Syros. The Noble Heart of the Cyclades

Book excerpt: You want to discover the natural and cultural treasures of one of the most extraordinary Greek islands from an expert? This is the book for you! (Look also for the other books in the series) You will see this is not just another Greek islands travel guide. In this book, you will discover, through a travel story and a large number of black and white photos with concise historical and architectural explanations, the known and unknown treasures of one of the most extraordinary islands of Greece. Syros, the heart of the Cyclades, includes two very different settlements: Ano Syros A shelter from pirates, a cultural centre with some of the first schools in Greece, and today a rare medieval fortified town Hermoupolis The former residential, cultural, commercial, and industrial centre of Greece. The world's largest neoclassical ensemble. A feast of images The author of this book holds a Ph.D. in Architectural History from the National Technical University of Athens and a master's in heritage preservation from the Ecole de Chaillot of Paris. He is a professor at the University of the Peloponnese, where he teaches these subjects. He is also a fervent cultural hiker. His travel books (mostly about Greece) are addressed to you, the reader with a special interest in cultural sites. In order to help you better understand and remember these sites, they are written as a guided tour. They include encounters with interesting people and other personal travel experiences that will help you organize your own trip beyond the tourist clichés.