indicating that Gyaros was not just a place of exile but also a place of cultural and religious importance.

As the centuries progressed, Gyaros gained a reputation as a barren and inhospitable island. Travellers, including the French botanist Joseph Pitton de Tournefort in the 18th century, described it as devoid of vegetation, inhabited only by large rats and offering harsh living conditions. The desertification of the island continued and it remained largely uninhabited, with few inhabitants surviving its harsh landscape.

Political Exile of the 20th Century

Although Gyaros is now uninhabited, it was not always this way. Historically, the island was sparsely populated, with its course parallel to that of its neighbor, Syros. Documents from the 16th century confirm that 3-4 families of Syrian herders, known as Ayurgians, settled there a long time ago. During the Turkish occupation, these families paid taxes for their properties in Syros. Ayurgians raise sheep for wool, milk and butter, along with goats and pigs for meat. They cultivated vines and barley and each family kept its own beehives and boats for fishing and transportation to nearby islands. They built their houses, paddocks and walls using the dry stone technique, the traditional Cycladic architectural technique.

The Ayurgians played an important role in the National Resistance during World War II against the occupying forces. In May 1943, an English submarine delivered a radio to the island and the residents kidnapped radio operator George Valavanis from Crete and observer Costas Dimoulas from Piraeus. Their mission was to detect the movements of enemy ships in the Northern Cyclades and to alert the British allies of bombardments. Gyaros also served as a transit station for fleeing patriots, with local residents providing shelter until submarines could transport them to the Middle East.

In modern history, especially from 1947 to 1974, Gyaros was once again characterized as a place of exile during periods of political oppression in Greece.

In July 1947, and while the civil war is progressing, the government decides to arrest and imprison its political opponents. Hundreds of prisoners are transported to the bays of the Akatoic island of Gyaros. Then the construction of the facilities begins. The construction is created by the prisoners themselves, in inhumane conditions of forced labor, threats and physical violence, under hot sun, rain, and the wild air of the Aegean. The ultimate goal was the mental extermination and physical exhaustion of the exiles, not the construction itself.

Initially, stone was excavated and transported for the construction of outposts and walls. Then, in the 4th bay, an infirmary, warehouses and a power plant were built. The largest building is that of the prisons. Thousands of cubic meters of rock were excavated by hand to level the site into four levels and erect the monstrous building. The main building follows the architectural style of the prisons of central Europe, occupies approximately 11 thousand square meters of land and is still today the largest building in the Cyclades. It is designed to have no joints: It has solid brick walls and a flat concrete roof to keep it warm in summer and cold in winter. The number of prisoners in the first years was over 10,000 people who lived on the ramparts in anti-tents. When the prison construction is completed, it has a capacity of about 1,200 people.

The facilities were closed for the first time, in October 1952. A month later, the Papagou government was elected, which reopened the prisons of Gyaros in April 1955, to renew the overcrowding of prisoners in the remaining prisons caused by the earthquakes in the Ionian Islands. They were closed a second time in 1961 by the Karamanlis government, after pressure from the international community and the EDA.

The prisons are opened for the third time by the junta of colonels on 21/4/1967 and closed in the summer of 1973, to be opened for the last time in November 1973 and closed for good on 26/7/1974. During the military dictatorship in Greece from 1967 to 1974, the island became a place of exile for dissidents, including women, pregnant women and even underage children, further cementing Gyaros’ legacy as a place of martyrdom and political repression. Journalistic investigations by international media such as Stern and Paris-Match brought global attention to the human rights violations occurring on the island.

Gyaros Today

The currently uninhabited island is evidence of human savagery, with ruins that preserve the collective memory. Although the island was used as a naval firing range until 2000, it was designated as a historic site in 2002, preserving its heritage. Gyaros is also home to remnants of its past, including prison buildings and infrastructure erected during periods of exile.

