Kattavia is a small village

Village

A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...

 located on the southernmost tip of the island of Rhodes

Rhodes

Rhodes is an island in Greece, located in the eastern Aegean Sea. It is the largest of the Dodecanese islands in terms of both land area and population, with a population of 117,007, and also the island group's historical capital. Administratively the island forms a separate municipality within...

. It is located within the municipality of South Rhodes

South Rhodes

South Rhodes is a former municipality on the island of Rhodes, in the Dodecanese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Rhodes, of which it is a municipal unit.-Geography:...

 (Nótia Ródos - Νότια Ρόδος) and was at the epicentre of the 2008 Dodecanese earthquake

2008 Dodecanese earthquake

The 2008 Dodecanese earthquake, on 15 July 2008, was an earthquake near Kattavia on the island of Rhodes in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. The quake struck at 06:26 a.m. local time and one woman was killed when she slipped and fell as she tried to flee her home. However, the earthquake did...

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Kattavia is a part of the Municipality of Southern Rhodes which is one of 10 municipalities on Rhodes. The municipality seat is Gennadi, which is located about 14 km north of Kattavia.

Kattavia village square or platia is situated over a creek which is dry for most of the year. The village currently has five full-service cafes and two general stores.

Kattavia is generally considered to be a traditional village which hasn't been affected much by over-development. The Municipality of Southern Rhodes requires all new construction to adhere to strict traditional building designs when located within the village limits.

In recent years, the village has become a destination due to its proximity to Prasonisi

Prasonisi

Prasonisi cape is a part of the island of Rhodes. It is located 92 km from Rhodes town; 40 km from Lindos, at the southern-west part of Rhodes....

, a popular windsurfing

Windsurfing

Windsurfing or sailboarding is a surface water sport that combines elements of surfing and sailing. It consists of a board usually two to four metres long, powered by the orthogonal effect of the wind on a sail. The rig is connected to the board by a free-rotating universal joint and comprises a...

 beach.

Demographics

Kattavia's current population is around 200 people, but its registered population is around 600. In the summer months the population of Kattavia swells to over 700, due to the Greek Diaspora

Greek diaspora

The Greek diaspora, also known as Hellenic Diaspora or Diaspora of Hellenism, is a term used to refer to the communities of Greek people living outside the traditional Greek homelands, but more commonly in southeast Europe and Asia Minor...

 returning home from countries such as the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 and Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

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Festivals

The village's patron saint is Aghia Paraskevi

Paraskevi

Paraskevi is a female name. Variations include Petka, Paraskeva, Praskovia, Praskovie, Pyatnitsa, Pyetka, Paraskevoula, Paraschiva and Voula.Notable people with the name include:*Voula Patoulidou, Greek hurdler and long jumper*Paraskevi...

. Her feast day is July 26, when the village throws a 3 day festival held within the village square. Festivals throughout the year include:

• Saint Paraskevi on July 26th. The festival takes place the night before and ends the next evening.
• Saint Panteleimonas on July 27th. The festival takes place the night before and ends the next evening
• Assumption of the Virgin Mary on August 15th.

Historical Sites

The church of Agia Paraskevi, the patron saint of the village,(19th century) and the church of the “Assumption of the Virgin Mary” (Panagia Katholiki) a 10th century church located within the villages cemetery.

On the way to Prasonisi on the right hand side, the archaeological site of “Vroulia” is found. It is an ancient coastal settlement that many to believe to the predessecor to modern day Kattavia known for its terracotta vessels called “vessels of Vroulia”. Other historical sites include:

• Saint George (17th century)
• Saint Minas (19th century)
• Prophet Elias (19th century)
• Apostle Paul (20th century)
• Saint Panteleimonas (20th century)
• Saint Mark (Catholic church, 20th century currently being restored)

History

During the Crusades

Crusades

The Crusades were a series of religious wars, blessed by the Pope and the Catholic Church with the main goal of restoring Christian access to the holy places in and near Jerusalem...

, when the Knights Hospitaller

Knights Hospitaller

The Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta , also known as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta , Order of Malta or Knights of Malta, is a Roman Catholic lay religious order, traditionally of military, chivalrous, noble nature. It is the world's...

 ruled Rhodes, Kattavia was turned into a fortified village where the population could find refuge when attacked by forces of the Ottoman Empire

Ottoman Empire

The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...

.