Limnos, or Lemnos, is a Greek island in the northern Aegean Sea.

 

Tourists who visit Limnos will enjoy sunbathing on any of the island's many enticing beaches.

 

The island is famous for its vineyards.

 

Nature lovers will want to see Limnos' diverse wildlife. The island has wetlands, grasslands and even sand dunes that support a variety of ecosystems.

 

There is evidence that human beings have been living on Limnos as far back as around 12,000 BC.

 

The ancient city of Myrna (sometimes called Myrina) was inhabited as long ago as the 4th millennium BC. It is now an archeological site.

 

As a modern city, Myrna is an important port and the largest city on the island.

 

The city of Hephaestia was excavated in the early 20th century. It has an amphitheater that was built between the 5th and 4th centuries BC.

 

At the ancient settlement of Poliochni, there are the remains of a building that was built between around 3000 and 2000 BC. Today, Poilochni is home to about 300 people.

 

Kaviroi, another important archeological site, has a sanctuary that was associated with a mystery cult.

 

Limnos is associated with Hephaestus, the Greek god of volcanoes and blacksmiths. According to mythology, Zeus, in a fit of anger during an argument with his wife, Hera, threw Hephaestus, their son, off Mount Olympus. The young god landed on the island.

 

Worshippers of Hephaestus believed that Mount Moschylus a then-active volcano, was the god's forge.

 

Limnos is also associated with the Amazons.

 

The first recorded pentathlon took place on Limnos during the Olympic Games of 708 BC.

 

Limnos was part of the Byzantine Empire.

 

It was controlled by the Ottomans from the late 15th century until 1912.

 

Today, Myrna has two bays, which are known as the Greek bay and the Turkish bay - a Byzantine castle on a rocky piece of land stands between them. A temple dedicated to the Greek goddess Artemis once stood on the site where the temple now stands.

 

The town of Repanidi also has a Byzantine castle.

 

During World War I, Moudros, an important port on Lemnos, was used as Allied headquarters during the Battle of Gallipoli

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