Natural Environment and Conservation Efforts

Gyaros is renowned for its rich biodiversity and unique ecosystems. The island features rugged terrain with steep rocky slopes and diverse coastal features. The island’s geography plays a vital role in supporting its unique ecosystems. Its Mediterranean climate, characterised by hot, dry summers and mild winters, fosters the growth of specialised flora and fauna, which are adapted to the harsh conditions.

Flora of Gyaros

Gyaros hosts approximately 240 species and subspecies of flora, including the endemic species Fritillaria obliqua subsp. tuntasia. The island’s vegetation, which includes a variety of Mediterranean shrubs and herbs, is crucial for maintaining the overall ecological balance. The presence of diverse plant life supports various animal species, contributing to the island’s rich biodiversity.

Fauna of Gyaros

Gyaros is home to approximately 10% of the world’s population of the Mediterranean seal, Monachus monachus, which breeds on the island’s beaches. The island’s rocky slopes are home to the world’s second largest colony of puffins, Puffinus yelkouan, along with many other seabirds.

At least 30 bird species have been recorded in Gyaros, the most important of which are the Mychos, the Cormorant, the Spizaetos, the Black-tailed Godwit and the Aetogerakina. The land fauna of the island includes 5 species of reptiles, including the black snake of Gyaros, whose population is the only one in Greece.

At least 45 species of invertebrates, 23 beetles, 5 cheliopods, 8 spiders, 1 scorpion and 20 species of land molluscs, including 19 land snails and 1 freshwater snail, can be found in Gyaros.

Beneath the surface, the marine environment is equally rich, with extensive Poseidonia meadows and living coral reefs that provide life-giving ecosystems that serve as shelters for hundreds of organisms and a multitude of fish, such as Skaroi, Styria, Salpes, Germans, Melanuria, Kavala. The presence of the protected bottlenose dolphin has also been recorded in the waters of Gyaros.

Unique Ecosystems and Habitats

The marine environment surrounding Gyaros is part of the Natura 2000 network, designated for its ecological significance. The protected area, known as “Gyaros Island and Marine Zone” (Code: GR4220033), covers 260.37 square kilometres, with 93.2% of this area being marine.

Within this protected area, a total of sixteen natural habitat types (TO) have been recorded, with 13 from Annex I of Directive 92/43/EEC and three of national importance. These habitats include:

  • 9620: Unvegetated river beds (national importance)
  • 9320: Forests with Olea and Ceratonia
  • 8260: Adiantetalia: Acrocladio-Adiantetum on slate (national importance)
  • 8250: Rocky substrate not covered by vegetation (national importance)
  • 6220*: Pseudosteppe with grasses and annuals from Thero-Brachypodietea
  • 5420: Phrygana with Sarcopoterium spinosum
  • 3140: Hard oligo-mesotrophic waters with benthic vegetation of charoid formations with Chara spp.
  • 1240: Vegetated steep rocky shores in the Mediterranean with endemic Limonium spp.
  • 1170: Reefs
  • 1110: Sandbars that are permanently covered by shallow sea water
  • 1120*: Areas of marine vegetation with Posidonia (Posidonion oceanicae) – a priority habitat type.

* priority habitat type

Conservation Efforts

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and MOm, the seal conservation organization, have played pivotal roles in the conservation efforts of Gyaros Island. The first reports of monk seals (Monachus monachus) in the area drew the attention of researchers from MOm, leading to significant conservation initiatives.

In 2010, WWF Hellas and MOm submitted a proposal to the European Commission for the five-year project “Integrated Protection for the Mediterranean Seal in the Northern Cyclades” (Cyclades LIFE). This project, coordinated by WWF and supported by various partners, including the Ministry of Environment, Aegean Decentralised Administration, Cyclades Development Company, Municipalities of Syros and Andros, MOm, Tethys Institute, and Harokopeion University, aimed to implement comprehensive protection measures for the monk seal and its habitat.

The first positive move in this direction occurred in 2011 when Gyaros and its sea, within a three-mile radius, were included in the Natura 2000 network. The Cyclades LIFE program was launched in 2013, leading to the establishment of the “Gyaros Co-management Committee,” an informal body involving all stakeholders.

