Cranae

Cranae
Native name: Κρανάη; Nickname: Marathonesi
	View of the island of Cranae
	Cranae
Geography
Coordinates	36°45′15″N 22°34′26″E
Area	51.6 m2 (555 sq ft)
Length	413 m (1,355 ft)
Width	17 m (56 ft)
Highest elevation	124 m (407 ft)
Administration
	Greece
Region	Peloponnese
Regional unit	Laconia
Municipality	East Mani
Demographics
Population	0 (2011)
Pop. density	0/km2 (0/sq mi)
Additional information
Time zone	EET (UTC+2);
• Summer (DST)	EEST (UTC+3);

Cranae or Kranai (Greek: Κρανάη [kraˈnai]) (also Marathonisi) is an island off the coast of Gytheio (ancient Gythium) connected to the land by a causeway built in 1898.

Etymology

Some believe that the etymology for the name Cranae (Kranai) comes from the legendary king of Athens Kranaos, the successor of King Kekropas (Cecrops) as Athens was also known as "Kranaa". However the word Kranaos according to Homer it has the following meanings: 'Rocky', 'ragged', 'hard'. Therefore, some believe that the word Kranai literally means 'rocky', 'rock'.

The name "Marathonisi" translates to 'fennel-island', as the herb fennel was naturally growing on this island.

History

According to legend, when Paris of Troy abducted Helen from Sparta they spent their first night in Cranae.[1] When Gythium became the major port of ancient Sparta, Cranae became a resting spot for traders. After the rest of Greece enslaved to the Ottoman Turks only Mani remained free. The beys of Mani fortified Cranae with a Maniot tower called Tzannetakis Tower built in 1829. Tzannetakis tower today became the Historical and Cultural museum of Mani.

On the island there is a chapel dedicated to St Peter (Agios Petros) which is favored by many couples to use on their weddings due to its beautiful views of the city of Gytheio and picturesque location. There is also a prominent 23m-high lighthouse built in 1873 with high-quality marble from the area of Tainaro in south Mani peninsula.

Gallery

View from Gytheio
Chapel of St Peter
Lighthouse of Cranae
Tzanetakis' tower at Cranae

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References

Homer. Iliad. 3.442-445.

Sources

Pausanias, translated by W.H.S Jones, (1918). Pausanias Description of Greece. London: Harvard University Press. ISBN 0-14-044362-2.
Homer, translated by Alexander Pope. The Iliad. Penguin Books Ltd; New edition (7 Mar 1996). ISBN 0140445048.

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[1] Homer. Iliad. 3.442-445.