{{Short description|Greek island in the North Aegean}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2026}} {{Infobox Greece place | name = Lesbos | name_local = Περιφερειακή ενότητα
Λέσβος | type = regional unit | image_skyline = Mytilene 2010-04-03.jpg | caption_skyline = [[Mytilene]] | image_map = 2011 Dimos Lesvou.png | map_caption = Lesbos within the North Aegean | coordinates = {{coord|39.21|N|26.28|E|type:isle|display=inline,title}} | periph = [[North Aegean]] | seat = [[Mytilene]] | area = 1633 | elevation = | population = 83755 | population_as_of = 2021 | demonym = Lesbian, [[wikt:Lesvian|Lesvian]] | postal_code = 81x xx | area_code = 225x0 | licence = | website = }} '''Lesbos''' or '''Lesvos''' ({{langx|el|Λέσβος|Lésvos}} {{IPA|el|ˈlezvos|}}) is a [[Greek island]] located in the northeastern [[Aegean Sea]]. It has an area of {{cvt|1633|km2|sqmi}},{{cite web |url=http://dlib.statistics.gr/Book/GRESYE_02_0101_00098%20.pdf |publisher=National Statistical Service of Greece |title=Population & housing census 2001 (incl. area and average elevation) |language=el |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150921212047/http://dlib.statistics.gr/Book/GRESYE_02_0101_00098%20.pdf |archive-date=21 September 2015 }} with approximately {{cvt|400|km|0|abbr=off}} of [[coastline]], making it the third largest island in [[Greece]] and the [[List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area|eighth largest]] in the Mediterranean. It is separated from [[Anatolia|Asia Minor]] by the narrow [[Mytilini Strait]]. On the southeastern coast is the island's capital and largest city, [[Mytilene]] ({{lang|el|Μυτιλήνη}}), whose name is also used for the island as a whole. Lesbos is a separate [[regional units of Greece|regional unit]] with the seat in Mytilene, which is also the capital of the larger [[North Aegean]] region. The region includes the islands of Lesbos, [[Chios]], [[Ikaria]], [[Lemnos]], and [[Samos]]. The total population of the island was 83,755 in 2021. A third of the island's inhabitants live in the capital, while the remainder are concentrated in small towns and villages. The largest are [[Plomari]], [[Agia Paraskevi, Lesbos|Agia Paraskevi]], [[Polichnitos]], [[Agiassos]], [[Eresos]], [[Gera, Lesbos|Gera]], and [[Molyvos]] (the ancient Mythimna). According to later Greek writers, Mytilene was founded in the 11th century BC by the family Penthilidae, who arrived from [[Thessaly]] and ruled the city-state until a popular revolt (590–580 BC) led by [[Pittacus of Mytilene]] ended their rule. In fact, the archaeological and linguistic records may indicate a late [[Iron Age]] arrival of Greek settlers, although references in Late Bronze Age Hittite archives indicate a likely Greek presence then. According to [[Homer]]'s ''[[Iliad]]'', Lesbos was part of the kingdom of [[Priam]], which ruled from [[Troy]]. In the Middle Ages, it was under [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantine]] and then [[Republic of Genoa|Genoese]] rule. Lesbos was [[Ottoman conquest of Lesbos|conquered]] by the [[Ottoman Empire]] in 1462. The Ottomans then ruled the island until the [[First Balkan War]] in 1912, when it became part of the Kingdom of Greece. ==Names== The [[English language|English]] name ''Lesbos'' (pronounced {{IPAc-en|ˈ|l|ɛ|z|b|ɒ|s}}, also {{IPAc-en|us|ˈ|l|ɛ|z|b|ə|s|,_|-|b|oʊ|s}}) is from [[Ancient Greek]] {{wikt-lang|grc|Λέσβος}} ({{lang|grc-Latn|Lésbos}}).{{OEtymD|lesbian }} The name appears in [[Late Bronze Age]] [[Hittite language|Hittite]] texts as {{lang|hit-Latn|Lazpa}} ({{langx|hit|𒆷𒊍𒉺}} ''Lāzpa'').{{cite book |last1=Beckman |first1=Gary |last2=Bryce |first2=Trevor |last3=Cline |first3=Eric |year=2012 |title=The Ahhiyawa Texts |publisher=Society of Biblical Literature |pages=140, 144 |isbn=978-1589832688 }}{{cite encyclopedia |title=The West: Philology |encyclopedia=Hittite Landscape and Geography |year=2017 |last=Gander |first=Max |pages=273–274 |publisher=Brill }}{{cite book |last=Kelder |first=Jorrit M. |url=https://archive.org/details/the-kingdom-of-mycenae-a-great-kingdom-in-the-late-bronze-age-aegean-jorrit-m.-kelder-2010 |title=The Kingdom of Mycenae: A Great Kingdom in the Late Bronze Age Aegean |date=2010 |publisher=Pennsylvania State University Press |isbn=978-1-934309-27-8 }} The earliest reference to Lesbos in Greek texts comes from the [[Homer]]ic poems, where it is described as "well-built". The etymology of the name is obscure,{{Cite book |last=Price |first=Roberto Salinas |title=Homeric Whispers: Intimations of Orthodoxy in the Iliad and Odyssey |date=2006 |publisher=Scylax Press |isbn=978-0-910865-11-1 |page=55 |language=en }} but may have originally meant {{Gloss|forested}}, {{Gloss|wooded}}. In [[Modern Greek]], the letter [[beta]] ⟨β⟩ is pronounced and transliterated as {{IPA|el|v|}}, thus producing the alternative form ''Lesvos''. An older name for the island that was maintained in [[Aeolic Greek]] was {{lang|grc|Ἴσσα}} ({{lang|grc-Latn|Íssa}}). [[Pliny the Elder]] also refers to the island with the names {{Lang|grc|ἱμερτή}} ({{transliteration|grc|himertḗ}}, {{Gloss|desirable}}) and {{lang|grc|Λασία}} ({{transliteration|grc|Lasía}}, often understood as {{Gloss|shaggy}}). In Greece, Lesbos is commonly referred to as Mytilene ({{lang|el|Μυτιλήνη}}) after its capital.{{cite news |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/7520343.stm |title=Lesbos locals lose lesbian appeal |website=news.bbc.co.uk |quote=Greeks often refer to the island as Mytilene, after its capital. |archive-date=5 December 2022 |access-date=15 September 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221205074706/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/7520343.stm |url-status=live }} Some suggest that the name derives from the [[Anatolian languages|Anatolian]] root "muwa" meaning power, while others have suggested a link to the ancient Greek word μυτίλος (''mytilos''), meaning [[mussel]], or a type thereof.Ράπτης, Γεώργιος Α. (1993). "Λεξικό Ορθογραφικό-Ερμηνευτικό Της Αρχαίας Ελληνικής Γλώσσας". Εκδόσεις Κοντέος. p. 351.[[Georgios Babiniotis|Babiniotis, Georgios]]. (2002) "Mytilene". In: "''[[Babiniotis Dictionary]]''" 2nd ed. p. 1159. The ending ''-ene'' appears to be the common Greek place name suffix (''-enos'' in [[Masculine gender|masculine]]) indicating provenance.{{cite encyclopedia |title=Hittite Lesbos? |encyclopedia=Anatolian Interfaces: Hittites, Greeks, and their Neighbours |year=2008 |last=Mason |first=Hugh |editor-last1=Collins |editor-first1=Billie Jean |editor-last2=Bachvarova |editor-first2=Mary |editor-last3=Rutherford |editor-first3=Ian |publisher=Oxbow Books }} The island is also sometimes called the "Island of the Poets", alluding to renowned native poets like [[Alcaeus of Mytilene|Alcaeus]] and [[Sappho]].{{Cite web |title=Lesvos is known as the "Island of Poets" |url=https://welcometolesvos.com/lesvos-is-known-as-the-island-of-poets/ |access-date=15 April 2024 |website=Welcome To Lesvos |language=en-GB |archive-date=14 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240414151607/https://welcometolesvos.com/lesvos-is-known-as-the-island-of-poets/ |url-status=live }}{{cite web |title=Λέσβος: Το νησί των ποιητών, του ούζου και της φιλοξενίας |website=News.gr |date=17 July 2018 |url=https://www.news.gr/travel/article/1207397/lesvos.html |access-date=28 October 2022 }} ==History== ===Prehistory=== The oldest artifacts found on the island may date to the late [[Paleolithic period]].{{cite journal |author1=Harissis H. |author2=Durand P. |author3=Axiotis M. |author4=Harissis T. |title=Traces of Paleolithic settlement in Lesbos |journal=Archaiologia Kai Technes |year=2000 |page=76:83–87 (article in Greek with English abstract) |url=https://www.academia.edu/1510607 |archive-date=11 April 2023 |access-date=13 September 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230411210252/https://www.academia.edu/1510607 |url-status=live }} Important archaeological sites on the island are the [[Neolithic]] cave of [[Kagiani]], probably a refuge for shepherds, the Neolithic settlement of [[Chalakies]]. ===Early Bronze Age=== Lesbos has been inhabited since at least 3000 BC. There is the extensive habitation of Thermi (3000–1000 BC). The largest habitation is found in Lisvori, dating back to 2800–1900 BC, part of which is submerged in shallow coastal waters. ===Late Bronze Age=== Lesbos (Lāzpa) is mentioned in two [[Hittite texts]] from the [[Late Bronze Age]], a period during which the island appears to have been a dependent of the [[Seha River Land]]. The [[Manapa-Tarhunta letter]] recounts an incident in which a group of purple-dyers from Lesbos defected from the Sehan king.