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Kassos,
the most southern of the Dodecanes, is only 27 nautical miles northeast
of Crete. The first inhabitants of Kassos are thought to have been
the Phoenicians. Homer mentions it in his catalogue of the Greek
cities that took part in the Trojan War. Kassos is a mountainous
island with a steep, rocky coastline and few beaches.In the 18th
century, Kassos established its own merchant fleet and grew rich
from trade. It played an active role in the Greek War of Independence
of 1821, earning the revenge of the Turko-Egyptian armada which
set fire to the island in May 1824 and subsequently slaughtered
its inhabitants. Only a few surviced. The capital of the island
is Fri, built on picturesque Bouka Bay. Its old stone houses -
many of them constructed by sea captains - extend on both sides
down to the sea. To the east and very near Fri is Emborios, the
island's other coastal village. It boasts a beautilful church dedicated
to the Nativity of the Virgin.
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