Kalymnos under the Turkish dominion

The independence of Kalymnos, as well as of the other twelve islands of the southern Sporades, was established immediately by Souleiman, the conqueror of Rhodes.

The inhabitants of the island were allowed to live freely as being part of the Othomanian Empire, but their lifestyle was unaffected by the administrative implements as long as they paid a tax called 'Maktou' to the religious institutions of Rhodes ( Vakoufia ).

The regular payment of the tax resulted in the reduction of the guard on the island. The Kalymnians were also allowed to repair the ruined parts of their fortress and to be armed in order to defend themselves from the pirates who devastated the Aegean Sea once more. Because of this equipment the Spanish or the Veneti - whether they were navigators or pirates - were unable to settle on the island and conquer it.

During the 16th century Kalymnos suffers greatly by the pirates' invasions. The island is looted by the savage Sarakini and the civilised Europeans - the Genovese, the Veneti or the Katalani.

All the houses are inside the fortress since there is no safety outside. Consequently, everyone lives in the village of Chorio and only when there is a signal from the mountains of Vigla and Merovigli early in the morning that everything is safe, do the people leave the fortress to work in their fields.

In 1601, Kalymnos was attacked by foreign military forces. The Spanish frigates attack the island after having destroyed and abandoned Kos.The Kalymnians found shelter in the fortress and fought bravely while the Spanish withdrew when their expectations to find wealth on the island were proved mistaken. Two years later, the knights of Malta, on their attack against Kos, disembark on the island of Kalymnos but they don't stay long. In 1648, Leonardo Foscolo attacks and conquers Leros but he also exercises authority on Kalymnos. It seems that both the knights of Malta and Foscolo had realised that before trying to invade Kos or Leros, they had to rule Kalymnos, like the Germans did on 5th October 1943.

After the pirates' invasions and the constant oppression of the Turkish, three Kalymnian generations, the generations of a whole century ( 1550 - 1650 ), were in despair; their fields ans vineyards were unproductive.

During this sultan's time, the island's inner state starts shaping with the system of 'Dimogerondia', which develops rapidly in the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, as well. The richer the economy of Kalymnos gets, the more unbearable the slavery becomes for the inhabitants.

The end of the 18th century signifies a significant stage in the island's development. The fortress, which is a reminiscent of the most tragic times of the Kalymnian history in the Middle Ages, is no longer the exlusive accommodation of our fathers. A new capital is 'born' on the foot of the mountain.

In the beginning of the 19th century Kalymnos's administration is formed by the 'proesti', whose number is not definitive. Their head commander is called 'protogerondas', who will shorly become 'dimogerondas' and will not be any different from a common citizen. He is elected every year by the people's assembly and honoured as an elected master. He is responsible for everything and also has judicial authority.However, all his actions are liable to the 'gerondes'.

'Dimogerondia', the administrative authority, collects the people's contribution not only in order to pay the Maktou (tax), but also to fulfill all common needs. In return, a few years later, the 'Dimogerondia' will provide free education, medical care - a doctor - and medicine for the people.

The 'protogerondas' also has the authority to appoint a notary public to arrange every transaction, mortgage, donation or will, always with the 'gerondes' ' approval.

During the first twenty years of the 19th century Kalymnos's regime, which is in force on the other islands too, develops. The Bucarest's Treaty in 1812, in the 8th paragraph, states : " Ipsili Pili, after the Serves' request, will grant them the same privileges that the subjects of the islands of 'Arhipelagos' have."

Towards the end of the 18th century, the authorities of the Great French Revolution arrive in Kalymnos. They are not strangers to the island as the Kalymnian traders had enthusiastically made their proclamations known to the inhabitants, long before their arrival.

In the beginning of the 19th century Kalymnos is different. The area of Chora expands from the Giakka to the Kokholarza. In between, there is a place called Tsoukoua where the church of Panagia stands since its completion ; life is really prosperous. Since most of the people are still illiterate and there are no schools, the cave of Agios Panteleimonas is used as one. There, Gerasimos Sfougerelis, a monk, will secretly teach the Kalymnian children how to read and write.

This order restricts the Turkish oppression for a few years. Kalymnos and Pserimos paid 30,000...... a year as tax for cereals and land to the Vakoufi of Rhodes and in this way the island was free.

The pirates' invasions became less and the people started leaving the fortress and building new houses, bigger than the ones they had inside. Since they couldn't import timber, the woods in Agia Triada, Prophiti Helias, Rafes and Kotsina Frizia, forests which made Ovidios call the island 'Silvis umbrosa', were used again as constructive materials.

During the second half of the 17th century the Kalymnians settled in the area of Stimenia and Vathi instead of staying in the valley of Pothia - Brosta. The population grew steadily, the fear of the pirates decreased, so the land had to be cultivated in order to feed the people.

Towards the end of the 17th century, during an invasion, the Turkish capture the children. A young handsome and intelligent boy from Vathi, will become 'Captain Pasas' and ascend the higher office of the Othomanian Empire. He was the son of a farmer and became known as 'Gioul Ahmed Pasas'. Accidentally, when his fleet found refuge from the storm in Kalymnos, his childhood memories awakened and his meeting with his elderly father Drosos Pasas, made him order Germanos,his young nephew, to become a monk and to build the monastery of Kyra - Psili with his help.

In the 18th century the Kalymnians build new houses in Thenia, Kokholarza, Vathi and Stimenia and with their faithful companion, the sea, they start accumulating such wealth that in the end of the 18th century the Metropolis of the Chora is built. An impressive church for the construction of which the columns of the Appolonian temple will become Byzantine colonnade.