{{cite book |last1=Beckman |first1=Gary |last2=Bryce |first2=Trevor |last3=Cline |first3=Eric |year=2012 |title=The Ahhiyawa Texts |publisher=Society of Biblical Literature |pages=143–144 |isbn=978-1589832688 }} ===Ancient and Classical era=== [[File:LESBOS, Unattributed Koinon mint. Circa 510-480 BC.jpg|thumb|Coin of Lesbos under the [[Achaemenid Empire]], {{circa|510–480 BC}}]] According to Classical [[Greek mythology]], Lesbos was the [[patron god]] of the island. [[Macareus of Rhodes]] was reputedly the first king whose many daughters bequeathed their names to some of the present larger towns. In Classical myth his sister, [[Canace]], was killed to have him made king. The place names with female origins are claimed by some{{who|date=December 2019}} to be much earlier settlements named after local goddesses, who were replaced by gods; however, there is little evidence to support this. [[Homer]] refers to the island as "''Macaros edos''," the seat of Macar. [[Hittites|Hittite]] records from the Late [[Bronze Age]] name the island ''Lazpa'' and must have considered its population significant enough to allow the Hittites to "borrow their gods" (presumably idols) to cure their king when the local gods were not forthcoming. It is believed that emigrants from mainland Greece, mainly from [[Thessaly]], entered the island and [[Aeolis]] in the opposite coast, in the Late Bronze Age, and bequeathed it with the [[Aeolic dialect]] of the Greek language, whose written form survives in the poems of [[Sappho]], amongst others. In classical times, the cities of the island formed a [[pentapolis]], comprising [[Mytilene]], [[Methymna]], [[Antissa]], [[Eresos]], and [[Pyrrha (Lesbos)|Pyrrha]].{{TDV Encyclopedia of Islam|title=Midilli |volume=30 |pages=11–14 |first=Machiel |last=Kiel |url=https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/midilli }} Pyrrha was destroyed in an earthquake in 231 BC, and Antissa by the [[Roman Republic]] in 168 BC. [[File:Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema, R.A., O.M. - Sappho and Alcaeus - Google Art Project.jpg|right|thumb|[[Sappho]] listens as the poet [[Alcaeus of Mytilene|Alcaeus]] plays a [[kithara]]. (Painting by [[Lawrence Alma-Tadema]], 1881){{cite web |publisher=[[The Walters Art Museum]] |url=https://art.thewalters.org/detail/10245 |title=Sappho and Alcaeus }}]] Two of the [[nine lyric poets]] in the Ancient Greek canon, Sappho and [[Alcaeus of Mytilene|Alcaeus]], were from Lesbos. [[Phanias of Eresus|Phanias]] wrote history. The seminal artistic creativity of those times brings to mind the myth of [[Orpheus]] to whom [[Apollo]] gave a [[lyre]] and the [[Muse]]s taught to play and sing. When Orpheus incurred the wrath of the god Dionysus he was dismembered by the Maenads and of his body parts his head and his lyre found their way to Lesbos where they have "remained" ever since. [[Pittacus]] was one of the [[Seven Sages of Greece]]. In classical times, [[Hellanicus of Lesbos|Hellanicus]] advanced historiography and [[Theophrastus]], the father of botany, succeeded [[Aristotle]] as the head of the Lyceum. Aristotle and [[Epicurus]] lived there for some time, and it is there that Aristotle began systematic zoological investigations.Harissis, H. 2017. 'The location of the euripus of Pyrrha in the works of Aristotle and Strabo'. Acta Classica 60. [[File:Ρωμαικό υδραγωγείο Μόριας 4.jpg|right|thumb|View of the Roman aqueduct]] [[Theophanes of Mytilene|Theophanes]], the historian who recorded [[Pompey]]'s campaigns, was also from Lesbos. As the Greek novel ''[[Daphnis and Chloe]]'' is set on Lesbos, the author, [[Longus]], is usually assumed to be from the island. The abundant grey pottery ware found on the island and the worship of [[Cybele]], the great mother-goddess of [[Anatolia]], suggest the cultural continuity of the population from [[Neolithic]] times. When the Persian king [[Cyrus the Great]] defeated [[Croesus]] (546 BC) the Ionic Greek cities of Anatolia and the adjacent islands became Persian subjects and remained such until the Persians were defeated by the Greeks at the [[Battle of Salamis]] (480 BC). The island was governed by an [[oligarchy]] in [[Archaic Greece|archaic times]], followed by quasi-democracy in [[Classical Greece|classical times]]. Around this time, [[Arion]] developed the type of poem called [[dithyramb]], the progenitor of tragedy, and [[Terpander]] invented the seven-note musical scale for the lyre. For a short period it was a member of the [[Delian League|Athenian confederacy]], its apostasy from which is recounted by [[Thucydides]] in the ''[[Mytilenian Debate]]'', in Book III of his ''[[History of the Peloponnesian War]]''. In [[Hellenistic]] times, the island belonged to various [[Diadochi]] of [[Alexander the Great]] until 79 BC, when it passed into [[Roman Republic|Roman]] hands. Remnants of its Roman medieval history are three impressive castles. The cities of Mytilene and Methymna have been bishoprics since the 5th century. By the early 10th century, Mytilene had been raised to the status of a [[metropolitan see]]. Methymna achieved the same by the 12th century. ===Middle Ages and Byzantine era=== During the Middle Ages, Lesbos belonged to the [[Byzantine Empire]]. In 802, the Byzantine Empress [[Irene of Athens|Irene]] was exiled to Lesbos after her deposition and died there.{{ODB | last = Gregory | first = Timothy E. | title = Lesbos | page = 1219 }} The island served as a gathering base for the fleet of the rebel [[Thomas the Slav]] in the early 820s. In the late 9th century, it was heavily raided by the [[Emirate of Crete]]. As a result, the inhabitants of Eresos abandoned their town and settled in [[Mount Athos]].{{EI2 | last = Soucek | first = S. | title = Midilli | volume = 6 | pages = 1035–1037 | url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/1573-3912_islam_SIM_5180 }} In the 10th century, it was part of the [[theme (Byzantine district)|theme]] of the [[Aegean Sea (theme)|Aegean Sea]], while in the late 11th century it formed a {{Transliteration|el|dioikesis}} (fiscal district) under a {{Transliteration|el|kourator}} in Mytilene. In {{circa|1089}}–1093, the island was briefly occupied by the [[Seljuk Empire|Seljuk]] Turkish emir [[Tzachas]], ruler of [[Smyrna]], but he was unable to capture Methymna, which resisted throughout. In the 12th century, the island became a frequent target for plundering raids by the [[Republic of Venice]]. After the [[Fourth Crusade]] (1202–1204), the island passed to the [[Latin Empire]], but was reconquered by the [[Empire of Nicaea]] sometime after 1224. The notable [[Byzantine Greeks|Byzantine]] general [[Alexios Philanthropenos]] was then named briefly governor of Lesbos in 1328, and again in 1336. He ruled the island thereafter, probably until his death in the 1340s. [[File:Denaro of Francesco II Gattilusio.jpg|thumb|Denaro of [[Francesco II Gattilusio]], lord of Lesbos (1384–1403)]] In 1354, it was granted as a dowry and fief to the [[Republic of Genoa|Genoese]] [[Francesco I Gattilusio]] by the Byzantine emperor [[John V Palaiologos]]. The [[Gattilusio]] family ruled the island for over a century, engaging in fortifications at the [[Castle of Mytilene]], Molyvos (ancient Methymna), and the fort of Agios Theodoros at the site of ancient Antissa. ===Ottoman era=== [[File:Metileme by Giacomo Franco.jpg|right|thumb|Map of Lesbos by Giacomo Franco (1597)]] After the [[Fall of Constantinople]] in 1453, the Gattilusi continued to rule Lesbos as tributary vassals to the [[Ottoman Empire]], until the island was [[Siege of Mytilene (1462)|conquered]] by Sultan [[Mehmed II]] in September 1462. After the capture of Lesbos, the richer inhabitants were moved to [[Istanbul|Constantinople]] in order to repopulate the city, some boys and girls were taken away into imperial service, but the rest of the population remained. Mehmed II brought in