Antimachia Antimachia lies in the middle of the island, by the Airport of Kos.There you can still find picturesque neighbourhoods and traditional customs. In Antimachia there are a few windmills, one of them is intact and attracts the interest of visitors. The Traditional House of Antimachia is another point of interest. The Castle of Antimachia, built by the Knights of St. John, a large Venetian fortress in very good condition wich dominates the island's central plain, was the refuge to escape from Algerian and Saracen corsairs in the days of piracy. The Traditional Greek House! The windmill of Antimachia. INFORMATION The City Irakleidon, the third municipalities of Kos, occupies the western half of the oblong island. In this area there are the village Antimachia (where the seat of the municipality is) and bilaterally, in the north and south beaches, respectively, the settlements of Mastihari and Kardamena with consecutive fertile plains. On the western end, Kefalos is formed at the narrowest point of the island and it is the fourth village, the hilly Kefalos. In the open horizon of the area of the municipality Irakleidon it spreads around the Aegean Sea in which numerous distinct scattered Greek islands are. Largely the creation of the territory of the municipality Irakleidon region differs radically from that the other two municipalities. It occupies a large area of volcanic formations and texture characteristic and the plateau Antimachia is the existence of a large sea shells with a specific distance and height from the sea. HISTORY – ARCHEOLOGY At the region of the plateau of Antimachia and the north coastal lowlands, which belongs to the same apartment of the Community, were the relics of human have been found which activity is reaching up to the latest prehistoric antiquity of the late Neolithic period and than to early period. (late 4th and early 3rd millennium BC). The people then came from the nearby island of Kos in the Asia Minor region of Caria. Shortly before 1000 BC gradually prevailed in the Greek Dodecanese sheet of Dorian whose dialect is reflected later in Koakes surviving inscriptions. According to legend the founder of the Dorian hero Hercules landed in the region of Antimachia, which took its name from the son Antimachus. Later, in the 4th century BC was organized the "Damos Antimachia" (Municipality Antimachia). The settlement bears the same name continuously and uninterruptedly for at least two and a half thousand years. The host of the scattered settlements of the ancient Antimachia is located in the vicinity of the church of the Virgin Mary or "pilgrimage". Interestingly, the eastward strategic location "maziades"was probably the sanctuary of Hercules in memory of distant conflicts and enforcement of newcomers Greek Dorians on local numbers. Many ancient marble sculptures and inscribed arts were limed and we believe that in the 14th and 15th century after Christ was build for the great castle of the knights in Antimachia. But some signs were saved and others on which we can create even a vague picture of life, festivals, monuments, etc. of the Ancient City. Among those names mentioned artists there are others who come from distant places. There are various family rituals survived bases, cylindrical altar with voukrania, etc. Throughout the plateau found scattered massive counterweights garniture ancient presses for oil or wine and other accessories such as "trapites” (millstones), massive monolith bowls etc. The ancient cemeteries, used at least from the 5th century BC, was found in southern and south-western part of today's settlement near the international airport. In some cases the graves are underground rooms carved into the porous volcanic soil. Other graves which offer the Geometric period were found in the southern region of “Paliarrachis”. From the City “Ippioton” (between the Cross of Perama and Mastihari) from various inscriptions, burial findings and architectural marble sculptures of the temple of Hera have been found. The Early Christian Byzantine Period From the early Christian royal era that has so far been identified in the region is the royal of Mastihari with its rich mosaic floor. Starting in the middle of the 7th century long-standing Arab raids in the Aegean coastal settlement was retaken. Residents have been consolidated at the place “Pallarrachi” erected near “Perivrachou” the Byzantine PALIOKASTRO. In the scant Antimachia sculpture were rescued which are from the middle Byzantine period. The Castle The most important monument of Antimachia and the City Irakleidon Knightly is the imposing castle, which in its current form, with sloping bottom half of the wall (Scarpa) dates mainly in the late 15th and early 16th century. Since the middle of the 15th century it has been built the vast fortified settlement, which was destroyed by the earthquake of 1493. Above of the todays portal is viewed as the emblem of the Castle is reconstructed by Grand Master Pierre d 'Aubusson (1494). The castle of Antimachia. (See also the photoalbum) It is particularly interesting that the castle is of the middle of the 15th century when the high walls were build, bored a fierce siege of large Turkish forces in the year 1457 year which was just years after the fall of Constantinople. In 1520 added a heavy semicircular bastion featured with characteristic of the peripheral cannon valves. The inhabitants of the large settlement of the castle after centuries had been saved during the revolution of 1821. Several ruins of houses and temples survived. Modern Times The residents of Antimachia always followed the rural life. But they simply ensured the survival for many centuries after their land was conquered by European knights of Rhodes and later on by the Ottomans. Once in the half of the 19th century in a certain way, you can see a development, and some other areas are under the Ottoman occupation, as indicated by the erection of three parish churches. In 1912, the year when the Dodecanese passed into the hands of Italians, the people of Antimachia which were living in America sent money to build a separate elementary school. (Until then, schools were used to be as in the Holy Apostles and the narthex of St. Trinity). In 1939, in view of the war, the fascist Italian government built the "airport" of Antimachia (nowadays it is the main International Airport "Hippocrates") which were murderous battles between British and German forces in October 1943. The special feature of the settlements Antimachia is there, in front of every house estate and called "apestrofi" which gave the family all rural facilities. Antimahia thus gives the impression that mostly consists of holiday homes. Source: George S. Mastropoulos - Archaeologist.
