Igaliku
Encyclopedia
Igaliku is a settlement in the Kujalleq
municipality in southern Greenland
. Present day Igaliku was founded in 1783 by trader and colonial administrator Anders Olsen
and his Greenlandic wife Tuperna. As of 2010 Igaliku had 55 inhabitants.
, on an isthmus
of a peninsula jutting off the mainland of Greenland, near the eastern shore of upper Tunulliarfik Fjord
.
Access is easier from the small nearby harbour of Itilleq.
, once the religious heart of 12th century Norse
Greenland. The area was at the very heart of the Eastern Settlement
and has been extensively archaeologically excavated since the 1830s. There are several historical graves in the area, most have not presently been indentified.
Kujalleq
Kujalleq is a new municipality in the southern tip of Greenland, operational from 1 January 2009. With 7,589 inhabitants as of January 2010, it is the least-populated municipality in Greenland. The administrative center of the municipality is in Qaqortoq...
municipality in southern Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
. Present day Igaliku was founded in 1783 by trader and colonial administrator Anders Olsen
Anders Olsen
Anders Olsen was a Norwegian-Danish trader and colonial administrator who became the founder of several important towns in Greenland.- Sources :- References :...
and his Greenlandic wife Tuperna. As of 2010 Igaliku had 55 inhabitants.
Geography
Igaliku is located southeast of NarsarsuaqNarsarsuaq
Narsarsuaq is a settlement in the Kujalleq municipality in southern Greenland. It had 158 inhabitants in 2010. There is a thriving tourism industry in and around Narsarsuaq, whose attractions include a great diversity of wildlife, gemstones, tours to glaciers, and an airfield museum...
, on an isthmus
Isthmus
An isthmus is a narrow strip of land connecting two larger land areas usually with waterforms on either side.Canals are often built through isthmuses where they may be particularly advantageous to create a shortcut for marine transportation...
of a peninsula jutting off the mainland of Greenland, near the eastern shore of upper Tunulliarfik Fjord
Tunulliarfik Fjord
Tunulliarfik Fjord is a fjord in the Kujalleq municipality in southern Greenland. In times of the Norse settlement in southern Greenland, it was known as Eiriksfjord.- Geography :...
.
Access is easier from the small nearby harbour of Itilleq.
Landmarks and sights
Igaliku is best known for the ruins of GarðarGardar, Greenland
Garðar was the seat of the bishop in the Norse settlements in Greenland.-Diocese of Garðar:In the sagas it is told that Sokki Þórisson, a wealthy farmer of the Brattahlíð area launched the idea of a separate bishop for Greenland in the early 12th century. He got the approval of the Norwegian King....
, once the religious heart of 12th century Norse
Viking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
Greenland. The area was at the very heart of the Eastern Settlement
Eastern Settlement
The Eastern Settlement was the largest and first of the three areas of Greenland, settled in approximately 985 AD by Norse farmers from Iceland . At its peak it contained approximately 4,000 inhabitants...
and has been extensively archaeologically excavated since the 1830s. There are several historical graves in the area, most have not presently been indentified.