Muslim settlers from [[Rumelia]] and [[Anatolia]], and encouraged his [[Janissaries]] to settle there and take local wives. Among them was Yakub, the father of the pirate admiral [[Hayreddin Barbarossa]]. Named Midilli ({{lang|ota|مدللى}}) after its capital, Mytilene, the island became a {{Transliteration|ota|[[sanjak]]}} (province) of the [[Eyalet of Rumelia]], and after 1534 of the [[Eyalet of the Archipelago]]. Mytilene and Molova (the Turkish name for Molyvos/Methymna) became seats of [[Kadi (Ottoman Empire)|kadi]]s. The cathedral of Mytilene was converted into a mosque. Otherwise, the organization of the local Orthodox church was not altered. In 1464, as part of the [[First Ottoman–Venetian War]], the Venetians under [[Orsato Giustiniani]] occupied the fort of Agios Theodoros, but failed to capture the rest of the island, and destroyed the castle upon their withdrawal. Another attack occurred in 1474, when the Venetians under [[Pietro Mocenigo]] raided the island. During the [[Second Ottoman–Venetian War]], a Venetian-led fleet of 200 ships [[Siege of Mytilene (1501)|besieged Mytilene]], but the attack was defeated by [[Şehzade Korkut]]. His father, Sultan [[Bayezid II]], then reinforced the Castle of Mytilene with artillery bastions. The large majority of the island's population remained Greek Christian, although there was a sizeable [[Muslims|Muslim]] community, formed from both immigrants and converts; from 7.4% of households in 1488, it rose to a peak of 19.45% in 1831 before starting to decline in relative terms, reaching 14% in 1892. The Islamization process peaked between 1602 and 1644. The Muslims lived throughout the island. Relations between the two communities were generally good, and Lesbians were often bilingual in both [[Greek language|Greek]] and [[Ottoman Turkish]]. During Ottoman rule, the compulsory [[devshirme]] system was implemented into the island, where the locals including Muslim landowners and the state representatives negotiated enlisting their teenagers into the Ottoman military by preventing some boys from being levied and sneaking others into the levied groups. For example, in the winter between 1603 and 1604, 105 boys were levied from the island and Lesvos was the only Island that the levy was implemented on the levy of this period.{{Cite journal |last=Yılmaz |first=Gülay |date=1 December 2015 |title=The Devshirme System and the Levied Children of Bursa in 1603-4 |url=https://belleten.gov.tr/doi/10.37879/belleten.2015.901 |journal=Belleten |language=tr |volume=79 |issue=286 |pages=901–930 |doi=10.37879/belleten.2015.901 |issn=0041-4255 |url-access=subscription }} Lesbos prospered from trade, and Mytilene was considered the busiest Ottoman port in the [[Aegean Sea]]. West European representatives are attested in the city already in 1700, acting as vice-consuls for the consulates in Smyrna. The island exported olives and olive oil, wheat, grapes, raisins and wine, figs, fish, dairy products, acorns, soap, leather and hides, pitch and livestock. Mytilene itself increased five-fold in population during the Ottoman period. A number of new mosques were erected in the city, and Hayreddin Barbarossa built a [[madrasa]], [[dervish lodge]], and [[imaret]] erected in his hometown. Many of the early Ottoman buildings, as well as the city walls, were destroyed in the earthquake of 1867. [[Mevlevi]] and [[Bektashi]] lodges are attested, since 1544 for the former, and since 1699 for the latter. Molyvos, which was the island's second city for most of the Ottoman period, also experienced growth, doubling in size; unlike Mytilene, the Muslim element came to predominate, and comprised over half the population by 1874. Mosques were built and fortifications were undertaken during the long [[Cretan War (1645–1669)|Cretan War]] with Venice. But during the 19th century, the town declined rapidly in importance and number of inhabitants, a decline which continued to modern times. In the mid-18th century, the castle and settlement of [[Sigri (village)|Sigri]] were established to protect the western coast from pirate attacks. [[File:Mitylene 1905.png|thumb|European warships off [[Mytilene]] during the 1905 incident.]] The relative prosperity of the island—wealth was apparently concentrated among the Greek Christian bourgeoisie rather than the Muslim community—contributed to the island not taking part in the [[Greek War of Independence]] in 1821–1829. During the second half of the 19th century, this prosperity became evident in the construction of large and ornamented mansions and churches; the Muslims followed suit, employing the fashionable [[Neoclassical architecture|Neo-Classical]] and [[Neo-Gothic]] styles in their own renovations of their mosques, especially after the destructive 1867 earthquake. The Ottoman writer and liberal politician [[Namık Kemal]] served in the local administration in 1877–1884. In 1905, four European powers seized the customs and telegraph offices in the island to pressure the Ottoman government to accept their plan for an international commission that would supervise the provinces of [[Macedonia (region)|Macedonia]]. ===Modern era=== {{See also|Battle of Lesbos (1912)|History of modern Greece}} In 1912, the [[First Balkan War]] broke out between the kingdoms of [[Kingdom of Greece|Greece]], [[Kingdom of Bulgaria|Bulgaria]], [[Kingdom of Serbia|Serbia]] and [[Kingdom of Montenegro|Montenegro]], against the [[Ottoman Empire]] over the independence and expansion of Christian Balkan states. Under Rear Admiral [[Pavlos Kountouriotis]], Greek naval forces landed at Lesbos on 21 November 1912, commencing the [[Battle of Lesbos (1912)|Battle of Lesbos]]. Kountouriotis sent an ultimatum to secure Mytilene under Greece, which Ottoman officials agreed to, before fleeing the city.{{sfn|Επίτομη Ιστορία|p=121}} The operation to annex the rest of the island was placed under Colonel Apollodoros Syrmakezis.{{sfn|Επίτομη Ιστορία|pp=122–123}} Syrmakezis led 3,175 troops towards an Ottoman camp in [[Filia, Lesbos|Filia]], reaching the outskirts of the city on 19 December, with an attack planned for the following morning. However, Ottoman military commanders approached Syrmakezis with a request for an armistice and Ottoman surrender was finalised on 21 December 1912, a month after the commencement of the battle.{{sfn|Επίτομη Ιστορία|p=123–124}} Nine Greek troops were killed and 81 were injured during the battle.{{sfn|Επίτομη Ιστορία|p=125}} The following year, the Ottoman Empire denied their previous agreement to cede Lesbos to Greece, until the [[Treaty of London (1913)|Treaty of London]].{{sfn|Hall|2000|pp=71, 101–102}} In the [[Greco-Turkish population exchange]] that followed [[World War I]] and the [[Greco-Turkish War of 1919–1922]], the local Muslims left the island and Lesbos returned to a fully Greek Christian population. In 1922, many [[Greek refugees]] from [[Asia Minor Greeks|Asia Minor]] settled in Lesbos as a result of the war and the concurrent [[Greek genocide]]. These refugees were mostly women and children as the men were either fighting or had died in battle. A statue of a mother cradling her children named the "Statue of the Asia Minor Mother" was donated by the refugees and erected in Mytilene.{{cite web |title=Lesvos Statue of Asia Minor Mother |url=https://www.greeka.com/eastern-aegean/lesvos/history/asia-minor-mother/ |access-date=23 December 2022 |website=Greeka |language=en |archive-date=22 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221222213155/https://www.greeka.com/eastern-aegean/lesvos/history/asia-minor-mother/ |url-status=live }} Twenty years later, during [[World War II]], [[Nazi Germany]] conducted an invasion of Greece and [[Yugoslavia]], with both being defeated in 1941 and subsequently divided between the [[Axis powers]]. Lesbos was occupied by Germany until 10 September 1944, when Greece was liberated.