Initial position on the way from Limenaria

Initial position on the way from Limenaria

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Initial position on the way from Limenaria
This is how the peninsula of Alyki looks like when you are looking at it from the west.
In this south-eastern border of Thassos and only 32 kilometers away from the port, after Kinira and the Babouras cape and just before the famous Holy Archangel Monastery, a narrow strip of land enters the sea, creating in this way a unique landscape with two natural ports one to the east and one to the west. This area today is known as Alyki a name which is in use for this region since the late Byzantine period. But the region was also known during ancient times, and that was due to the exportation of its excellent quality marble.
Today, there is a different type of economic growth for Alyki. The unique landscape, which is made up from the incomparably beautiful sandy, rocky and pebbly beaches, the olive and the pine trees which are reaching the seafront while they are passing through the white marble of the subsoil, as well as the crystal clear turquoise waters of both bays, are great attractions which contribute to the increase of the visits in the area. At the same time, the stone huts of the local fishermen and olive growers, are serving today visitors as places of hospitality and catering. Most of the written material related to Alykes, comes from publications of French excavations, it also comes from the guide of Thassos of the French School of Archaeology, and also from personal records of Tony Kozelj & Manuela Wurch-Közelj. On each of the pictures which will be presented, there will be a separate reference with the name and the copyrights holder.

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http://www.jti-rhodope.eu/poi.php?poi_id=1_360&lang=en

The peninsula of Alyki is located on the southeastern side of Thassos, 32km from the port. On both sides of the peninsula, there are formed two natural creeks that were used as ports from ancient times. At the edge and across the Southeast side of the peninsula lies the ancient marble quarry which operated throughout antiquity until the Byzantine period. The ongoing activity had as a result a big part of the peninsula to be incurved almost to the sea and when the sea level goes down, the salt remains on the walls. Those natural salt marshes gave their name to the Salt Lake area, a name that is certified by the late Byzantine season. Traces of human occupation on the peninsula already were traced back to the 7th century BC in cave sanctuary in the eastern creek, where it is believed two ancient churches dedicated to currently unknown deity , the ruins of which lie on the beach of the eastern creek. Moreover, archaeological interest present the ruins of two early Christian basilicas which dating from the 5th and 6th century AD the fifth century A.D.. The quarries were abandoned sharply, because of the Slavic invasions. Today the Alyki area has been declared as an archaeological site and a landscape of natural beauty and archaeological interest.Service Unit: 18th Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical AntiquitiesTel.: +302521031365