History of Sikinos

Sikinos is a relatively small island ideal for peaceful vacations, walks in interesting places and swimming in crystal clear waters. It has not much vegetation and its surface is rocky. The steep cliff where Chora is built, on the NW side of the island is one of its characteristic features. The island extends over a surface of 40 km2, its coastline is 41 km long and it has 240 inhabitants.
It was inhabited during the Mycenaean period and was also called Oinoi because of the vineyards and its fine wine (Oinos means wine). Iones tribe settled here in the 10th century B.C. while in the 5th century it was under Athenian occupation. Sikinos had the same fate as all other Cycladic islands. It was conquered by the Romans, Byzantines and during the Venetian occupation it belonged to Naxos Duchy. In 1537 it was occupied by Ottomans. It joined to the Greek State in 1829.
Website: www.sikinos.gr

In ancient years, Sikinos was called Inos, meaning the island of wine. Archaeologists seem to have been able to identify a temple dedicated to Apollo from ancient times in Episkopi, but not much is known about it.

Mythology has it that the island changed name when king Thoas of Limnos was chased away by the women of Limnos, who had killed all the men. On Inos, he married a nymph, and their son was called Sikinos.
The Ionians settled on the island in the 10th century BC, and soon the Dorians arrived from the mainland.
Venetians ruled the Cyclades in the 13th to 16th century, and the Turks conquered Sikinos in 1566. The islanders fought bravely in the war of independence, and was liberated in the 19th century.