{{sfn|Tomasevich|1975|pp=52–53}}{{sfn|Richter|1998|p=616}}{{cite web |title=History of Lesvos |url=https://www.aegeanvacation.com/history-of-lesvos |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211209013019/https://www.aegeanvacation.com/history-of-lesvos |url-status=usurped |archive-date=9 December 2021 |access-date=23 December 2022 |website=Aegeanvacation.com |language=en }}{{cite web |title=History of Lesvos island |url=https://www.greeka.com/eastern-aegean/lesvos/history/ |access-date=23 December 2022 |website=Greeka |language=en |archive-date=22 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221222213154/https://www.greeka.com/eastern-aegean/lesvos/history/ |url-status=live }} The poet [[Odysseus Elytis]], the descendant of an old family of Lesbos, received the [[Nobel Prize in Literature]] in 1979.{{Cite web |title=The Nobel Prize in Literature 1979 |url=https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/literature/1979/summary/ |access-date=22 September 2020 |website=NobelPrize.org |language=en-US |archive-date=10 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220210110937/https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/literature/1979/summary/ |url-status=live }} ==Tourism== [[File:The Roman Aquaduct at Mória (Lesvos).ogv|thumb|The Roman Aqueduct at Mória]] [[File:Kastro Mytilinis (11).jpg|thumb|[[Castle of Mytilene]]]] Lesbos is known to be one of the Greek island touristic hotspots, especially during its tourism season of April, May, June, and July.{{cite web |last=Zikakou |first=Ioanna |date=3 July 2016 |title=Tourist Arrivals on Greek Island of Lesvos Drop by 65% |url=https://greekreporter.com/2016/08/03/tourist-arrivals-on-greek-island-of-lesvos-drop-by-65/ |access-date=2 January 2022 |website=Greek Reporter |language=en |archive-date=2 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220102000540/https://greekreporter.com/2016/08/03/tourist-arrivals-on-greek-island-of-lesvos-drop-by-65/ |url-status=live }} [[Mytilene International Airport|Mytilene airport]] management recorded 47,379 tourists visiting Lesbos in its 2015 tourism season. The [[#Migrants|refugee crisis]] has since slowed down tourism to the island, with a 67.89% decrease rate from June 2015 to June 2016. 6,841 Europeans on 47 flights arrived in Lesbos during its 2016 tourism season, compared to July the previous year, which saw 18,373 Europeans fly to the island on 130 flights. 94 cruise ships full of tourists arrived in Lesbos in 2011 and only one in 2018. Of the refugee crisis' impact on tourism, Maria Dimitriou, a local shop owner from [[Mithymna]], said, "2015 was a very good year for tourism and then, suddenly they started to arrive. The refugees began arriving in mid-July, when the hotels were full of tourists. There were refugees everywhere, lying down with all their trash. And after this, tourism stopped."{{cite web |last=Valery |first=Chantal |date=28 May 2019 |title=Lesbos keen to woo back tourists after migration crisis |url=https://www.thejakartapost.com/travel/2019/05/27/lesbos-keen-to-woo-back-tourists-after-migration-crisis.html |access-date=17 June 2022 |website=[[The Jakarta Post]] |language=en |archive-date=14 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211214124338/https://www.thejakartapost.com/travel/2019/05/27/lesbos-keen-to-woo-back-tourists-after-migration-crisis.html |url-status=live }} In 2019, the head of the Lesbos chamber of commerce, Vangelis Mirsinias, told ''[[The Jakarta Post]]'' that the island's administration is trying to "woo back the tourists" and they "want to remind people of how beautiful" Lesbos is." He advocated for the [[European Union]] to help in advertising and also said, "The economy is still paying the impact of the crisis. It will need time and money to change this image." Lesbos is also a hotspot for [[Dutch people|Dutch tourists]] and one Dutch tourist said that tourism had halted because people "did not feel like seeing all this misery" of the refugees. One local told the publication that residents had become "fed up" and "people are angry towards the government and towards Europe: they told us not to worry, the camps won't last. But it's still there", whilst another business owner explained that he had lost a third of his business and "blames all the negative media attention" for the lack of tourists. ''The Jakarta Post'' also reported that tourists have increased in numbers in recent years, with 63,000 arriving in 2018. The [[COVID-19 pandemic]] has also damaged the island's tourism industry.{{cite web |last=Valery |first=Chantal |date=27 May 2020 |title=Greece ready to welcome tourists as refugees stay locked down in Lesbos |url=https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2020/may/27/greece-ready-to-welcome-tourists-as-refugees-stay-locked-down-in-lesbos-coronavirus |access-date=17 June 2022 |work=[[The Guardian]] |language=en |archive-date=17 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220617084735/https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2020/may/27/greece-ready-to-welcome-tourists-as-refugees-stay-locked-down-in-lesbos-coronavirus |url-status=live }} In April 2022, the Greek government announced a dedication of €2 million in restoring tourism in Lesbos and four other islands.{{cite web |date=26 April 2022 |title=Greece to Spend €2m to Promote Chios, Lesvos, Kos, Leros and Samos |url=https://news.gtp.gr/2022/04/26/greece-to-spend-e2m-to-promote-chios-lesvos-kos-leros-and-samos/ |access-date=27 October 2022 |work=Headlines: Greek Travel Pages |language=en |archive-date=2 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221202052835/https://news.gtp.gr/2022/04/26/greece-to-spend-e2m-to-promote-chios-lesvos-kos-leros-and-samos/ |url-status=live }} In October 2022, it was announced that Lesbos would return to the cruise ship industry.{{cite web |date=25 October 2022 |title=Lesvos Takes Steps to Enter Cruise Market |url=https://news.gtp.gr/2022/10/25/lesvos-takes-steps-to-enter-cruise-market/ |access-date=27 October 2022 |work=Headlines: Greek Travel Pages |language=en |archive-date=27 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221027081201/https://news.gtp.gr/2022/10/25/lesvos-takes-steps-to-enter-cruise-market/ |url-status=live }} Konstantinos Moutzouris, the governor of the North Aegean Region, which Lesbos is under, explained that the region's administration will run a study "in order to develop cruise tourism on the island." The deputy governor of tourism, Nikolaos Nyktas, believed that the cruise industry "suits the island and its culture", while the head of development for the project, Ioannis Bras, said that the island could "offer a lot to the cruise market". In English and most other European languages, including [[Greek language|Greek]], the term ''[[lesbian]]'' is commonly used to refer to homosexual women. This use of the term derives from the poems of [[Sappho]], who was born in Lesbos and who wrote with powerful emotional content directed toward other women.{{cite web |title=lesbian |publisher=Dictionary.com Unabridged |access-date=14 February 2017 |url=https://www.dictionary.com/browse/lesbian }} Due to this association, the town of [[Eresos]], her birthplace, is visited frequently by [[LGBTQ tourism|LGBTQ tourists]].{{cite book |last=Carolyn |first=Bain |author2=Clark, Michael |author3=Hannigan, Des |title=Greece |publisher=[[Lonely Planet]] |year=2004 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781740594707/page/568 568–570] |isbn=1-74059-470-3 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781740594707/page/568 }} As of May 2027, [[Jet2.com|Jet2 Airline]] will be flying from London Gatwick Airport directly to Lesbos Aiport, with the new route to form part of Jet2's expansion of its Greek destinations.{{Cite web |date=20 February 2026 |title=Jet2 launches £97 flights to lesser-known Greek island hailed as 'unspoiled' |url=https://metro.co.uk/2026/02/20/major-airline-launches-97-flights-lesser-known-unspoiled-greek-island-26993862/ |access-date=13 March 2026 |website=Metro |language=en }} ==Land transport== There are two national roads in Lesbos: the [[Greek National Road 36|EO36]], a cross-island road from [[Mytilene]] to [[Kalloni]]; and the [[Greek National Road 73|EO73]], an east coast road from {{ill|Paralia Thermis, Lesbos|el|Παραλία Θερμής Λέσβου|lt=Thermi}} to {{ill|Agrilia Kratigou, Lesbos|el|Αγριλιά Κρατήγου Λέσβου|lt=Kratigos}} via Mytilene.{{cite web|title=Τεχνικό Αντικείμενο (Νομός Λέσβου)|url=https://egnatia.eu/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/5023_sow.pdf|website=Egnatia Odos S.A.