geo.wikisort.org - Island

Koufonisi (Greek: Κουφονήσι, known as Leuce in antiquity) is an uninhabited Greek islet, located 5.6 km (3 nautical miles) south of cape Goudero on the coast of Lasithi, eastern Crete, in the Libyan Sea. The island is roughly 6 kilometres (4 miles) long and 5.5 kilometres (3.4 miles) across. It has an entire surface area of 5.25 square kilometres (2.03 sq mi). It forms a close group of islands with Makroulo, Marmaro, Strongyli, and Trachilos. During the summer, the island is visited by tour boats from the port of Makry Gialos approximately 18 km (11 miles) away.

Koufonisi

Native name: Κουφονήσι
Aerial photo of Koufonisi
Koufonisi
Geography
Coordinates	34.937°N 26.139°E / 34.937; 26.139
Archipelago	Cretan Islands
Area	5.25 km2 (2.03 sq mi)
Administration
Greece
Region	Crete
Regional unit	Lasithi
Demographics
Population	0 (2001)

History

Ancient ruins cover the island and can be dated from the Minoan civilisation and the post-Byzantine era when some of the caves were used as chapels during Christian persecution by the Ottomans. Due to the wealth of archaeology the island has been described as "a little Dilos".[1]

Sponge fishing and purple dye

In ancient times Leuce was important for sponge fishing and for the production of a purple dye made from the gastropod Murex trunculus. The purple dye was a valuable commodity in ancient Greece and was worth its weight in solid silver.[1]

Roman ruins

There are Roman ruins on the island including a theatre, that could seat 1,000 people, a temple, a villa with eight rooms, and a number of houses (probably the homes of fishermen). There are also remnants of the statue of a deity at the temple.[1]

Greek War of Independence

In April 1823, 28 Cretan insurgents from the eastern part of Crete, under the chieftain Emmanouil Kozani, Emmanouil Alexi, and others boarded a small ship to go to Koufonisi at night where the notorious janissary Mehmet Pilavas and his 30 men were camped. The insurgents surrounded the jannisaries and a gunfight ensued where Pilavas and 27 of his men were killed. Only three of the jannisaries survived by hiding in crags in the rocks.

Lighthouse bombed during World War II

There are also the remains of a lighthouse that was bombed by the Germans during the Second World War.[1]

Important Bird Area

Koufonisi and its adjacent islets have been designated an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International because they support a population of Eleonora's falcons.[2]

See also

• List of islands of Greece

References

На других языках

---

[de] Koufonisi

Koufonisi (griechisch Κουφονήσι (n. sg.)) ist eine heute unbewohnte griechische Insel, die vier Kilometer südlich der Küste von Kreta im östlichen Mittelmeer liegt. Die Insel ist etwa 2,8 Kilometer lang und in Nord-Süd-Richtung bis zu 3 Kilometer breit. Sie besitzt eine Fläche von 4,26 km².[1] Die vegetationsarme und flache Insel erreicht eine maximale Höhe von lediglich 73 Metern.

---

- [en] Koufonisi (Crete)

---

[fr] Koufonísi

Koufonísi (grec moderne : Κουφονήσι), connue dans l’Antiquité sous le nom de Leuce (grec ancien : Λεύκη / Leúkē), est une île inhabitée grecque située au sud de la Crète.

---

[it] Koufonīsi (Creta)

Koufonīsi ( in greco: Κουφονήσι), noto nell'antichità come Leuce (in greco antico: Λεύκη / Leúkē), è un'isola greca disabitata situata a sud di Creta.

---

[ru] Куфонисион (Ласитион)

Куфонисион[1] (греч. Κουφονήσιον[2]) — небольшой необитаемый[2] греческий остров, расположенный на три морские мили к югу от мыса Гаудеро на берегу Ласитиона, южнее Крита, в Ливийском море. Остров около 6 километров в длину и 5,5 километра в ширину. Площадь острова — 5,25 км². Образует группу островов вместе с островами Макруло, Мармаро, Стронгили и Трачилос[3].

---

---