World exposure received monument of the Sikinos diocese thanks to his award from European Commission and Europa Nostra is a great joy for all who are interested in the cultural heritage of our country, and especially for us in the Hellenic Society for the Environment and Culture (ELLET). Because Sikinos, among the many charming islands of the Cyclades, is one of the best preserved in the Aegean. And this is no coincidence. Fortunately, there have been mayors like Yiannis Sirygos and Vassilis Marakis who are sensitive to the beauty of nature and cultural heritage, and residents who love their place so much that they are in no hurry to sell it for a quick profit, and who hope for a real sustainable development of the island.

This will be helped by the international recognition of the unique monument of Episkopi, as well as the excellent Cultural Trails that ELLET has taken care of for the island. The rescue of the Episkopi monument also began with the Ways of Culture. About 8 years ago, young employees of ELLET, implementing the “Ways” program, while documenting the ancient path leading to the ancient settlement, noticed an abandoned monument that aroused their special interest. They photographed it and sent the photographs to the Architectural Heritage Board, who in turn informed the competent Ephorate of Cycladic Antiquities and jointly confirmed the monument’s importance. But research was not enough to start any action. ELLET got down to business and once again Thanasis and Marina Martinou, recognizing the importance of the monument, were ready to cover the costs.

It was an abandoned building with obvious architectural features that testify to its deep historicity. A monument that has lived 17 centuries to the present day, being built during the Roman Empire as a mausoleum, and then turned into a church. The diocese morphologically preserves all its later stages, giving a visual representation of its history.

Research

Sikinos, among the many charming islands of the Cyclades, is one of the best preserved islands in the Aegean.

To carry out the restoration of this remarkable monument, ELLET commissioned civil engineer P. Panagiotopoulos to carry out a static survey and Edafos SA a geotechnical survey. Architecture and other studies were carried out by the Ephorate of Antiquities of the Cyclades. During the restoration work, with the quality work of the Ephorate of Cycladic Antiquities led by Dimitris Afanasoulis, interesting facts were unearthed, such as a touching inscription by someone believed to have built the mausoleum for the woman he loved, Neiko. Later, during the work, another amazing element was discovered that caused a sensation – the untouched tomb of Neykis. The project, which is an example of constructive cooperation between the private sector through ELLET as a civil society body, with the public sector through the Ephorate of Antiquities of the Cyclades, as well as with interested mayors and the local community, has borne fruit and is currently underway. awarded.

It is worth noting that in parallel with the restoration and promotion of the Episkopi monument, through the ELLET Environmental Education Council, a program was implemented in local schools with the participation of the municipality and residents to replace the plastic bag. with cloth, making Sikinos one of the first islands without plastic bags. It is no coincidence that Sikinou Kindergarten has produced one of the school’s most compelling videos of the devastation caused by plastic bags in our seas. Sikinos is one of the best preserved islands in the Aegean with culture and nature preserved as a compass for sustainable development.

* Ms. Lydia Karras is President and Mr. Kostas M. Stamatopoulos is Vice President of the Hellenic Society for the Environment and Culture.