|access-date=4 April 2026|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240616005747/https://egnatia.eu/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/5023_sow.pdf|archive-date=16 June 2024|location=Thessaloniki|page=31|language=el|date=6 June 2011|trans-title=Technical Subject (Lesbos Prefecture)}} The island is also served by 20 of 28 numbered provincial roads (the other eight being in [[Lemnos#Transport|Lemnos]]), created in 1956 while Lesbos was a prefecture: [[Eresos]] is accessible by provincial roads 14 or 15, via the EO36 from Kalloni.{{Cite Greek roads|ep-1956|page=774}} ==Geography== [[File:Lesbos topo.png|thumb|right|Topography of Lesbos]] [[File:Lesbos2022OSM.png|thumb|Detailed map of Lesbos]] [[File:Olympos lesbos.jpg|thumb|Mount Olympus’ peak rises 967 metres over Lesbos]] [[File:Agiassos vanaf de Olympos.jpg|thumb|[[Agiasos]] village]] Lesbos lies in the far east of the Aegean sea, facing the Turkish coast ([[Gulf of Edremit]]) from the north and east; at the narrowest point, the [[Mytilini Strait]] is about {{cvt|5.5|km}} wide. In late Palaeolithic/Mesolithic times it was joined to the Anatolian mainland before the end of the [[Last Glacial Period]].Harissis et al. 'A Palaeolithic site on Lesbos island, Greece'. "Αρχαιολογία και Τέχνες"(Archaeology & Arts) 2000;76:83–87, Article in Greek The shape of the island is roughly triangular, but it is deeply intruded by the gulfs of [[Kalloni#Bay and lagoon|Kalloni]], with an entry on the southern coast, and of [[Gera, Lesbos#Bay of Gera|Gera]], in the southeast.{{cite web |url=http://www.itsaboutgreece.com/lesbos.htm |title=Lesbos |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100921055200/http://www.itsaboutgreece.com/lesbos.htm |archive-date=21 September 2010 }} The island is forested and mountainous with two large peaks, Mount Lepetymnos at {{cvt|968|m|ft|0}} and Mount Olympus at {{cvt|967|m|ft|0}} (not to be confused with [[Mount Olympus]] in Thessaly on the Greek mainland), dominating its northern and central sections.{{cite web |url=http://www.globalgeopark.org/publish/portal1/tab233/info387_page2.htm |title=The Petrified Forest of Lesvos, A Unique Natural Monument Recording the Evolutionary Process of Life on Earth |publisher=UNESCO Global Geoparks Network |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100605192455/http://www.globalgeopark.org/publish/portal1/tab233/info387_page2.htm |archive-date=5 June 2010 }} The island's volcanic origin is manifested in several [[hot spring]]s and the two gulfs. Lesbos is verdant, aptly named ''Emerald Island'', with a greater variety of flora than expected for the island's size. Eleven million [[olive tree]]s cover 40% of the island, together with other fruit trees. Forests of Mediterranean [[pine]]s, chestnut trees and some [[oak]]s occupy 20%, and the remainder is [[scrubland|scrub]], [[grassland]] or urban. The island is also one of the best in the world for bird watching.{{cite news |url=https://www.kathimerini.gr/society/562812691/anekmetalleytos-thisayros-ta-ptina-gia-ti-lesvo/ |title=Ανεκμετάλλευτος θησαυρός τα πτηνά για τη Λέσβο |author=Γιώργος Λιάλιος |access-date=4 January 2024 |website=kathimerini.gr }} == Climate == The island has a [[hot-summer Mediterranean climate]] (''Csa'' in the [[Köppen climate classification]]). The mean annual temperature is {{convert|18|°C|°F|0}}, and the mean annual rainfall is {{cvt|750|mm|in|0}}. Its exceptional sunshine makes it one of the sunniest islands in the Aegean Sea. Snow and very low temperatures are rare. {{Weather box |location = Mytilene (1955–2010 averages) |metric first = yes |single line = yes |Jan record high C = 20.2 |Feb record high C = 21.3 |Mar record high C = 28.0 |Apr record high C = 31.0 |May record high C = 35.0 |Jun record high C = 40.0 |Jul record high C = 39.5 |Aug record high C = 38.2 |Sep record high C = 36.2 |Oct record high C = 30.8 |Nov record high C = 27.0 |Dec record high C = 22.5 |year record high C = 40.0 |Jan high C = 12.2 |Feb high C = 12.8 |Mar high C = 15 |Apr high C = 19.3 |May high C = 24.3 |Jun high C = 28.9 |Jul high C = 31 |Aug high C = 30.8 |Sep high C = 27 |Oct high C = 22 |Nov high C = 17.4 |Dec high C = 13.9 |year high C = 20.9 |Jan mean C = 9.5 |Feb mean C = 9.9 |Mar mean C = 11.6 |Apr mean C = 15.6 |May mean C = 20.2 |Jun mean C = 24.7 |Jul mean C = 26.6 |Aug mean C = 26.1 |Sep mean C = 22.9 |Oct mean C = 18.5 |Nov mean C = 14.3 |Dec mean C = 11.3 |year mean C = 17.6 |Jan low C = 6.8 |Feb low C = 7.0 |Mar low C = 8.2 |Apr low C = 11.4 |May low C = 15.3 |Jun low C = 19.6 |Jul low C = 22 |Aug low C = 21.7 |Sep low C = 18.6 |Oct low C = 15 |Nov low C = 11.4 |Dec low C = 8.7 |year low C = 13.7 |Jan record low C = −4.4 |Feb record low C = −3.0 |Mar record low C = −1.2 |Apr record low C = 4.0 |May record low C = 8.4 |Jun record low C = 11.0 |Jul record low C = 15.8 |Aug record low C = 16.3 |Sep record low C = 10.9 |Oct record low C = 5.2 |Nov record low C = 1.4 |Dec record low C = −1.4 |year record low C = −4.4 |Jan precipitation mm = 111 |Feb precipitation mm = 96.2 |Mar precipitation mm = 70.1 |Apr precipitation mm = 44.8 |May precipitation mm = 19.8 |Jun precipitation mm = 6.4 |Jul precipitation mm = 2 |Aug precipitation mm = 2.7 |Sep precipitation mm = 12.4 |Oct precipitation mm = 43.9 |Nov precipitation mm = 97.1 |Dec precipitation mm = 138.7 |year precipitation mm = 670.6 |unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm |Jan precipitation days = 9.0 |Feb precipitation days = 8.1 |Mar precipitation days = 6.5 |Apr precipitation days = 4.8 |May precipitation days = 2.7 |Jun precipitation days = 0.8 |Jul precipitation days = 0.4 |Aug precipitation days = 0.4 |Sep precipitation days = 1.3 |Oct precipitation days = 3.3 |Nov precipitation days = 6.8 |Dec precipitation days = 10.0 |year precipitation days = 54.1 |Jan humidity = 71.0 |Feb humidity = 69.8 |Mar humidity = 57.5 |Apr humidity = 63.9 |May humidity = 62.6 |Jun humidity = 57.3 |Jul humidity = 56.0 |Aug humidity = 57.4 |Sep humidity = 59.5 |Oct humidity = 66.1 |Nov humidity = 71.0 |Dec humidity = 72.0 |year humidity = 64.5 |source 1 = [[Hellenic National Meteorological Service]]{{cite web |url=http://hnms.gr/emy/el/climatology/climatology_city?perifereia=North%20Aegean&poli=Mytilini |title=HNMS |website=www.hnms.gr |access-date=3 April 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101216044718/http://hnms.gr/hnms/english/climatology/climatology_region_diagrams_html?dr_city=Mytilini |archive-date=16 December 2010 |url-status=dead }} |source 2 = NOAA{{Cite FTP |url=ftp://dossier.ogp.noaa.gov/GCOS/WMO-Normals/RA-VI/GR/16667.TXT |server=[[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]] |url-status=dead |title=MITILINI Climate Normals 1961–1990 |access-date=29 January 2013 }} |date=April 2011 |}} ==Geology== [[File:LesbosPetrified trunks23-24.jpg|thumb|Petrified forest of Lesbos]] The entire territory of Lesbos is "Lesvos [[Geopark]]", which is a member of the [[European Geoparks Network]] (since 2000) and [[Global Geoparks Network]] (since 2004) on account of its outstanding geological heritage, educational programs and projects, and promotion of [[geotourism]].