View source for Kallikratis

{{Short description|Village in Sfakia, Crete, Greece}}
{{About|the [[Crete|Cretan]] village|other uses|Callicrates (disambiguation)}}
[[File:LittleCafeKalikratis.jpg|thumb|"Little Cafe", Kallikratis, Crete]]
'''Kallikratis''' ({{langx|el|Καλλικράτης}}) is a small village belonging to the municipality of [[Sfakia]], in southwest [[Crete]], [[Greece]].
According to tradition, it was named after the admiral ([[droungarios]]) Manoussos Kallikratis, who in March 1453 led a campaign to reinforce the defense of [[Constantinople]] with 5 ships and 1500 Cretan volunteers.<ref>[http://www.patris.gr/articles/86655/40719 Από τις παραλειπόμενες άγνωστες επετειακές σελίδες Κρήτης - Κωνσταντινούπολης], Πατρίς onLine, 29 Μαΐου 2006; archived [https://web.archive.org/web/20160303183938/http://www.patris.gr/articles/86655/40719 here]</ref><ref>[http://www.patris.gr/articles/204938 Οι Κρήτες υπερασπιστές της Κωνσταντινούπολης], Πατρίς onLine, 18 Ιουλίου 2011; archived [https://web.archive.org/web/20170710144637/http://www.patris.gr/articles/204938 here]</ref> As reported by [[George Sphrantzes|Sphrantzes]] in his ''Chronicle'', these volunteers manned three towers on the [[walls of Constantinople]] and continued to fight bravely even after the city had [[Fall of Constantinople|fallen]]. In recognition of their gallantry, sultan [[Mehmed II|Mehmed]] allowed them to safely sail back to Crete, retaining their weapons.
==Geography==
[[Image:Hairpin turns on Kapsodasos to Kallikratis road.jpg|thumb|right|350px|The road from Kapsodasos to Kallikratis.]]
Kallikratis is situated off the beaten tourist path and is made up of four widely separated neighborhoods that are scattered on a small [[plateau]] in [[Lefka Ori]] with an average altitude of 540m. It can be reached via [[Myriokefala]], [[Asi Gonia]] or [[Asfendos]], or via a recently paved road with more than 25 tight [[Hairpin turn|hair-pin turns]], which starts in [[Kapsodasos]] and overlooks the [[Frangokastello]] plain and the [[Libyan Sea|South Cretan Sea]] in the distance.<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211209/huAK5_w9MAo Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20160508194006/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huAK5_w9MAo Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite AV media| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huAK5_w9MAo| title = Descendng into Frangokastelo ( Fragokastelo Φραγκοκαστελλο ) | website=[[YouTube]]}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Kallikratis is also on the [[European walking route E4|E4 walking route]]. Kallikratiano (i.e. Kallikratis') gorge starts southwest of the village and ends in the village of [[Patsianos]], maintaining important natural habitats.<ref>[http://filotis.itia.ntua.gr/biotopes/c/GR4340019/ FILOTIS - database for the natural environment of Greece]</ref> The gorge can be crossed on a 4&nbsp;km path. Before 1900, Kallikratis was a large village with more than 130 families. Today, only a few tens of inhabitants still live in the village and many of the houses are deserted. Kallikratis is almost uninhabited during the colder months of the year, since in that time the local shepherds move with their herds in [[transhumance]] to the warmer climate of the villages near the shore.
==History==
[[Image:Kallikratis church bell tower.jpg|thumb|left|180px|The stonecut bell tower of the double-nave church of [[Panagia]], built ca. 1890.]]
Kallikratis never lived under permanent foreign rule and its residents have a long tradition of participation in national fights for freedom.
