Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker nestled in the northern part of the Greek island of Karpathos in the Aegean Sea tends to her plot of land with a blend of tradition and practicality Her two long braids sway as she adjusts her black headscarf after enjoying the last fruits of the season from the fig tree that graces her farmland Anna has inherited both the property and land from her parents and is the sole heir to her family’s fortune for this is the last vestige of a matriarchal way of life it is Anna’s lifelong responsibility to oversee and care for her family’s wealth and together they form a snapshot of a bygone era It’s as if they have stepped out of a 19th-century painting while diligently pruning grapevines preparing for the cycles of growth that the coming year will bring Anna and Michalis embody the quiet beauty of rural life their presence is a living homage to the simplicity and resilience that define life in Avlona There are just a couple of old-fashioned tavernas and barely any cellphone coverage All the residents of Avlona are originally from a nearby mountain village and migrated here in the 1960s to cultivate wheat fruit and olives as well as graze their animals But what really sets Olympos’ community apart is that it stands as one of the last matriarchal societies in Europe The residents of Olympos find it challenging to articulate the reasons behind the significant empowerment of women over the centuries a phenomenon that sharply distinguishes them from the patriarchal nature of mainland Greece Researchers and anthropologists unanimously acknowledge the heightened influence and autonomy of women not only in Karpathos but in all islands in the Aegean Sea University of Oxford and author of the book “Women and Property Women as Property,” emphasizes the lack of a comprehensive investigation into the subject she asserts that the influence of women in these islands is intricately linked to their traditional inheritance system which led to both economic and leadership roles in the family it has long been customary for women to relocate to their husbands’ homes upon marriage This resulted in a situation where women frequently felt confined within a patriarchal structure Hirschon notes that in these traditional Greek societies the property was passed down to the children of the family with the men often getting preferential shares But “that does not apply in the Aegean islands at all,” she says categorically making it challenging for families to rely solely on agriculture trade and shipping emerged as crucial avenues for income among the islanders The commercial exchanges between Greece and other nations coupled with a significant exodus of men from the Greek islands to work on ships resulted in a notable shift in land inheritance dynamics as their permanent presence was seen as a safeguard for its integrity there were two separate lines of inheritance one from the father and one from the mother the eldest daughter inherits her mother’s property in full while the eldest son assumes the father’s property “If you live on an island the land is limited so if the families would continue to divide their land it would end up having no value,” Hirschon says “So I see this as a mechanism of preserving the integrity of the land to support at least one family.” However the influence of women in Olympos extends beyond property rights diverging markedly from the practices observed in the rest of Greece Olympos stands out as the sole community in Greece that has diligently preserved centuries-old traditions with origins tracing back to the Byzantine Empire dances and costumes not only persist but thrive including enduring the Ottoman Empire in the 16th century and Italian rule in the 20th the community remains unwavering in its commitment to maintaining its unique way of life this matriarchal enclave also treads a distinctive path The eldest daughter adopts the first name of her maternal grandmother a departure from the prevalent Greek custom of using the name of the paternal grandmother This nuanced preservation of heritage has made Olympos’ matriarchal legacy renowned has created economic disparities within families resulting in a social structure divided into two classes: the firstborn the economic divide had far-reaching consequences particularly for the younger daughters who lacked the dowry traditionally required for marriage they often remained unmarried and instead served as unpaid labor for their married firstborn sisters The men who were left without any inheritance were compelled to migrate to other parts of the country