{{Cite web |url=http://www.unesco.org/new/fileadmin/MULTIMEDIA/HQ/SC/pdf/pdf_geopark_infosheet_Greece_EN.pdf |title=Global Geoparks in Greece (UNESCO) |access-date=11 March 2023 |archive-date=28 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151128045944/http://www.unesco.org/new/fileadmin/MULTIMEDIA/HQ/SC/pdf/pdf_geopark_infosheet_Greece_EN.pdf |url-status=live }} This geopark was enlarged from former "Lesvos Petrified Forest Geopark". Lesbos contains one of the few known [[petrified wood|petrified forests]], called the [[Petrified forest of Lesbos]], and it has been declared a [[Protected Natural Monument]]. Fossilised plants have been found in many localities on the western parts of the island. The fossilised forest was formed during the Late [[Oligocene]] to Lower–Middle [[Miocene]], as determined by the intense [[volcanic activity]] in the area. Neogene [[volcanic rock]]s dominate the central and western part of the island, comprising [[andesite]]s, [[dacite]]s and [[rhyolite]]s, [[ignimbrite]], [[Pyroclastic rock|pyroclastic]]s, [[tuff]]s, and [[volcanic ash]]. The products of the volcanic activity covered the [[vegetation]] of the area and the [[fossil]]ization process took place during favourable conditions. The fossilized plants are silicified remnants of a [[sub-tropical]] forest that existed on the northwest part of the island 20–15 million years ago. ==Landmarks== [[File:Λέσβος - Ναός Άγιου Θεράποντα.jpg|thumb|The church of [[Saint Therapon (Mytilene)|Saint Therapon]] in Mytilene by night]] * [[Petrified forest of Lesbos]] * [[Catholic Church of Assumption of Theotokos, Mytilene|Catholic Church of Theotokos]], where part of the relics of [[Saint Valentine]] are kept * Castle of Molyvos (Mithymna) * [[Castle of Mytilene]] * Castle of Sigri * Church of Panagia Agiasos * Monastery of Agios Raphael * Monastery of Taxiarchis * Roman Aqueduct of Lesbos (Mória) * The Bridge at Kremasti * Early Christian Basilica of Agios Andreas in Eressos * Temple of Klopedi * Christian Temple of Chalinados * [[Messon (Lesbos)|Ancient Sanctuary of Messa]] * Acropolis of Ancient Pyrra * Monastery of Ipsilou * Monastery of Limonas * [[Statue of Liberty (Mytilene)]] * Ouzo Museum "The World of Ouzo"{{Cite web |url=https://theworldofouzo.gr/en/ouzo-plomari/ouzo-museum.php |title=The World of Ouzo (Ouzo Museum) - by Ouzo Plomari |website=theworldofouzo.gr |access-date=14 June 2025 |archive-date=2 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230602230244/https://theworldofouzo.gr/en/ouzo-plomari/ouzo-museum.php |url-status=live }} in [[Plomari]] * Barbayannis Ouzo Museum (Plomari) * The Mosque in Parakila * Catacomb of Mary Magdalene * [[Sourlangas Leather Factory]] * Panagia Gorgona in [[Skala Sykaminea]] ==Endangered sites== Twelve historic churches on the island were listed together on the 2008 [[World Monuments Fund]]'s [[World Monuments Watch|Watch List of the 100 Most Endangered Sites]] in the world. The churches date from the Early Christian Period to the 19th century. Exposure to the elements, outmoded conservation methods, and increased tourism are all threats to the structures. The following are the 12 churches:[http://www.demetrimusic.com/pdf/12churches.pdf Churches Of Lesvos] accessed 31 July 2014 * Katholikon of Moni Perivolis * Early Christian Basilica Agios Andreas Eressos * Early Christian Basilica Afentelli Eressos * Church of Agios Stephanos Mantamados * Katholikon of Moni Taxiarchon Kato Tritos * Katholikon of Moni Damandriou Polichnitos * Metamorphosi Soteros Church in Papiana * Church of Agios Georgios Anemotia * Church of Agios Nikolaos Petra * Monastery of Ipsilou * Church of Agios Ioannis Kerami * Church of Taxiarchon Vatousa ==Administration== Lesbos is a separate [[regional units of Greece|regional unit]] of the [[North Aegean]] region. Since 2019, it consists of two [[Communities and Municipalities of Greece|municipalities]]: [[Mytilene]] and [[West Lesbos]].{{Cite web |url=http://www.et.gr/idocs-nph/search/pdfViewerForm.html?args=5C7QrtC22wFqnM3eAbJzrXdtvSoClrL87TVLbP6RgP3tIl9LGdkF53UIxsx942CdyqxSQYNuqAGCF0IfB9HI6qSYtMQEkEHLwnFqmgJSA5UkHEKavWyL4FoKqSe4BlOTSpEWYhszF8P8UqWb_zFijOYvZQ9oVzh_eHrjhF2IgFB0wiv-nanwQoPLtSkFjBWO |title=Τροποποίηση του άρθρου 1 του ν. 3852/2010 |trans-title=Amendment of Article 1 of l. 3852/2010 |page=1164 |language=el |publisher=[[Government Gazette (Greece)|Government Gazette]] |access-date=5 September 2021 |archive-date=6 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190406071730/http://www.et.gr/idocs-nph/search/pdfViewerForm.html?args=5C7QrtC22wFqnM3eAbJzrXdtvSoClrL87TVLbP6RgP3tIl9LGdkF53UIxsx942CdyqxSQYNuqAGCF0IfB9HI6qSYtMQEkEHLwnFqmgJSA5UkHEKavWyL4FoKqSe4BlOTSpEWYhszF8P8UqWb_zFijOYvZQ9oVzh_eHrjhF2IgFB0wiv-nanwQoPLtSkFjBWO |url-status=live }} Between the 2011 [[Kallikratis Programme|Kallikratis government reform]] and 2019, there was one single municipality on the island: Lesbos, created out of the 13 former municipalities on the island. At the same reform, the regional unit Lesbos was created out of part of the former [[Lesbos Prefecture]].{{Cite web |url=http://www.et.gr/idocs-nph/search/pdfViewerForm.html?args=5C7QrtC22wGYK2xFpSwMnXdtvSoClrL8-SrPzKAEPjjtIl9LGdkF53UIxsx942CdyqxSQYNuqAGCF0IfB9HI6hq6ZkZV96FIukI0UzcPsWCK0LpLhpa7rhiWB4R5ntTnoWw7U8E1Amg. |title=ΦΕΚ A 87/2010, Kallikratis reform law text |language=el |publisher=[[Government Gazette (Greece)|Government Gazette]] |access-date=7 September 2021 |archive-date=20 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220920170816/http://www.et.gr/idocs-nph/search/pdfViewerForm.html?args=5C7QrtC22wGYK2xFpSwMnXdtvSoClrL8-SrPzKAEPjjtIl9LGdkF53UIxsx942CdyqxSQYNuqAGCF0IfB9HI6hq6ZkZV96FIukI0UzcPsWCK0LpLhpa7rhiWB4R5ntTnoWw7U8E1Amg. |url-status=live }} {{multiple image |size=220 |align=right |image1=Plomari a.JPG |caption1=[[Plomari]] |image2=Κάστρο Μήθυμνας ΛΕΣΒΟΣ (2).jpg |caption2=[[Mithymna]] |image3=Σκάλα Ερεσού Θέα από Βίγλα.jpg |caption3=Skala of [[Eresos-Antissa]]}} The municipality of Mytilene consists of the following municipal units (former municipalities): * [[Agiasos]] (Αγιάσος) * [[Evergetoulas]] (Ευεργέτουλας) * [[Gera, Greece|Gera]] (Γέρα) * [[Loutropoli Thermis]] (Λουτρόπολη Θερμής) * [[Mytilene]] (Μυτιλήνη) * [[Plomari]] (Πλωμάρι) The municipality of West Lesbos consists of the following municipal units: * [[Agia Paraskevi, Lesbos|Agia Paraskevi]] (Αγία Παρασκευή) * [[Eresos-Antissa]] (Ερεσός-Άντισσα) * [[Kalloni]] (Καλλονή) * [[Mantamados]] (Μανταμάδος) * [[Mithymna]] (Μήθυμνα) * [[Petra, Lesbos|Petra]] (Πέτρα) * [[Polichnitos]] (Πολίχνιτος) ==Parliamentary constituency== {{main|Lesbos (constituency)}} ==Economy== [[File:Lebosprefecture.jpg|thumb|The building of the former Lesbos Prefecture, and now of the Lesbos Regional Unit]] [[File:Ouzo - plomari.jpg|thumb|80px|A bottle of ''[[Ouzo Plomari]]'' of Lesbos]] The economy of Lesbos is essentially [[agriculture|agricultural]], with [[olive oil]] being the main source of [[income]]. Tourism in [[Mytilene]], encouraged by its international airport and the coastal towns of [[Petra, Lesbos|Petra]], [[Plomari]], [[Molyvos]] and [[Eresos]], contributes substantially to the island's economy. [[Fishing]] and the [[manufacturing|manufacture]] of [[soap]] and [[ouzo]], the Greek national [[liqueur]], are the remaining sources of income. ==Migrants== {{Further|Pagani Detention Center}} Due to its proximity to the Turkish mainland, Lesbos is one of the Greek islands most affected by the [[European migrant crisis]] that started in 2015. [[Refugees of the Syrian Civil War]] came to the island in multiple vessels every day.{{cite web |title=Migrants Crisis: Refugees Attempt to Reach Greek Island of Lesbos |publisher=NBCNews.com |date=13 August 2015 |author1=Tony Hemmings |author2=Bill Neely |access-date=2 July 2019 |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/europes-border-crisis/migrants-crisis-refugees-attempt-reach-greek-island-lesbos-n409011 |archive-date=13 August 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150813230008/https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/europes-border-crisis/migrants-crisis-refugees-attempt-reach-greek-island-lesbos-n409011 |url-status=live }} As of June 2018, 8,000 refugees were trapped when a deal between Europe and Turkey removed their route to the continent in 2016.{{clarify|date=May 2021}} After that, living conditions deteriorated and the possibility of movement to Europe dimmed. [[Moria Refugee Camp]] was the largest of the refugee camps and held twice as many people as it was designed to accommodate.{{cite web |title=After Fleeing War, Refugee Children Face Lasting Psychological Trauma |date=20 June 2018 |publisher=nationalgeographic.com |access-date=2 July 2019 |url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2018/06/refugee-mental-health-trauma-children-lesbos-greece-crisis-world-refugee-day-culture/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191001200649/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2018/06/refugee-mental-health-trauma-children-lesbos-greece-crisis-world-refugee-day-culture/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=1 October 2019}} (subscription) By May 2020, Moria had 17,421 refugees living there. On 9 September 2020, thousands of migrants fled from the overcrowded Moria camp after a fire broke out. At least 25 firefighters, with 10 engines, were battling the flames both inside and outside the facility.