===Wars against the Ottoman Turks===
In 1770, Kallikratis was destroyed during [[Daskalogiannis]]' [[Orlov Revolt|revolt]] against the [[Ottoman Empire]]. In 1821, a group of [[Sfakians]] led by Kallikratis native Georgios Demonakis ({{langx|el|Γεώργιος Δαιμονάκης}}) fought with [[Alexander Ypsilantis]] after his crossing of the [[Prut]] river to start a [[Alexander Ypsilantis#Campaign in Moldavia and Wallachia|revolt]] in Romania. In July 1821, during the [[Greek War of Independence|revolt of 1821]], part of Kallikratis was burnt while many of its residents were away fighting the Turks near [[Rethymno]]. In 1866, during the [[Cretan Revolt (1866–1869)|great Cretan revolt]], Kallikratis was burnt for the third time. The following year (1867), Ottoman forces under the command of [[Omar Pasha]] unsuccessfully attempted to invade Sfakia from Kallikratis.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=cEposht2_bIC Yule, A.F. ''A Little Light on Cretan Insurrection'', Murray, 1879], pp.72-78</ref>
===Macedonian struggle===
At the beginning of the twentieth century, several Kallikratians voluntarily took part in the [[struggle for Macedonia]] between 1904 and 1908 under the leadership of [[Efthimios Kaoudis]], [[:el:Γεώργιος Δικώνυμος|Georgios Dikonymos]], [[:el:Εμμανουήλ Μπενής|Emmanouil Benis]] and [[:el:Λαμπρινός Βρανάς|Lamprinos Vranas]].<ref>Γυπαράκης, Ανδρέας. ''Κρήτες Μακεδονομάχοι 1903-1908'', Αθήνα 1976.</ref><ref>Μάντακας, Γιάννης. ''Μακεδονικός Αγώνας 1903-1908'', Χανιά 2005.</ref>
===World War II===
{{main|Kallikratis executions}}
[[File:Kallikratis 1943 executions monument.jpg|thumb|right|Monument of the 1943 executions.]]
During the first months of the [[Axis occupation of Greece during World War II|Axis occupation]] of Crete, the [[Supreme Committee of Cretan Struggle|AEAK]] resistance organization was established at the house of Colonel Andreas Papadakis, located between Kallikratis and [[Asi Gonia]]. Later on, the resistance operated a radio station hidden in a cave near Kallikratis.
In October 1943, in [[reprisal]] for aiding the partisans operating in the area, [[Friedrich Schubert|Friedrich Schubert's]] Jagdkommando accompanied by German occupation forces subjected the village to a collective punishment.
Around 30 civilians were executed<ref name="Beevor">Beevor, Antony. ''Crete: The Battle and the Resistance'', John Murray Ltd, 1991. Penguin Books, 1992.</ref> and another twenty were imprisoned. Houses were looted and burned and the remaining inhabitants expelled.<ref>[https://www.patris.gr/2018/10/01/ton-kallikrati-kaioyne-germanika-foysata/ Τον Καλλικράτη καίουνε γερμανικά φουσάτα (8-11 Οκτωβρίου 1943)], Πατρίς onLine, 1 Οκτωβρίου 2018; archived [https://archive.today/20200712093002/https://www.patris.gr/2018/10/01/ton-kallikrati-kaioyne-germanika-foysata/ here]</ref>
In memory of these events, Kallikratis was declared a martyred village on 3 October 2018 (Presidential Decree 29, ΦΕΚ Α 54/2.4.2019).<ref>[http://www.haniotika-nea.gr/episima-martiriko-chorio-o-kallikratis-fot/ Επίσημα μαρτυρικό χωριό ο Καλλικράτης, Χανιώτικα Νέα, 3 Οκτωβρίου 2018]</ref>
==Miscellaneous==
The family of [[Kostas Mountakis]], one of the most celebrated [[Music of Crete|Cretan music]] artists, originated from Kallikratis. On Sep. 5th 2008, a Cretan music night dedicated to his memory was held in Kallikratis.
<br>
During summer, a couple of coffee shops and taverns serving local specialties are open in the area.
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090121205033/http://motoadventures.wordpress.com/2007/10/11/kallikratis-gorge/ Kallikratis gorge photos & videos]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvUV8O1ySQU Car commercial for which Kallikratis gorge provided the setting]
* [http://www.e-sfakia.gr/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=124&Itemid=81 Kallikratis from e-sfakia.gr] (in Greek -- [https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=el&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.e-sfakia.gr%2Findex.php%3Foption%3Dcom_content%26task%3Dview%26id%3D124%26Itemid%3D81 translate])
* [http://www.wkistler.de/more4/gall_Kallikratis.html Kallikratis, pictures of the village]
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[[Category:Populated places in Chania (regional unit)]]
[[Category:Sfakia]]