Dionysades
Encyclopedia
The Dionysades or Gianysades (Γιανυσάδες) is a small group of islands off Sitia
on the northeast coast of Crete
. The group includes the islands Gianysada
, Dragonada
, Paximada
, and Paximadaki
. Administratively this group comes within the Sitia
municipality in Lasithi Prefecture.
This island group is part of an environmentally protected area with many rare plants and animals including the falcon, Falco eleonorae, which finds sanctuary here.
These islands were once a place of worship of the ancient Greek god Dionysus
. Archaeologists have found artifacts, from ancient and early Christian eras, indicating that the islands may have been inhabited in the past.
Sitia
Sitia refers both to the port town, with 8,900 inhabitants and to the municipality with 19,209 inhabitants in Lasithi, Crete . It lies to the east of Agios Nikolaos and to the northeast of Ierapetra. Sitia port is on the Sea of Crete, which is a part of the Aegean Sea and is one of the economic...
on the northeast coast of Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
. The group includes the islands Gianysada
Gianysada
Gianysada or Giannisada , is an island within the small Dionysades group of islands off Sitia on the northeast coast of Crete. The group also includes Dragonada, Paximada, and Paximadaki...
, Dragonada
Dragonada
Dragonada , also called Dragonara, is an island within the small Dionysades group of islands off Sitia on the northeast coast of Crete. The group also includes Gianysada, Paximada, and Paximadaki...
, Paximada
Paximada
Paximada is an island within the small Dionysades group of islands off Sitia on the northeast coast of Crete. The group also includes Dragonada, Gianysada, and Paximadaki...
, and Paximadaki
Paximadaki
Paximadaki is an island within the small Dionysades group of islands off Sitia on the northeast coast of Crete. The group also includes Dragonada, Gianysada, and Paximada...
. Administratively this group comes within the Sitia
Sitia
Sitia refers both to the port town, with 8,900 inhabitants and to the municipality with 19,209 inhabitants in Lasithi, Crete . It lies to the east of Agios Nikolaos and to the northeast of Ierapetra. Sitia port is on the Sea of Crete, which is a part of the Aegean Sea and is one of the economic...
municipality in Lasithi Prefecture.
This island group is part of an environmentally protected area with many rare plants and animals including the falcon, Falco eleonorae, which finds sanctuary here.
These islands were once a place of worship of the ancient Greek god Dionysus
Dionysus
Dionysus was the god of the grape harvest, winemaking and wine, of ritual madness and ecstasy in Greek mythology. His name in Linear B tablets shows he was worshipped from c. 1500—1100 BC by Mycenean Greeks: other traces of Dionysian-type cult have been found in ancient Minoan Crete...
. Archaeologists have found artifacts, from ancient and early Christian eras, indicating that the islands may have been inhabited in the past.