Apparently there are 411 steps, but we didn’t count them □ There is a modern, steepish staircase with a metal handrail, going all the way down. The cave entrance is at an altitude of 171 metres, and its depth is approximately 85 meters. According to estimates, it is 45 million years old! The stalactite at the entrance of Antiparos cave is the oldest in Europe. When I die, it’s not going to make a special impression”. One of her famous quotes was “I’ve spent most of my life underground. ( Side note: This woman was amazing – she was the first Greek woman to climb mount Olympus, in 1930, and has explored over 1,000 caves worldwide!! These names were chosen by the prominent speleologist Anna Petroheilou who designed the original touristic route inside the cave in 1979, when she was 74 years old. ![]() There are four main rooms, which all have names. The Antiparos cave is the only vertical cave in Europe, and extends at several levels. In my opinion, they are an inherent part of the cave, and one of the reasons why it’s so special! A few facts about the cave in AntiparosĪnd now, here are a few facts about the cave in Antiparos. ![]() I thought that all those signatures were pretty cool. I couldn’t find any info about him, but I loved his calligraphy. Unfortunately, we couldn’t locate his signature anywhere. Lord Byron, the poet who wrote about the Greek Revolution in 1821, has also visited the cave. Queen Amalia was the person who designed the National Gardens in Athens. Here, you can see King Otto’s signature, who visited with his wife Amalia in 1840. It’s a shame he had to take with him all these souvenirs… I guess at the time you couldn’t actually buy any Greek souvenirs! Whether any of this is true or a legend, is not certain, but it’s an interesting story nonetheless!īelow, you can see a 1673 carving, when the Marquis de Nointel and his followers held a Christmas Mass in the Antiparos Cave.Īpparently, this sign translates into “Christ himself was here and celebrated the day of His birth at midnight in 1673”. The sign with their names by the entrance of the cave has reportedly survived since that era. It is said that certain Macedonian generals found shelter here during the 4th century BC, after conspiring against Alexander the Great. While the natural beauty of the cave is impressive, another thing which will amaze visitors are the writings on the walls of the cave, proof of all these people who have visited. Inside Antiparos Cave – Carvings and signatures Still, there are many interesting natural formations inside the cave.ĭepending on your imagination, they may resemble various familiar objects. Some of the stalactites and stalagmites removed during that era can be seen at the Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg.įinally, during WWII, more stalactites and stalagmites were detached by the German conquerors.Īs stalactites grow at an average rate of about 1 cm per 100 years, it would take millions of years for them to be repaired. ![]() Some of them were taken to France in 1673, when a certain Marquis de Nointel visited the cave with his entourage.ĭuring the Russian occupation in Paros and Antiparos, between 17, the Cave was further destroyed. In the past few centuries, many of the stalactites and stalagmites were removed from the cave. Findings include fragments of ancient vases, some of which are exhibited in the Archaeological Museum in Paros. Thousands of people have lived or visited here over the last millennia. It was originally used as a shelter, and there is evidence that it also served as a place of worship for Goddess Artemis, one of the 12 Olympian Gods. The Antiparos cave has been known since antiquity. Here is some information on the amazing cave in Antiparos. However, the infrastructure when I last visited was old, and more slippery. I had actually visited twice before, so I kind of knew what to expect. It was one of our highlights for our month-long trip to the Cyclades last summer! The Antiparos cave is the number one attraction on the small island. ![]() If you haven’t been to Greece before, here’s an introduction to the Greek islands. One of the best-known caves in Greece is on the island of Antiparos, which is one of the Cyclades islands. They have always fascinated visitors, speleologists, and archaeologists. Since the paleolithic ages, many of them have been used as dwellings, shelters, tombs or even places of worship. These natural wonders, with the magnificent stalactites and stalagmites, have always attracted people’s interest. There are hundreds of caves all around Greece. The Cave in the Greek island of Antiparos
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