like Athens The intricate interplay of tradition and necessity has shaped the complex social landscape of Olympos over generations a growing population of women were left behind to manage the village on their own Anna has already passed down all her property to her daughter “My legs can no longer bear the rigors of life in Olympos,” Anna shares gently pulling up her long white skirt to reveal feet wearied from the toils of labor Like most of the women of her generation in Olympos Anna is adorned in the age-old attire known as “kavai.” This traditional ensemble comprises a tunic encapsulating the essence of Olympos’ cultural identity the kavai isn’t merely an outfit; it’s a solid symbol of their heritage that they carry throughout their lives Most of these women have worn nothing else but their kavai throughout the years embracing the continuity of their customs with a sense of pride and commitment “When I wear my (traditional) outfit I feel very proud of myself I feel a responsibility to honor it,” Anna says The women of Olympos have themselves become a symbol for the island visitors are greeted by a sculpture depicting an Olymbiti woman her gaze fixed upon the village with the pastel-colored houses and the stone windmills she calls home This encapsulates the enduring strength of the women in Olympos who have been the backbone of both the village and their households The sculpture not only pays homage to the resilience and leadership of Olympos’ women but also serves as a poignant commentary on the challenges faced by the community According to the artists Yiannis Hatzivasilis and his brothers Manolis and Antonis who wrote a few words in an inscription plaque the woman’s gaze reflects not only her commitment to the village but also the harsh reality of abandonment as most of Olympos’ residents have moved to other parts of the country or even abroad the sculpture becomes a silent storyteller determination and the harsh reality of life in Olympos Isolated from the rest of the island until the 1980s Olympos lacked basic amenities like electricity running water and a paved road connecting it to the main city another reason that many sought opportunities elsewhere with a considerable number choosing the United States Anna is one Olymbiti who ventured to the U.S. where she spent four years working in a factory I had to come back because I was the firstborn daughter of my family so it was my responsibility to take care of my parents and their property I packed my things and returned.” This example is not the norm; it was usually men going to the U.S for work while leaving their families behind Women thus found themselves shouldering the responsibilities of raising children and managing the fields in the absence of their husbands the firstborn daughter of Anna and Michalis As a firstborn daughter and the one who inherited the property of my mother I had to take care of the property and my younger siblings.” While taking a break from cooking in the restaurant passed down from her mother with a panoramic view of the village as her backdrop she tells me: “I wanted them to study so they would have a better life.” Life in Olympos remains remarkably challenging with the village currently home to only 60 to 65 permanent residents a stark contrast to the 1,200 inhabitants in 1947 Marina humorously notes that there are now more cats than people in the village The exodus of families with young children has further depleted the population with many returning only during the summer months Marina expresses a deep attachment to the village where she was born and raised I cannot find this peace anywhere else.” meaning residents had to travel to nearby islands like Crete and Rhodes a week before I was expected to give birth and came back.” With the assistance of partial funding from the European Commission marking a significant milestone for Karpathos the focus shifts to the next challenge on the horizon: the school Marina’s children are two of the nine remaining children of Olympos To provide them with English classes and private coaching she frequently makes the hourlong drive through the winding mountain roads to Pigadia “I spend a lot of money every time I take my children to Pigadia But I know that if I move out of Olympos and the school loses two students it will close down permanently,” she says with disappointment evident on her face mass urbanization led to a dramatic decrease of population on most Aegean islands and the closure of numerous schools due to a decline in student numbers An old framed photo hanging in Marina’s restaurant shows dozens of students posing