Symi Greece views and abandoned buildings up on the hill by the castle - Summer 2020
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- Опубліковано 17 вер 2024
- In this video, I walk around the area up on the hill by the Church of the Holy Trinity and the castle on the Greek island of Symi taking in the views and exploring some of the abandoned houses/structures. It's amazing to see so many buildings crumbling away while right next door the places have been kept up and/or renovated. I love this kind of stuff, so it may go on a little long for some; I'd love your feedback so I can continue to make videos that are worthwhile for you, as well as documenting my journey.
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Wonderful!! Thank you so much for recording your journey exploring the ruins high up in the village of Horio in Symi - you were much braver than me in entering such delapidated properties, and I really appreciate your insights. I just got back from another two weeks on the island exploring some of the same territory and fascinated by these same cobbled meandering pathways and the juxposition of renovated properties with ruins.
I too am enchanted by these abandoned properties, and It's easy to romanticise. Yet their stoicism reveals the harsh reality that, for many, life in these circumstances was just not viable as political and economic circumstances changed - just as they have done in every other country over time. Stabilising these ruins, retaining their history, is so precious to the memory of those who lived on this island. Yet so many of the other ruins I saw are decaying, overtaken by fig trees and general crumbling. But that's part of our human history - civilations rise and fall alongside our concepts and constructs. All is change, and all will always be so.
Symi is my Maternal Papous [Grandfather] Island . Through my mother I am part of the Zouroudis family ['Katroulis -clan ' ] I went there in 2008 ...thank you Max for a lovely video ... Yiasas Thios Tassos ... and Xathelphoula Stamatia ... love from New Zealand ... Papouli [ little Grandpa ]Nikos , Nicholas John Papadopoulos ,Auckland ,New Zealand.
Nice shots! It is really interesting to see all these abandoned houses and ruins. Unfortunately this lovely island has been in between different crossroads and have passed different hands so many times during the latest decades between us (greeks), ottomans, italians, english, germans that it had become difficult for the habitants to remain there due to instability and of course WW2 had a huge impact on people leaving the island and never come back.
Even on this day there are numerous threats by the neighbour turks, so someone can understand how difficult is to live here without having to think that one day something bad will happen and people will have to be forced (once again) abandon their houses
Thanks, I’m really glad you liked the shots.
There really is a long history of tough times in this area. It clearly had a time when things were very good and it thrived (tourism still does pretty well), but you’re right; the real investment needed to preserve and restore some of these beautiful places will not come until the current tensions subside. Such beauty going to ruins because of it.
25000 now a tenth of that . Symi was a centre for sponges but when artificial ones became available the demand dropped
Abandoned villages are both sad and fascinating. Strangely beautiful. Thanks for the footage.
I couldn’t agree more! You’re certainly welcome, and thank you for the comment.
You are right in that these houses are both very expensive to rebuild, since cost of labour and materials can be very high because of the remoteness and difficulty in bringing materials and skilled workers on site. You are also right that these sort of villages are mostly architecturally protected so one can only rebuild in the same traditional style and, mostly, using similar expensive external materials. Only rich people, mostly foreigners who fall in love with these places, are able to afford the cost.
It’s sad, and very complicated. When that required money does come in there’s almost no way to maintain the culture or many other aspects that make these places so beautiful. As they say though, change is inevitable. Except the architecture I guess 🤷♂️
I may be wrong about this, but part of these ruins may well date back to when the islands were marauded by hostile invaders and the populace moved up to the hills to evade plunder and capture. You see this on another Dodecanese island, Halki.
All churches are named after a saint, and on the saint's day, people will gather at the church to celebrate, hence their immaculate upkeep. (It is perhaps not generally known that the first names of baby girls or boys are required to have a saint's name).
Symi was at one time all wooded, but boats were built here for many hundreds of years, thus denuding the island to its present (but exquisite) state.
The last war and ensuing internal conflict and economic decline caused a vast diaspora of Greeks to other countries, many to America.
It's a great shame so many old buildings are left to fall apart in Greece.
I couldn’t agree more! Such beautiful places and rich with history. I’m really curious why
@@MeanderingMax Italians for example, seem to take more pride in their old buildings. I have my thoughts about why this happens in Greece from what I have heard from Greeks but nothing I can share here. Great video btw. I hope to visit Symi soon.
Thanks, glad you liked the video!
Beautiful ruins and views! How was the trip there?
They were amazing! It was a great trip, very quiet. I feel for the businesses, but I really liked the relaxed feeling.