Antimachia lies in the middle of the island, by the Airport of Kos.There you can still find picturesque neighbourhoods and traditional customs. In Antimachia there are a few windmills, one of them is intact and attracts the interest of visitors. The Traditional House of Antimachia is another point of interest. The Castle of Antimachia, built by the Knights of St. John, a large Venetian fortress in very good condition wich dominates the island's central plain, was the refuge to escape from Algerian and Saracen corsairs in the days of piracy.
The City Irakleidon, the third municipalities of Kos, occupies the western half of the oblong island. In this area there are the village Antimachia (where the seat of the municipality is) and bilaterally, in the north and south beaches, respectively, the settlements of Mastihari and Kardamena with consecutive fertile plains. On the western end, Kefalos is formed at the narrowest point of the island and it is the fourth village, the hilly Kefalos. In the open horizon of the area of the municipality Irakleidon it spreads around the Aegean Sea in which numerous distinct scattered Greek islands are. Largely the creation of the territory of the municipality Irakleidon region differs radically from that the other two municipalities. It occupies a large area of volcanic formations and texture characteristic and the plateau Antimachia is the existence of a large sea shells with a specific distance and height from the sea.
At the region of the plateau of Antimachia and the north coastal lowlands, which belongs to the same apartment of the Community, were the relics of human have been found which activity is reaching up to the latest prehistoric antiquity of the late Neolithic period and than to early period. (late 4th and early 3rd millennium BC). The people then came from the nearby island of Kos in the Asia Minor region of Caria. Shortly before 1000 BC gradually prevailed in the Greek Dodecanese sheet of Dorian whose dialect is reflected later in Koakes surviving inscriptions. According to legend the founder of the Dorian hero Hercules landed in the region of Antimachia, which took its name from the son Antimachus. Later, in the 4th century BC was organized the "Damos Antimachia" (Municipality Antimachia). The settlement bears the same name continuously and uninterruptedly for at least two and a half thousand years. The host of the scattered settlements of the ancient Antimachia is located in the vicinity of the church of the Virgin Mary or "pilgrimage". Interestingly, the eastward strategic location "maziades"was probably the sanctuary of Hercules in memory of distant conflicts and enforcement of newcomers Greek Dorians on local numbers. Many ancient marble sculptures and inscribed arts were limed and we believe that in the 14th and 15th century after Christ was build for the great castle of the knights in Antimachia. But some signs were saved and others on which we can create even a vague picture of life, festivals, monuments, etc. of the Ancient City. Among those names mentioned artists there are others who come from distant places. There are various family rituals survived bases, cylindrical altar with voukrania, etc. Throughout the plateau found scattered massive counterweights garniture ancient presses for oil or wine and other accessories such as "trapites” (millstones), massive monolith bowls etc. The ancient cemeteries, used at least from the 5th century BC, was found in southern and south-western part of today's settlement near the international airport. In some cases the graves are underground rooms carved into the porous volcanic soil. Other graves which offer the Geometric period were found in the southern region of “Paliarrachis”. From the City “Ippioton” (between the Cross of Perama and Mastihari) from various inscriptions, burial findings and architectural marble sculptures of the temple of Hera have been found.
From the early Christian royal era that has so far been identified in the region is the royal of Mastihari with its rich mosaic floor. Starting in the middle of the 7th century long-standing Arab raids in the Aegean coastal settlement was retaken. Residents have been consolidated at the place “Pallarrachi” erected near “Perivrachou” the Byzantine PALIOKASTRO. In the scant Antimachia sculpture were rescued which are from the middle Byzantine period.
The most important monument of Antimachia and the City Irakleidon Knightly is the imposing castle, which in its current form, with sloping bottom half of the wall (Scarpa) dates mainly in the late 15th and early 16th century. Since the middle of the 15th century it has been built the vast fortified settlement, which was destroyed by the earthquake of 1493. Above of the todays portal is viewed as the emblem of the Castle is reconstructed by Grand Master Pierre d 'Aubusson (1494). The castle of Antimachia. (See also the photoalbum) It is particularly interesting that the castle is of the middle of the 15th century when the high walls were build, bored a fierce siege of large Turkish forces in the year 1457 year which was just years after the fall of Constantinople. In 1520 added a heavy semicircular bastion featured with characteristic of the peripheral cannon valves. The inhabitants of the large settlement of the castle after centuries had been saved during the revolution of 1821. Several ruins of houses and temples survived.
The residents of Antimachia always followed the rural life. But they simply ensured the survival for many centuries after their land was conquered by European knights of Rhodes and later on by the Ottomans. Once in the half of the 19th century in a certain way, you can see a development, and some other areas are under the Ottoman occupation, as indicated by the erection of three parish churches. In 1912, the year when the Dodecanese passed into the hands of Italians, the people of Antimachia which were living in America sent money to build a separate elementary school. (Until then, schools were used to be as in the Holy Apostles and the narthex of St. Trinity). In 1939, in view of the war, the fascist Italian government built the "airport" of Antimachia (nowadays it is the main International Airport "Hippocrates") which were murderous battles between British and German forces in October 1943. The special feature of the settlements Antimachia is there, in front of every house estate and called "apestrofi" which gave the family all rural facilities. Antimahia thus gives the impression that mostly consists of holiday homes.
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Last update: 29-11-2012.