for a group photo in the yard of the public school of Olympos the joyful laughter of children that once reverberated through the village has diminished Now there are only nine students remaining and the few inhabitants of Olympos are acutely conscious that the shuttering of the school would mark the end of this distinctive community and their way of life one that transcends material wealth: her children and grandchildren who have chosen to remain on the island their children’s absence casts a shadow over their final years our children and grandchildren are like passing tourists,” Anna reflects “They come to visit for a short while during the summer Olympos stands as a testament to a vanishing way of life its last inhabitants a living chronicle of the resilience of women in a matriarchy With each departure of the younger generations this unique matrilineal sanctuary finds itself teetering on the edge of oblivion Become a member today to receive access to all our paywalled essays and the best of New Lines delivered to your inbox through our newsletters Will be used in accordance with our Privacy Policy The director of the school in the Avlonas Prison for Young Offenders head of the Health Ministry’s task force fighting the new coronavirus to take additional measures to protect the health of inmates In his open letter to Tsiodras posted on his Facebook page on April 16 Petros Damianos said that Avlonas’ prison director and staff have made “a great effort” to implement the protective measures issued by the ministry all measures are cancelled out due to overcrowding,” he said noting that the prison hosts 277 inmates though its current capacity is for 110 “My students sleep on the floor or two in one bed,” he added and urged for “significant” decongestion Enter your information below to receive our weekly newsletters with the latest insights opinion pieces and current events straight to your inbox CNN Chief White House Correspondent Kaitlan Collins gives an inside look on the grounds of the White House for the week of President Trump's first 100 days of his second term '+n.escapeExpression("function"==typeof(o=null!=(o=r(e,"eyebrowText")||(null!=l?r(l,"eyebrowText"):l))?o:n.hooks.helperMissing)?o.call(null!=l?l:n.nullContext||{},{name:"eyebrowText",hash:{},data:t,loc:{start:{line:28,column:63},end:{line:28,column:78}}}):o)+" \n '+(null!=(o=c(e,"if").call(r,null!=l?c(l,"cta2PreText"):l,{name:"if",hash:{},fn:n.program(32,t,0),inverse:n.noop,data:t,loc:{start:{line:63,column:20},end:{line:63,column:61}}}))?o:"")+"\n"+(null!=(o=(c(e,"ifAll")||l&&c(l,"ifAll")||n.hooks.helperMissing).call(r,null!=l?c(l,"cta2Text"):l,null!=l?c(l,"cta2Link"):l,{name:"ifAll",hash:{},fn:n.program(34,t,0),inverse:n.noop,data:t,loc:{start:{line:64,column:20},end:{line:70,column:30}}}))?o:"")+" named ‘Storm Nefeli’ by local observers brought heavy rain of more than 60 mm in 24 hours to parts of Attica According to local meteorological services Avlonas in Attica recorded 156.2 mm of rain in 24 hours to 27 June and Nea Moudania in Halkidiki Central Macedonia region recorded 110.1 mm Civil Protection in Greece reported the the storms had caused several problems in Western Attica on 26 June The fire service received 160 calls for assistance A team of almost 100 firefighters with 40 vehicles and a boat were working in affected areas Media reported that 15 people were rescued from homes or vehicles These areas suffered major flooding in November last year where 23 people died and almost 1,000 buildings were damaged Civil Protection also said that the bad weather affected parts of Larissa and Magnesia in Thessaly All problems in these areas were swiftly dealt with by local fire services Richard Davies is the founder of floodlist.com and reports on flooding news Cookies | Privacy | Contacts © Copyright 2025 FloodList appeared at the tank division bootcamp of Avlonas were they were drafted in the Greek military After receiving the necessary papers from the military conscription office they appeared at the training camp and are expected to receive a deferment of services until next May due to sports obligations Both athletes have chosen to serve in the communications division in the army with athletes of national teams in all sports like the two brothers enjoying some perks and privileges Nafplio at the epicenter of world yachting with the 10th Mediterranean Yacht Show Samaria Gorge “War Zone” – “Others Decide, We Pay the Price” Argosaronic Islands: Need for a long-term strategy and modern infrastructure FedHATTA | Tourism Bridges between Greece and the Chinese province of Guizhou Top distinctions