{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/09/lesbos-refugee-camp-fire-forces-thousands-to-evacuate |title=Lesbos refugee camp fire forces thousands to evacuate |access-date=8 September 2020 |work=[[The Guardian]] }} A smaller-scale facility, the [[Pikpa camp]] catered for a segment of the refugee population until its closure in October 2020, whereupon the occupants were transferred to the "old" [[Kara Tepe Refugee Camp]].[https://drive.google.com/file/d/1aFk1pH6siB9SwqZqj8panOHqx12vQDKd/view The eviction of Pikpa Open Refugee Camp] ''Lesvos solidarity December 2020 Newsletter'', accessed 25 May 2021 The Greek government maintains that the fires were started deliberately by migrants protesting that the camp had been put in lockdown due to a [[COVID-19]] outbreak amongst the migrants in the camp. On 16 September 2020, four Afghan men were formally charged with arson for allegedly starting the fire.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/16/world/europe/afghan-migrants-charged-arson-lesbos.html |title=Afghan Migrants Charged With Arson in Fires that Destroyed Lesbos Camp |access-date=26 September 2020 |website=The New York Times |date=16 September 2020 |archive-date=26 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200926002837/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/16/world/europe/afghan-migrants-charged-arson-lesbos.html |url-status=live }} Two other migrants, both aged 17, which is below the age of full adult criminal responsibility in Greece, were also allegedly involved in starting the fire, and were held in police detention on the mainland.{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/greece-4-afghans-charged-with-arson-for-fire-at-lesbos-camp/2020/09/16/428b1b2c-f81f-11ea-85f7-5941188a98cd_story.html |title=Afghans Charged With Arson For Fire At Lesbos Camp |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=16 September 2020 |archive-date=8 November 2022 |access-date=1 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221108161216/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/greece-4-afghans-charged-with-arson-for-fire-at-lesbos-camp/2020/09/16/428b1b2c-f81f-11ea-85f7-5941188a98cd_story.html |url-status=live }} After the closure of the Moria camp, a [[Temporary Kara Tepe Refugee Camp|temporary facility]] was rapidly set up at Kara Tepe.{{Cite web |date=2 April 2021 |url=https://greekcitytimes.com/2021/04/02/lesvos-reacts-angrily-structure/ |title=Lesvos reacts angrily to plans for new immigrant structure |website=greekcitytimes.com |access-date=24 May 2021 }} The Greek government announced in November 2020 that a new closed reception centre will be built in the Vastria area near Nees Kydonies, on the border between Mytilene and Western Lesbos, and will be completed by late 2021.{{Cite web |date=30 November 2020 |title=Λέσβος / Ετοιμάζουν κλειστή δομή για τους πρόσφυγες στη Βάστρια |url=https://www.avgi.gr/koinonia/373204_etoimazoyn-kleisti-domi-gia-toys-prosfyges-sti-bastria |access-date=16 December 2020 |website=Αυγή |language=el |archive-date=30 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201130214239/https://www.avgi.gr/koinonia/373204_etoimazoyn-kleisti-domi-gia-toys-prosfyges-sti-bastria |url-status=live }} ==Culture== ===Cuisine=== [[File:Honig - μέλι aus Mesotopos - panoramio.jpg|thumb|180px|Honey from Lesbos]] [[File:Λαδοτύρι 7719.jpg|thumb|180px|[[Ladotyri Mytilinis]]]] Local specialties: * ''Chachles'', type of [[tarhana]] * ''Kydonato'', meat with quinces * ''Revithato'', meat with chickpeas * ''[[Sardines|Sardeles]]'' from [[Kalloni]] * [[Ladotyri Mytilinis]], cheese * ''Selinato'', meat with celery * ''[[Sfougato]]'', omelette * ''Skafoudes'', stuffed eggplants * ''Sougania'', stuffed onions * [[Ouzo]] * ''[[Platseda]]'' (dessert) * ''[[Finikia]]'' (dessert) * ''[[Amygdalota]]'' * ''Retseli'' ===In popular culture=== * Films shot on the island include ''[[Daphnis and Chloe (film)|Daphnis and Chloe]]'' (1931) by [[Orestis Laskos]], ''The tree under the sea'' (1985) by [[Philippe Muyl]] and ''One Love and the Other'' (1994) by [[Eva Bergman]]. * Lesbos is depicted in ''[[Assassin's Creed Odyssey]]'' as the northeasternmost Aegean Island, the center of the island is where the player's character can encounter [[Medusa]].{{cite web |last1=Loveridge |first1=Sam |date=9 October 2018 |title=How to find and beat the Assassin's Creed Odyssey Medusa |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/assassins-creed-odyssey-medusa/ |website=gamesradar |access-date=9 February 2019 |archive-date=10 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190210152528/https://www.gamesradar.com/assassins-creed-odyssey-medusa/ |url-status=live }} ==Sports== The main football clubs in the island are [[Aiolikos F.C.|Aiolikos]], [[AEL Kalloni F.C.|AEL Kalloni]] and [[Sappho Lesvou F.C.]] ==Media== ===Radio=== {| class="wikitable" !Frequency !Name !On air since !Description |- |87.5 MHz |Radio Kalloni |1996 |News, [[Talk radio|talk]] and [[Music of Greece|Greek music]] |- |88.2 MHz |Love Mitilini |2003 |[[Easy listening]] |- |90.0 MHz |Radio Mitilini |1989 |[[Music of Greece|Greek]] pop and rock music (formerly broadcast on 107.6) |- |91.6 MHz |Rythmos Radio |2005 |[[Music of Greece|Greek]] pop music |- |92.3 MHz |[[First Programme]] |1938 |National; news and [[Talk radio|talk]]; first station of [[Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation|Greek state radio]] |- |92.8 MHz |Aeolos FM 92,8 |1989 |[[Music of Greece|Greek]] [[laïko]]-[[rebetiko]]-[[éntekhno]] music |- |93.2 MHz |Astra FM 93,2 |2000 |[[Music of Greece|Greek music]] |- |93.3 MHz |Foni tis Ecclesias |2000 |[[Orthodoxy|Orthodox]] religious radio; rebroadcasting with ''Ecclesia FM 89,5'' |- |93.6 MHz |Intro Radio Lesvos |2021 |[[Amateur radio]] with [[Music of Greece|Greek]] pop music; located from [[Polichnitos]] |- |94.3 MHz |[[Second Programme]] |1952 |National; [[Music of Greece|Greek music]]; second station of [[Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation|Greek state radio]] |- |96.5 MHz |ERT Aegean |1989 |News and [[Talk radio|talk]]; Local station of [[Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation|Greek state radio]] |- |96.8 MHz |[https://www.minorekalloni.gr/ Minore FM 96,8] |1985 |[[Music of Greece|Greek music]]: [[Pop music]] and [[Dance music]] |- |97.2 MHz |[[Third Programme (ERT)|Third Programme]] |1954 |National; classical music; third station of [[Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation|Greek state radio]] |- |97.6 MHz |Local 9,72 Mitilini |1990 |News, [[Talk radio|talk]] and music |- |98.6 MHz |Best FM Lesvos |1992 |[[Music of Greece|Greek]] and foreign music |- |99.0 MHz |Sto Nisi 99 FM |2019 |News and [[Talk radio|talk]] |- |99.4 MHz |[https://www.ertnews.gr/news/perifereiakoi-stathmoi/voreio_aigaio/ ERT Aegean] |1989 |News and [[Talk radio|talk]]; Local station of [[Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation|Greek state radio]] |- |99.8 MHz |SKAI Aegean |2009 |News and [[Talk radio|talk]] |- |101.5 MHz |Slam 101.5 |2019 |Foreign music |- |103.0 MHz |ERT Aegean |1989 |News and [[Talk radio|talk]]; Local station of [[Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation|Greek state radio]] |- |104.4 MHz |ERT Aegean |1989 |News and [[Talk radio|talk]]; Local station of [[Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation|Greek state radio]] |- |104.8 MHz |Peiraiki Ecclesia |1988 |[[Orthodoxy|Orthodox]] religious radio station by the ''Church of [[Piraeus]]'' |- |105.8 MHz |Peiraiki Ecclesia |1988 |[[Orthodoxy|Orthodox]] religious radio station by the ''Church of [[Piraeus]]'' |- | rowspan="2" |105.9 MHz |ERT Aegean |1989 |News and [[Talk radio|talk]]; Local station of [[Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation|Greek state radio]] |- |[[Second Programme]] |1952 |National; [[Music of Greece|Greek music]]; second station of [[Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation|Greek state radio]] |- |106.4 MHz |[[Third Programme (ERT)|Third Programme]] |1954 |National; classical music; third station of [[Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation|Greek state radio]] |- |106.9 MHz |SKAI Aegean |2009 |News and [[Talk radio|talk]] |- |107.4 MHz |Peiraiki Ecclesia |1988 |[[Orthodoxy|Orthodox]] religious radio station by the ''Church of [[Piraeus]]'' |- |107.7 MHz |Radio Kalloni |1996 |News, [[Talk radio|talk]] and [[Music of Greece|Greek music]] |- |107.9 MHz |[[ERA Sport]] |1993 |National; [[sport]]s and [[Talk radio|talk]]; fourth station of [[Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation|Greek state radio]] |} ===TV=== A regional television station operates from the city of Mytilene; Aeolos TV.