Kos
Kos
Kos one of the Dodecanese Islands of Greece is in the Aegean Sea, a few miles off the South West Coast of Turkey. By population it is just behind Rhodes with a permanent population of over 30,000 though by size it drops below Karpathos. It is a long narrow island, just 5 miles wide and 25 long. The town of Kos is at one end, closest to Turkey with other resorts further down the Island. There is around 70 miles of coastline, much of it lovely beaches.
The main town of Kos has many hotels, restaurants and clubs within a road that has become known as ‘bar street’ though there is another significant resort, Kardamena where the young holidaymakers that Kos tends to attract can find equally as good entertainment.
Agriculture is still a significant activity with the fresh fruit and vegetables a feature of the fine Greek cuisine served throughout the Island. Olives are extremely important while other significant crops are tomatoes, figs, almonds and grapes with cereals also grown.
Kos has a rich history dating back to the Carians. It was the site of battles within the Greco-Persian Wars and was involved in significant trade over the years. Silk was imported and its connections with Egypt resulted in it becoming a seat of learning. The Ancient Hippocrates whose name is still associated with everything medical even today was born on Kos in 460BC.
The peace of Kos was then fairly undisturbed other than by earthquakes. It became part of the Ottoman Empire in 1523, until almost four centuries later the Italians moved in. They stayed until their surrender in the Second World War in 1943. Once the Germans were repelled it was a UK Protectorate for a short time until being handed to Greece in 1947. There is still a Turkish Community of a couple of thousand though it was ten times that size before the Second World War.