for Greece and Santorini at the American Leisure Lifestyle Awards 2025 HOTREC | Supporting SMEs in European Hospitality Tourism | Promoting Crete in the Arabian Gulf Aegean and Emirates expand their partnership Delta | Athens is in 5th place in American searches for 2025 Promotion of Preveza on the metro and tram in Athens TripAdvisor Awards 2025 | Elafonisi Beach World's Best Beach - 9th in Crete, Sani Beach Award 12th BAJAGREECE: Motorsports Competition in Western Macedonia Crete also invests in cycling tourism - 13th Pediadas Tour Competitions with a summer and autumn backdrop: Attica runs at the pace of sports ATM'25 - Tourism | The fight against food waste at the forefront of sustainable development easyJet holidays | Fam trips to Santorini, Skiathos and Rhodes Chania: The next actions of the “Tourism Partnership” Navarino Challenge returns on May 9-11, 2025 Cruise Takeoff in Chania – Record Arrivals in the First Quarter of 2025 Three Greek beaches among the world’s 50 best – Triumph for the Ionian The “Typhoon” that saves the Greek coasts from garbage EOT at the “Arabian Travel Market” | Interest from Gulf countries, India, and Australia CERT to manage Vasilitsa Ski Resort – Investment of over 20 million euros Is American tourism in Europe “slowing down”? What do professionals see for 2025 and 2026 This is Athens & Partners | The 7 partners renew their collaboration - the joint actions FedHATTA: Dynamic presence of Greek travel agencies at the international Dubai exhibition ATM 2025 Ryanair announces new offer for Prime members on June flights Thomas Ellerbeck | “Rhodes can become a model of sustainable tourism internationally” The Times | The perfect time to experience the authentic side of Santorini Chania: The Alternative Tourism Festival returns to the Venetian Port Angela Gerekou: "Tourism is a force for good and Greece can play a leading role" New flights to Greece in 2025 from 4 airlines Crete welcomes Reveil 12 – Festival of Sounds and Ecology Greek tourism - 3rd quarter | 97% of arrivals in Athens and Thessaloniki Modernization aid for the marinas of Symi and Messolonghi HOTREC Assembly: Focus on challenges and reforms in European tourism AEGEAN 2025: Passenger growth and fleet expansion with an eye on the international market FedHATTA Cooperation with Shaanxi Province, China Greek academic in finalists of European Sustainable Energy Awards 2025 Thessaloniki museums join forces to promote the city GNTO introduces “Sustainable Greece” to British Agents Strategic meeting for cruises in Santorini A message of friendship and cooperation at the friendly Greek-Turkish football match in Chios Municipality of Xiromero | Diving tourism: Request for sinking of a decommissioned warship The first La Quinta by Wyndham in Batumi, Georgia Double racing event in Megalopolis on May 11: Festival Enduro and Theater Run 2025 Explora Journeys: Start of the summer season with the luxurious EXPLORA I from Piraeus Strong start in 2025 for Aegean and SKY Express Xanthi Tastes: A Gastronomy Festival with a Cultural Flavor Rhodes: These are the five-star hotels with the highest revenue – Which ones “fill up” first Greek Tourism/Webhotelier: The Winners and Losers in Online Bookings for 2025 GNTO | Promotion of Santorini in target markets Unprecedented blackout in Spain, Portugal, France Greece can play a leading role in the global sports tourism scene Rhodes | Event for the protection of biodiversity Attica, the …Caribbean of the Germans Agios Nikolaos | Cruise season kicks off with arrival of luxury Silver Spirit Operational Plan: “Cretan Food Culture 2026-2030” Destination Management and Promotion Organization in Thessaloniki Kefalonia: The authentic character of the island through the “Travel Reimagined” project Hoteliers vs. Booking.com: The European uprising has begun Tourism | Greece 4th choice for Europeans' holidays in 2025 - what the ETC survey shows New high-standard heated swimming pool in Chania, aimed at sports tourism Greeks Traveled (A Lot!) in 2024 – Where They Went, How Much They Spent Greek-American Dean Spanos brings the NFL to Greece – Opportunities for promotion in the USA Lesvos: The season begins with birdwatching tourists MSC Cruises: Strengthens its presence in Greece with 6 cruise ships New Luxury Arrival in Crete | JW Marriott Crete Resort & Spa Opens on June 2 "Peloponnese Trails" inaugurated today: New network of trails for sustainable tourism Knossos: 125 years since the excavations of Arthur Evans The Spanish TV show “Viajeros Cuatro” in Corfu Wyndham - Soliteight | 40 Super 8 hotels in Spain and Portugal Airbnb: Final price