{{Cite web |url=https://aeolos.tv/ |title=Aeolos TV |website=Aeolos TV |access-date=11 March 2023 |archive-date=7 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307155935/https://aeolos.tv/ |url-status=live }} ===Newspapers=== The main printed newspapers of the city are ''Empros'', ''Ta Nea tis Lesvou'', and ''Dimokratis''. Online newspapers include ''Aeolos'', ''Stonisi'',{{Cite web |url=https://www.stonisi.gr/ |title=ΣτοΝησί.gr |website=Στο Νησί |access-date=11 March 2023 }} ''Emprosnet'',{{cite news |title=Emprosnet |url=https://www.emprosnet.gr/ |archive-date=20 August 2022 |access-date=20 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220820022202/http://www.emprosnet.gr/ |url-status=live }} ''Lesvosnews'',{{Cite web |url=https://www.lesvosnews.net/ |title=Lesvosnews.net | Ειδήσεις και νέα της Μυτιλήνης - Λέσβου |website=Lesvosnews.net |access-date=11 March 2023 |archive-date=11 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230311161109/https://www.lesvosnews.net/ |url-status=live }} ''Lesvospost'',{{Cite web |url=https://www.lesvospost.com/ |title=LesvosPost.com | ΕΙΔΗΣΕΙΣ & ΝΕΑ ΤΗΣ ΛΕΣΒΟΥ |access-date=11 March 2023 |archive-date=11 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230311161102/https://www.lesvospost.com/ |url-status=live }} and ''Kalloninews''.{{Cite news |title=kalloninews |url=https://kalloninews.gr/ |archive-date=5 February 2023 |access-date=13 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230205135418/https://kalloninews.gr/ |url-status=live }} ==Notable residents== [[File:Elytis, Odysseas (1911-1996).jpg|thumb|160px|The Nobel Prize winner in Literature, poet [[Odysseas Elytis]] (Alepoudellis) was from Lesbos]] * [[Lesches]] (8th or 7th century BC), early poet * [[Sappho]] (7th and 6th centuries BC), poet * [[Terpander]] (7th century BC), poet and [[citharede]] * [[Alcaeus of Mytilene]] (7th century BC), poet and politician * [[Arion]] (7th century BC), poet * [[Hellanicus of Lesbos]] (5th century BC), historian * [[Aristotle]] (384–322 BC), philosopher, was born in [[Chalkidike]] but lived for a time on the island. * [[Laomedon of Mytilene]] (4th century BC), general of [[Alexander the Great]] * [[Erigyius]] (4th century BC), officer in the [[army of Alexander the Great]] * [[Theophrastus]] (370–285 BC), philosopher and botanist, successor to Aristotle * [[Theophanes of Mytilene]] (1st century BC), ancient Greek historian * [[Longus]] (2nd century AD), ancient Greek author * [[Theoctiste of Lesbos]] (9th century), hermit saint * [[Thomais of Lesbos]] (c. 909–947), lay woman saint * [[Irene of Athens]] (c. 950–803), Byzantine empress regnant (797–802) was banished to Lesbos after being deposed * [[Constantine IX Monomachos]] Byzantine emperor (1042–1055), resident of Mytilene prior to accession. * [[Christopher of Mytilene]] (11th century), poet * [[Alexios Philanthropenos]] (14th century), Byzantine general and governor of Lesvos * [[Doukas (historian)|Doukas]] (c. 1400 – after 1462), Byzantine historian * [[Hayreddin Barbarossa]] (1470s–1546), Ottoman admiral * [[Demetrios Bernardakis]] (1833–1907), dramatist * [[Tamburi Ali Efendi]] (1836–1902), Turkish classical composer * [[Gregorios Bernardakis]] (1848–1925), classical philologist and palaeographer * [[Georgios Jakobides]] (1853–1932), painter * [[Hüseyin Hilmi Pasha]] (1 April 1855 – 1922), Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire * [[Theophilos Hatzimihail]] (c. 1870–1934), painter * [[Ahmed Djemal]] (1872–1922), Ottoman commander, politician * [[Georgios Emmanouil Kaldis]] (1875–1953) lawyer, journalist and politician * [[Tériade]] (1889–1983), art critic, patron, and publisher * [[Hermon di Giovanno]] (c. 1900–1968), painter * [[Odysseas Elytis]] (1911–1996), poet, Nobel Prize in Literature 1979 * [[Stratis Myrivilis]] (1890–1969), writer * [[Elias Venezis]] (1904–1973), writer * [[Tzeli Hadjidimitriou]] (b. 1962), photographer and writer * [[Konstantinos Kenteris|Kostas Kenteris]] (b. 1973), athlete (running, 200 meters), Gold Olympic medal Sydney 2000, World and European championship gold medal * [[Alex Martinez (graffiti artist)|Alex Martinez]], graffiti artist, illustrator, muralist * [[Steffen Streich]], [[Ultra-distance cycling|ultra-endurance cyclist]] ==Gallery== File:Fire ship by Volanakis.jpg|"The burning of the Ottoman frigate at [[Eresos]] by [[Dimitrios Papanikolis]]" by [[Konstantinos Volanakis]] File:Lesbos. Port Authority Building Mytilene, c. 1910.jpg|Ottoman flag in Mytilene in the last days of the Ottoman period File:Greek troops land at Mytilene, 1912.jpeg|Greek troops land at Mytilene, 1912 File:Petra town.JPG|[[Petra, Lesbos]] File:After the scraping of the salt Kalloni.jpg|Extraction of the salt in Lesbos File:Άποψη ελαιοτριβείου αριστερά.jpg|Museum of industrial olive oil production, Agia Paraskevi File:Lesbos Limonas011.JPG|[[Saint Ignatios Monastery|Limonas monastery]] File:Μονή Παμμεγίστων Ταξιαρχών Μανταμάδου (2) ΛΕΣΒΟΣ.jpg|Taxiarchis Monastery File:Lesbos Agiassos04.JPG|Panagia Church in [[Agiasos]] == See also == * [[Adobogiona]] – an inscription in Lesbos honors this [[Celt]]ic princess * [[Assos]] * [[Lesbian rule]] – historically a flexible lead mason's rule associated with Lesbos * [[Lesbian wine]] * [[List of islands of Greece]] * [[List of traditional Greek place names]] * [[University of the Aegean]] * [[Ancient regions of Anatolia]] == References == {{reflist}} ===Works cited=== {{refbegin|2}} * {{cite book |last=Hall |first=Richard C. |title=The Balkan Wars, 1912–1913: Prelude to the First World War |year=2000 |publisher=Routledge |location=London |isbn=0-415-22946-4}} * {{cite book |last=Richter |first=Heinz A. |title=Greece in World War II |others=transl by Kostas Sarropoulos |publisher=Govostis |year=1998 |location=Athens |language=el |isbn=978-960-270-789-0}} * {{cite book |last=Tomasevich |first=Jozo |year=1975 |title=War and Revolution in Yugoslavia, 1941–1945: The Chetniks |publisher=Stanford University Press |location=Stanford, CA |isbn=978-0-8047-0857-9}} * {{cite book |ref={{harvid|Επίτομη Ιστορία}} |title=Επίτομη Ιστορία των Βαλκανικών Πολέμων 1912-1913 |trans-title=Concise History of the Balkan Wars 1912–1913 |publisher=Hellenic Army General Staff, Army History Directorate |location=Athens |year=1987 |oclc=51846788}} {{refend}} == External links == {{commons}} * {{Official website|https://www.pvaigaiou.gov.gr/}} {{in lang|el}} * [https://www.lesvosnews.gr/ Lesvos News] {{in lang|el}} * [https://www.statistics.gr Elstat] {{in lang|el}} * {{cite web |url=http://odysseus.culture.gr/a/map/emap.jsp |work=Maps |publisher=Hellenic Ministry of Culture |title=Prefecture of Lesvos |url-status=live |archive-date=8 April 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070408170650/http://www.culture.gr/2/21/maps/aigaio/lesvos/lesvos.html}} * [http://www.lesvosgreece.gr/en Guide of Lesbos Island] {{in lang|el|en|tr}} * [https://www.emprosnet.gr News of Mytilene and Lesvos Island] {{in lang|el}} * {{cite web |url=http://www.wmf.org/sites/default/files/wmf_publication/Watch_2008_site_descriptions_0.pdf |date=2008 |title=World's Monuments Watch List |publisher=World Monuments Fund (WMF) |url-status=dead |archive-date=20 March 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130320161546/http://www.wmf.org/sites/default/files/wmf_publication/Watch_2008_site_descriptions_0.pdf}} {{Regional units of Greece}} {{Kallikratis-North Aegean}} {{Landmarks of Lesbos}} {{Aegean Sea}} {{Authority control}} [[Category:Lesbos| ]] [[Category:Islands of Greece]] [[Category:Regional units of the North Aegean]] [[Category:Lesbian history]] [[Category:Global Geoparks Network members]] [[Category:Landforms of Lesbos]] [[Category:Islands of the North Aegean]] [[Category:Geoparks in Greece]] [[Category:Territories of the Republic of Genoa]] [[Category:Hellenic Navy bases]] [[Category:Populated places in Lesbos]]