Greece
The Neanderthal Seafarers
New archaeological finds on the Greek island of Naxos bear the hallmarks of Neanderthal craftsmanship, suggesting that this enigmatic hominid reached the area at the same time as humans, or even before them, and toppling the assumption that our species alone had the navigational nous and curiosity to colonize islands.
Twilight of a Matriarchy
The village of Olympos on the Aegean island of Karpathos is one of the last matriarchal societies in Europe. Yet after hundreds of years of relative isolation that preserved many Byzantine-era traditions, this way of life is now fast disappearing, thanks to underdevelopment, dwindling resources and mass emigration.
Femicide Victims’ Families Are Struggling for Recognition in Greece
Until recently, femicides in Greece were officially recorded as “honor killings.” It was only in 2020 that the Greek police modified their system to be able to register crimes of domestic violence. Now campaigners want femicide to be recognized as a specific crime.
How a Coke Can Spurred a Fisher’s Son to Save the Sea from Plastic Waste
It shocked everyone, Lefteris included, that his small operation had taken off — so quickly, in fact, that he barely knew how to keep up with demand. At the time of writing, Enaleia has helped collect 550 tons of plastic from the Mediterranean and expanded operations into dozens of ports in Greece, Italy and Kenya. In 2021, Lefteris was named a United Nations Young Champion of the Earth.
The Interrupted Rest of Greece’s Muslim Dead
The fate of Muslims who pass away in Greece is fraught with complexities and uncertainties that are now presenting Nassim and her family with unwelcome challenges. As soon as Nassim’s father died, she had to make a tough choice: bury him in Athens knowing that his body will be exhumed after three years, as per Greek law, or send his body nearly 500 miles away to Thrace, in the northeast near the Greek-Turkish border, where the country’s only Muslim cemetery is located.
The Mysteries of Greece’s Forgotten Mountain Villages
Beyond Kentavros, the landscape becomes more severe, though no less beautiful. The endless green mountains, ravines and rivers, the occasional lush meadow and the curious sights of minarets — something largely absent from other parts of Greece — keep drawing me further into the region.
Finding Hope and Beauty in a Dilapidated Aegean Paradise
What my partner wanted from me, I realized, was no different from what we both wanted from Kampos: to be let in. He wanted to learn from me, to understand how I experienced the world. At the same time, he was becoming my muse, reorienting my perception.