Greece - Korina Miller [468]
History
In AD 95 St John the Divine was banished to Patmos from Ephesus by the pagan Roman Emperor Domitian. While residing in a cave on the island, St John wrote the Book of Revelations. In 1088 the Blessed Christodoulos, an abbot who came from Asia Minor to Patmos, obtained permission from the Byzantine Emperor Alexis I Komninos to build a monastery to commemorate St John. Pirate raids necessitated powerful fortifications, so the monastery looks like a mighty castle.
Under the Duke of Naxos, Patmos became a semi-autonomous monastic state, and achieved such wealth and influence that it was able to resist Turkish oppression. In the early 18th century a school of theology and philosophy was founded by Makarios and it flourished until the 19th century.
Gradually the island’s wealth became polarised into secular and monastic entities. The secular wealth was acquired through shipbuilding, an industry that diminished with the arrival of the steamship.
Getting There & Away
Patmos is connected with Piraeus, Rhodes and a number of islands in between through mainline services with Blue Star Ferries and G&A Ferries. The F/B Nissos Kalymnos and Anna Express provide additional links to neighbouring islands. The local Patmos Star ( 6977601633) serves Lipsi and Leros while the Delfini ( 22470 31995) and Lambi II go to Marathi and Arki. Hydrofoils and catamarans also link Patmos with Samos and the rest of the Dodecanese. Boat tickets are sold by Apollon Travel in Skala. See Island Hopping Click here for more details.
Getting Around
BOAT
Excursion boats go to Psili Ammos Beach from Skala, departing around 10am and returning about 4pm.
BUS
From Skala, there are six return buses daily to Hora and four to Grikos and Kambos. Fares are a standard €1.
CAR & MOTORCYCLE
There are several car- and motorcycle-hire outlets in Skala. Competition is fierce, so shop around. Some have headquarters in the pedestrian street behind Skala’s main harbour, including Moto Rent Express ( 22470 32088), Avis ( 22470 33025) and Theo & Girogio ( 22470 32066).
TAXI
You can catch a taxi ( 22470 31225) from Skala’s taxi rank opposite the police station.
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SKALA ΣΚΑΛΑ
You may find Patmos’ port town of Skala (ska-la), draped around a curving bay, slightly more glitzy than expected. Large cruise ships are often anchored offshore, while yachts anchor at the new marina. Skala certainly sees its fair share of tourists, resulting in lots of excellent accommodation and restaurants. Despite its bustle, the people here seem to be in perpetual holiday mode and relaxing is easy.
Orientation & Information
All transport arrives at the centre of the long quay, smack bang in the middle of Skala. To the right the road leads to a narrow, sandy beach, the yacht port and on to the north of the island. To the left the road leads to the south side of the island. From a roundabout near the ferry terminal, a road heads inland and up to Hora. The bus terminal and taxi rank are at the quay and all main services are within 100m.
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ST JOHN THE DIVINE & THE APOCALYPSE
The island of Patmos is home to the Cave of the Apocalypse where St John the Divine was allegedly visited by God and instructed to write the tell-all Book of Revelations, also known as the Book of the Apocalypse. He is often believed to be John the Apostle of Jesus or John the Evangelist, though many would dispute this due to his exile in AD 95 to Patmos by the pagan Roman Emperor Domitian. (John the Apostle would have been very, very old by then.) In the Book of Revelations, John wrote about two apocalyptic visions he had received.
The first (1:11-3:22) describes ‘one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt