Aegean Sea

Discussion 9 posts |  Only members can post. Join?

About Aegean Sea

A group focusing mainly on the unique seascapes, coastlines and natural features of the Aegean. Secondary subjects such as buildings, cities and various cultural elements may be included only if they demostrate a unique association with the Aegean sea. Please share your best images and try to avoid ordinary travel shots.

The Aegean is part of the Mediterranean Sea, located between the Greek peninsula and Anatolia; it connects to the Black SeaSea via the sea of Marmara and Bosporus.

There are several explanations regarding the origins of the name Aegean, dating back to ancient times. It was said to have been named after the town of Aegae, or Aegea, a queen of the Amazons who died in the sea, or Aegeus, the father of Theseus, who drowned himself in the sea when he thought his son had died.

The Greek name for the sea is Αἰγαῖον Πέλαγος (Aigaion Pelagos, Modern Greek: Αιγαίο Πέλαγος (Aigaio Pelagos)), and its Turkish name is Ege Denizi. A possible etymology is a derivation from the greek word αἶγες (aiges) "waves" (Hesychius; metaphorical use of αἴξ (aix) "goat"), hence "wavy sea", cf. also αἰγιαλός (aigialos) "coast".

The Aegean was the birthplace of several ancient civilizations – the Minoans of Crete, the Mycenean Civilization of the Peloponnese, the Ionian Civilization along the coast of modern day Turkey. Later arose the city-states of Athens and Sparta among many others that constituted the Hellenic Civilization. The Aegean Sea was later inhabited by Persians, Romans, the Byzantine Empire, the Venetians, the Seljuk Turks, and the Ottoman Empire. The Aegean was the site of the original democracies, and it allowed for contact between several diverse civilizations of the Eastern Mediterranean.

source: wikipedia