In 2014, the Ministry of Environment commissioned a special environmental study for the island, necessary for declaring the area as a national park. The LIFE project concluded in 2018, and WWF, as the project coordinator, delivered the environmental study and a draft presidential decree establishing protection conditions for Gyaros to the Ministry of Environment.

Despite these advancements, the Ministry did not immediately implement the proposed framework, citing the need to align it with broader plans for protected areas. However, pressure from the European Commission, which insisted on establishing a protection framework as part of the commitments made under the LIFE program, led to the Ministry’s decision to create a temporary protection framework lasting two years.

This framework divides the island into three zones, allowing primarily scientific study while permitting regulated fishing within three nautical miles of the island under specific conditions. This innovative approach aims to balance ecological preservation with the livelihoods of local fishermen and has been met with support from various stakeholders, including the fishing community.

Marine Protected Area Regulations:

The MPA is divided into various zones, each with specific regulations to protect its ecosystems:

Terrestrial Zones:

  • Zone X1: Allows scientific research and ecosystem restoration projects while ensuring minimal disruption to flora and fauna. Projects aimed at improving, maintaining, and restoring ecosystem characteristics are permitted.
  • Zone X2: In addition to Zone X1 regulations, actions for the restoration of historical sites and regulated visitor access for environmental education are allowed.
  • Zone X3: Similar to Zone X2, this zone permits the maintenance and restoration of existing buildings and paths, along with regulated visitor activities, such as nature observation and environmental education.

Marine Zones:

  • Zone Th1a: Prohibits all forms of fishing, allowing only vessel passage related to actions permitted in Zone X1.
  • Zone Th1b: Allows organized recreational diving, regulated mooring, and limits vessel speed to 10 knots.
  • Zone Th2: Prohibits fishing, allowing vessel passage at a speed of up to 10 knots, except for those carrying dangerous cargo.
  • Zone Th3: Similar to Zone Th2, with restrictions on fishing and speed for vessels except those carrying hazardous materials.

These regulations are designed to safeguard the island’s biodiversity while promoting responsible use of its natural resources.

Gyaros became the first Marine Special Protection Area (MPA) of the Cyclades with a Ministerial Decision in 2019. An innovative remote surveillance system was developed in cooperation with the Coast Guard, leading to a significant reduction in illegal fishing activities. This system was handed over by WWF to the Central Aegean Protected Areas Management Unit (CPAU) of NECCA in April 2024. Additionally, a participatory approach was successfully applied to the design of conservation measures, ensuring that various perspectives were considered. Gyaros faces the ongoing challenge of balancing conservation efforts with sustainable development. Protecting its unique ecosystems while accommodating responsible tourism is essential for the island’s ecological health. Continuous community involvement and education will be crucial for achieving long-term conservation goals.

Gyaros Island represents a significant ecological treasure in the Mediterranean, hosting unique species and vital ecosystems. Through continued conservation efforts, community and local government engagement, and responsible management, there is hope for preserving Gyaros’ natural environment.

Sources

https://www.epohi.gr/article/49925/gyaros-topos-mnhmhs-kai-istorias

https://gyaros-story.gr/

https://www.wwf.gr/ti_kanoume/fysh/prostaeuomenes_perioxes/gyaros

https://www.syrostoday.gr/News/4032-Egkri8nke-o-apoxaraktnrismos-tou-suvolou-tns-vnsou-Guarou-ws-istorikou-topou.aspx

https://www.dw.com/el/%CE%B3%CF%85%CE%AC%CF%81%CE%BF%CF%82-%CF%84%CE%BF-%CE%BE%CE%B5%CF%87%CE%B1%CF%83%CE%BC%CE%AD%CE%BD%CE%BF-%CE%BD%CE%B7%CF%83%CE%AF-%CF%84%CE%BF%CF%85-%CE%B4%CE%B9%CE%B1%CE%B2%CF%8C%CE%BB%CE%BF%CF%85/a-39649266