now displayed in accommodation searches Investments in the beaches of the Attica Riviera The Municipality of Chania at the “From Crete to Side” Festival in Turkey Region of Central Macedonia: Tourism Promotion Activities in Poland and the Middle East Region of Crete | Connecting Minoan Palatial Centers with Archaeological Sites Biodiversity protection plan is in full swing in Elafonisi Record participation in the ATHENA International Olive Oil Competition | Chania 8 - 10 May Communities at the heart of tourism development Booking.com | No to limiting tourists, yes to infrastructure investments Thessaloniki’s dynamic presence at the World Tourism Summit in Hong Kong easyJet | Summer 2026 sales open Cruise | Turkey doubles its share, new opportunities for Greek ports Aid for the upgrade of the tourist shelter of Astakos and the Marina of Alimos Preparing the settlement of Kionia for the tourist season: An example to follow The action of the region of Crete "Let's go for... Greens" concludes this weekend “Art is our Language”: Campaign for the 70th Anniversary of the Athens Epidaurus Festival Tourism | Nostalgia drives Brits’ travel choices ΕΟΤ China | B2B meetings with Chengdu's t.os - Flights to Athens in June State-of-the-art conference center at Theartemis Palace Hotel in Rethymno Zagori: Collaboration with Impact Hub Athens for sustainable tourism and innovation Cooperation Memorandum between Development Athens and Piraeus University on Tourism Kos: New advertising campaigns with Jet2 and National Geographic Traveller UK Five cruise ships in Souda by Saturday Imbros Trail Run & Hike 2025: A sporting tribute to the History of Sfakia Cultural Days and Sea Routes in Piraeus Religious Tourism | The University of Palermo comes to Panagia Nafpaktiotissa Audio Walk in the Sitia Geopark: A Different Exploration Experience in Crete AEGEAN “takes off” Larnaca with a new direct flight to Rome FedHATTA | Tourism Bridges between Greece and the Chinese province of Guizhou Tourism | Promoting Crete in the Arabian Gulf Top distinctions for Greece and Santorini at the American Leisure Lifestyle Awards 2025 Nafplio at the epicenter of world yachting with the 10th Mediterranean Yacht Show Aegean and Emirates expand their partnership HOTREC | Supporting SMEs in European Hospitality Samaria Gorge “War Zone” – “Others Decide, We Pay the Price” Delta | Athens is in 5th place in American searches for 2025 Argosaronic Islands: Need for a long-term strategy and modern infrastructure TripAdvisor Awards 2025 | Elafonisi Beach World's Best Beach - 9th in Crete, Sani Beach Award ATM'25 - Tourism | The fight against food waste at the forefront of sustainable development Promotion of Preveza on the metro and tram in Athens Crete also invests in cycling tourism - 13th Pediadas Tour Competitions with a summer and autumn backdrop: Attica runs at the pace of sports 12th BAJAGREECE: Motorsports Competition in Western Macedonia Cruise Takeoff in Chania – Record Arrivals in the First Quarter of 2025 The 20 "loudest" luxury hotel arrivals in Greece in 2025 Athens Municipality Festival 2025 | The city's biggest celebration, with more than 200 events New flights to Greece in 2025 from 4 airlines What to expect at this year’s ITB Berlin Exhibition from March 4-6 easyJet holidays | Fam trips to Santorini, Skiathos and Rhodes PM at 1st Greece-Saudi Arabia High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council on Monday Greece's Permanent Delegation to UNESCO organizing concert on January 16 North Macedonia: Increase in foreign tourists in 2024 Athens to host the European Film Awards in 2027 Investor interest in more responsible investments and skepticism towards controversial securities is a growing global trend and one that Greece is having trouble keeping up with Fund managers and institutional investors are increasingly including three non-financial factors in their investment strategies: the environmental social and governance (ESG) factors that will play a key role in determining their priorities and next investment moves These factors are being taken into serious account by funds managing large amounts of assets as well as by such corporate giants as Royal Dutch Shell which have come under increasing pressure to reduce their environmental footprint Data by Morningstar surveyors showed that the total value of assets managed by European ESG funds in end-2018 came to 684 billion euros The growing interest by funds in ESG indexes in the first half of this year is reflected in a Fitch survey recently published by The Financial Times which shows that the assets managed by the ESG-orientated