The Aegean Sea
The Aegean Sea is a wonderful and rather small sea, cuddled in the arm of the Mediterranean see, between the Greek peninsula and Anatolia (the so-called Asia Minor, the shores are now part of Turkey). It is connected to the Marmara Sea (which is a very small transitional water basin between the Black and the Aegean Seas. The straits, which connect them are called the Dardanelles and the Bosporus.
In the course of history, this sea was the birthplace of some of the most ancient civilizations - those of Minoans of Crete and the Mycenean of the Peloponnese. Later the cities of Athens and Sparta, the famous rivals, became the cradle of the Hellenic Civilization. Later the sea was inhabited by Persians, Romans, Byzantians, Venetians, the Seljuk Turks, and the Ottoman Empire. Now two nations share this beautiful water basin - the Greeks and the Turkish.
The numerous Aegean islands are divided into seven groups:
- the Thracian Group
- the East Aegean group
- the Northern Sporades
- the Cyclades
- the Saronic Islands (also called Argo-Saronic)
- the Dodecanese
- the Rhodes
- and Crete
The concept of "archipelago" came from the ancient name of the Aegean Sea, which was precisely this: "Archipelago", later it became common name for all places where there are big groups of islands.
Many of the islands are volcanic; marble and iron deposits are found. There are 2 big islands under the sovereignty of Turkey - and they have double names: Turkish and Greek: Bozcaada (Tenedos) and Gokceada (Imvros).
Even though it is small, the sea is very difficult to navigate. Many of the islands have safe harbours and bays, yet the weather conditions often make sailing tough.
The main gulfs at the Chalkidiki Peninsula are Cassandra and Singitic Gulf.
The Aegean Sea's greatest depths (more than 11,600 ft/3,540 m) are found around Crete.
Crete has always been a source of overt or indirect tension between Greece and Turkey. In the 1970s this tension escalated when the oil and mineral deposits were discovered.
The name comes from Greek mythology - Aegus, father of Theseus, drowned himself believing that his son had been slain by the Minotaur.
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