Patmos trivia: 45 facts about this Greek island!

Patmos is a small Greek island that is referenced in the Book of Revelation in the New Testament!

So let’s find out some trivia and facts about this island!

1. Patmos is a small Greek island in the Aegean Sea
2. It is the location of the vision given to the disciple John in the Book of Revelation in the New Testament
3. And where the book was written
4. One of the northernmost islands of the Dodecanese complex
5. It has a population of 2,998 and an area of 34.05 km2 (13.15 sq mi)
6. The highest point is Profitis Ilias, 269 metres (883 ft) above sea level
7. The municipality of Patmos, which includes the offshore islands of Arkoi (pop. 44), Marathos (pop. 5), and several uninhabited islets, has a total population of 3,047 (2011 census)
8. And a combined land area of 45.039 square kilometres (17.390 sq mi)
9. It is part of the Kalymnos regional unit
10. Patmos’ main communities are Chora (the capital city), and Skala, the only commercial port
11. Other settlements are Grikou and Kampos
12. The churches and communities on Patmos are of the Eastern Orthodox tradition
13. The mayor of Patmos is Gregory Stoikos
14. Patmos is situated off the west coast of Turkey and the continent of Asia
15. It is one of the northernmost islands of the Dodecanese complex
16. It is further west than its nearby neighboring islands
17. It contains an area of 34.05 km2 (13.15 sq mi)
18. The highest point is Profitis Ilias, 269 metres (883 feet) above sea level
19. Christian pilgrims frequently visit due to the island’s connection with the prophet John and the writing of the Book of Revelation
20. For emergencies, Patmos has a medical centre
21. With several medical doctors on the premises
22. When residents require hospitalization beyond first aid, they are airlifted out of the island by helicopter (in emergencies) to nearby hospitals
23. Or, if the weather permits, they are transported by ferry
24. The Island of Patmos has regular ferry services, which connect it to the following ports: Agathonissi Island, Mykonos Island, Paros Island, Piraeus (the main port of Athens), Pythagoreio and Karlovassi on Samos Island, Syros Island, Leros Island, Naxos Island, Arkoi, Lipsi Island, Symi Island and Rhodes Island
25. According to a legend in Greek mythology, the island’s original name was “Letois”
26. After the goddess and huntress of deer, Artemis, daughter of Leto
27. It was believed that Patmos came into existence thanks to her divine intervention
28. The myth tells how Patmos existed as an island at the bottom of the sea
29. Artemis frequently paid visits to Caria, the mainland across the shore from Patmos
30. There she had a shrine on Mount Latmos
31. There she met the moon goddess Selene
32. Who cast her light on the ocean, revealing the sunken island of Patmos
33. Selene was always trying to get Artemis to bring the sunken island to the surface and hence to life
34. Selene finally convinced Artemis
35. Who, in turn, gained her brother Apollo’s help to persuade Zeus to allow the island to arise from the sea
36. Zeus agreed, and the island emerged from the water
37. The sun dried up the land and brought life to it
38. Gradually, inhabitants from the surrounding areas, including Mount Latmos, settled on the island and named it “Letois” in honour of Artemis
39. In September 2008, the municipality of Patmos refused landing to a group of undocumented refugees from Afghanistan and Iraq
40. On the weekend of September 19, 2008, about 134 refugees were rescued at sea
41. The refugees were taken to Patmos, the nearest municipality, for processing and care
42. The administration refused them permission to land
43. Eventually they were sent to the island of Leros where they were processed and given humanitarian aid
44. Forbes magazine, in 2009, named Patmos “Europe’s most idyllic place to live”
45. Writing that “Patmos has evolved over the centuries but has not lost its air of quiet tranquility, which is one reason why people that know it return again and again”