Pythagorion villagecan be found in the southwest area of the island about ten kilometersfrom the capital Vathy and not far from the airport.
Its name was Tigani until1955 but was then renamed into Pythagorion taking the name of thefamous philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras who was born right onSamos in the nearby capital. Built amphitheatrically in a beautifulbay with the first artificial port in the Mediterranean, it branchesoff between narrow alleys and well preserved old houses with typicalred tiled roofs. A large choice of cafes, shops, restaurants,traditional taverns, bakeries, many archaeological sites to admireand given its position, makes the town a very lively and interestingplace for a holiday on Samos.
Its origins are very ancient,just think that its uninterrupted history begins 3000 years ago,passing under different dominations and alternating moments offlourishing prosperity with periods of decline. The current town isjust above the Samos ancient city when Policarte reigned (537-522BC) which came to light with excavations, and for this reason it isincluded by Unesco as a city of global cultural heritage.
As you walk its many streets,don't miss Blue Street where locals and various artists have paintedeverything blue and white, a wonderful place for souvenir photos. Themain street Odos Lykourgou Logothti instead, will lead you to theport where most of the shops, hotels and taverns are concentratedwith the Pythagoras statue at the end. There are many boats andyachts docked as well as the typical fishermen's boats that delightthe inhabitants and visitors every day with the gifts of the sea. Forthose who love to discover the island and its surroundings, they canparticipate in one of the beautiful boat excursions that lead, forexample, to the Samiopoula island, or Agathonissi up to go as faras the mystical Patmos, and still take the opportunity to move aroundTurkey. the proximity to Samos and its coasts up to Ephesos andfinally even a simple tour of the most beautiful beaches of theisland such as Psili Ammos or Asporskavos just to give you an idea.
For the more lazy insteadalways a few steps from the port, the small city beach with crystalclear waters and rich vegetation behind it but perfect if you don'tfeel like wandering around one day. If, on the other hand, you don'tmind taking a walk of a couple of kilometres, you can reach Potokaki beach, one of the largest on Samos with a sandy and pebble coast, aturquoise and almost always flat sea with a gently sloping seabed,ideal for families with children.
For those who love history,however, there is a busy program to organize among the things to seeon Samos in the Pythagorion town. Let's start with the late 7thcentury Byzantine castle where the tyrant Polycrates palace of Samos is supposed to be located. In the 5th century AD during theChristian period three basilicas were built, one of which was thebishop's seat. It was often repaired and renovated, the last by theGenoese Giustiniani family until it was abandoned in 1475 when theOttomans arrived. In the 19th century, Lykourgos Logothetis,political and military leader of Samos in the Greek War ofIndependence, between 1824 and 1827 had one of the towers rebuilt touse as the administrative center of the island.
Don't miss the Metamorphosis Church of Sotiros on the hill of Pythagorion near the museumtower of Logothethis. Symbol of the liberation of the island, it wasbegun in 1831, completed in 1853 and strongly desired by Logothethis himself to commemorate the Samos city in the epic naval battle inthe Mykali Strait against the Ottomans on August 6, 1824. Symbol ofthe liberation of the island to commemorate the event, events areorganized for two days with a beautiful representation of the clashbetween Greeks and Turks in the strait. The Church has a sumptuousdome and originally had a single wing, later it was enlarged to thenorth and south with rectangular corners. Inside there are marbleiconostases and a beautiful pulpit from the early twentieth century.
The Archaeological Museum isanother stop to mark. We find it in the village center next tothe ancient ruins of the city. Over 3000 artifacts found during theexcavations that give a very good idea of what life could be likeonce here on Samos. You will be able to observe the votive offerings,the sculptures that adorned the northern part of the Via Sacra and aKouros. And yet the Panagia Spilian Monastery i at 125 meters abovesea level, dedicated to the Presentation of the Virgin Mary inside alarge cave. Legend has it that one day the icon was stolen and as itpassed by the boat it fell and broke into a thousand pieces. The seaover time carried them piece by piece to the shore and the localspicked them up
The undisputed symbol ofSamos is undoubtedly the Ireo with its majestic Heraion, the temple dedicated to the goddess Hera who, according to mythology, was bornright on the island. An Ionic temple with 115 columns, considered themost impressive in all of Greece with a 4m wide paved road adornedwith statues that ran all the way from the sanctuary to the city. Todate unfortunately only one column remains, the Via Sacra and themighty altar. Together with the ancient theatre, the Heraion areunder Unesco protection and classified as world heritage monuments.
Last but not least, theEfpalinio, the jewel of engineering aqueduct that affirms the highlevel of knowledge of the ancient Greeks. A tunnel with two openingsfrom the 6th century BC built in the period of domination ofPolycrates was intended to bring water from the spring of Agiades tothe city. 1036 meters long, almost 2.5 meters wide and high, itcrosses an entire hill. Along its entire length it reaches a secondtunnel almost 10 meters deep and 3 wide where the water from thesource was transported through pipes directly into the citadel. Allunderground so as to remain safe from enemies.
In short, here too manythings to see and discover to fully immerse yourself in theatmosphere and history of this beautiful island.