funds have grown 15 percent year-on-year head of sustainable finance at Citi Global Insights tells Kathimerini that there are many reasons for the growth of interest in ESG investments “The main one is that we have seen a fundamental shift in the attitudes of the ultimate asset owners away from a focus purely on the quantum of financial returns to a focus on how those returns are generated such as a period of low returns on many asset classes driving a desire to do something good with the capital – societal returns if financial returns are harder to find there is an increasing focus generally on the sustainability of business models a desire to be associated with longer term sustainable business models or conversely a reluctance to be associated with industries or companies which appear to be profiteering at the expense of someone or something else (such as the environment) in the short term a recognition of the risks posed by unsustainable business models and the implications of a business losing its social license to operate Also worth noting that these attitudes are not shifting at the same speed around the world.” Morningstar ranks Greek businesses around average regarding its total performance in the ESG indexes but when it comes to corporate governance in particular they fall considerably below other countries of the European south such as Italy and Portugal This is hardly a surprise given the recent cases of mismanagement and corporate scandals that have rocked the domestic market “Greece’s performance in corporate governance – without referring to the case of Folli Follie – has been deteriorating steadily in recent years recording the biggest decline among the countries in Central and Eastern Europe founder and president of Greece’s Center for Sustainability and Excellence “The legislation on corporate governance in Greece does not appear sufficient even without knowing to what extent it is implemented,” he adds Greek firms have made minimal progress in incorporating strategies with an environmental orientation though the country’s performance has been more satisfactory on the social index is that local firms have failed to grasp importance of ESG indexes “Although several listed firms or large enterprises in Greece fulfill certain ESG criteria and annually publish sustainable growth reports their senior officials have yet to sufficiently realize how important it is for potential investors to have the appropriate transparency standards for sustainable growth a large share of listed firms in the private and public sector are less attractive for investment and do not know how to woo major funds,” notes Avlonas who is also a visiting professor on sustainability at the Athens University for Economics and Business Avlonas adds that under certain conditions Greek corporations could attract ESG-minded funds “provided that they implement the necessary changes to their strategy such as incorporating ESG practices and applying the right standards with the publications of annual sustainable growth reports “What would significantly help in that direction would be the better and clearer publication of the ESG indexes included in firms’ non-financial data reports as well as the better communication with the investor relations departments so as to improve understanding of investors’ needs annual financial reports no longer suffice by themselves for a proper assessment and facilitation of investment decisions,” Avlonas argues The country element is also significant for Greece With a new government in office and the record low recorded in state bond yields Citi’s Channell says that ESG factors are “becoming increasingly important at a sovereign level in part due to the rising importance of environmental Avlonas adds that “there ought to be a stricter framework by the state with the imposition of big fines when required if the right groundwork is done for a more stable financial and tax framework Greece could become a more attractive prospect for investors which would also have a positive and immediate impact on society and the economy.” Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo are seen taking their oath of enlistment Friday at the armor training center in Avlonas The two brothers are expected to make use of their legal right to request to have their compulsory military service deferred due to professional obligations abroad The Antetokounmpos received Greek citizenship in 2013 Their parents Veronica and Charles decided to immigrate to Greece in 1991 due to Nigeria’s troubled economy opinion pieces and current events straight to your inbox.