Contact Admin. When approaching a port in the Cycladic Islands , travelers anticipate a collection of cubic white houses, amphitheatrically arranged between a blue sky and a curved harbor lined with lazy cafes. The Port of Ermoupolis, on the island of Syros , differs from this stereotype. The striking neoclassical appearance of Ermoupolis takes visitors by surprise, as does the Neorion Shipyard, which is so dominating, that all the houses seem to withdraw from it, in the direction of two characteristic hilltops, situated side by side, like twins.
Once the leading port of Greece β famous for its buildings, wealth and cultural life β Ermoupolis today is a somewhat fading acquaintance. Well-kept mansions in pastel shades alternate with neighbors in decay, the shells of empty factory halls attract only pigeons. There are signs of revival, as abandoned houses are slowly but surely restored to the dream mansions they originally were, thereby re-establishing the main asset of Syros: Strategically situated on the seaway between east and west, Syros has always been exposed to the moods of the Aegean.
Certain waves kept coming back, like the crushing waves of pirates. In , a Venetian wave hit Syros, led by Marco Sanudo who annexed the island to the Duchy of Naxos, a feudal rule to last for centuries.
Ermoupolis did not exist yet, merely its predecessor, Ano Syros, a medieval village occupying the left hilltop. A Turkish wave eventually relieved the burdens, through freedom of worship, self-government and economic progress based on trading and shipping, rather than on agriculture. Greek striving for independence made the Turks shift from cooperation to persecution and massacres.
In the War of Independence, Syros maintained neutrality and was thus a natural destination for waves of refugees from the coast of Asia Minor and islands close to it, in particular Chios and Psara.
