| About Halki
Halki is a dry barren island with no natural
fresh water, so the all important water supply
has to be regularly brought in by tanker from
the island of Rhodes. Halki has a very small
population which inhabits the only settlement
on the island, the harbour town of Nimborio.
Situated to the south
of Tilos and west of Rhodes, Chalki has been
inhabited since antiquity, when it must have
been very prosperous, judging from the coins
found by archaeologists. Its name most probably
reflects the copper ore (halkos) once mined
there. It is a small but mountainous island,
just 28 square kilometers in area.
Nimborio situated about the
horseshoe shaped harbour with it's neo-classical
style houses. The church, Agios Nikolaos,
boasts the tallest campanile or bell tower
in the Dodecanese.
Agios
Nikolaos is also known for its wonderful mosaic
courtyard created with the use of black and
white pebbles known as Choklakia Mosaics.
This method has been used in the Dodecanese
since Byzantine times.
The population
of Halki was under the domination of Rhodes
and was part of the Dorian League as were
the other neighboring small islands such as
Symi and Tilos. The history of the island
for geographical reasons is largely tied to
that of Rhodes which was very much at the
cross roads between east and west, Europe
and the Levant, Christianity and Islam.
The island capital cum
port is called variously Chalki or Nimborio.
Situated on the southeast coast, its two-storey
houses with their tile roofs seem to climb
up the sides of the hill overlooking the bay
of the same name. Worth a visit is its church
of Aghios Nikolaos, built in 1861, whose magnificent
bell tower soars above the surrounding houses.
In earlier times, the
capital was at Chorio, which was placed well
inland in an effort to escape the frequent
pirate raids that were once the scourge of
the Aegean. At its peak, it boasted 4,000
inhabitants; nowadays it is virtually deserted.
Its stone houses, built in tiers like an amphitheatre,
are mute reminders of its past prosperity.
Above Chorio the ruined
mediaeval castle occupies the site of the
ancient acropolis. Within its walls is another
church dedicated to St. Nicholas (Aghios Nikolaos)
with frescoes.
Pontamo is the only beach
in Chalki accessible on foot from Nimborio
(10 min.), but caiques are on hand to take
you to its other wonderful beaches: Trachia,
Sarri, Chania and Dyo Yialli.
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