You want to discover the treasures of one of the culturally richest and yet mostly unknown Greek islands? This is the book for you! (look also for the colour edition) This book describes, through a travel story and a large number of black and white p... Read more

You want to discover the treasures of one of the culturally richest and yet mostly unknown Greek islands? This is the book for you! (look also for the colour edition) This book describes, through a travel story and a large number of black and white photos, the known and unknown treasures of one of the culturally richest and yet not enough known islands of Greece. Having been the cultural and political centre of the Cyclades from ancient times to the Middle Ages, Naxos boasts a wealth of cultural treasures, covering a wide time range. The island's spectacular beaches resulted in the treasures of the hinterland remaining unknown to the wide public. This book endeavours to cover this omission and give a glimpse of this cultural richness to the visitor who desires to discover it. Among other things, it presents the most impressive kouroi of ancient Greece, temples that are considered the precursors of the Parthenon, unique iconoclastic and other Byzantine churches that compose what is called the Mystras of the Aegean. Also, one of the best preserved fortified medieval settlements of the Aegean composing an islet from Greece of Latin domination that made it to our days, monasteries that housed schools of international fame, feudal towers and picturesque villages. Although these treasures are presented through a hiking tour, also those who don't hike can see them, since they are also accessible by car. The author of this book holds a PhD in Architectural History from the National Technical University of Athens and a master in heritage preservation from the Ecole de Chaillot of Paris. He is a professor in 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 a public with a special interest in cultural sites. In order to help the readers better understand and remember these sites, they are written as a guided tour, including encounters with interesting people and other personal travel experiences which could help the readers organise their own trip beyond the tourist clichés. Less