About Aegina Island

Aegina Island is one of the most historic islands of the Saronic Gulf and one of the easiest Greek islands to reach from Athens. Its main town, also called Aegina, is located on the northwestern side of the island and combines a lively harbor, neoclassical architecture, traditional streets, and important monuments from both ancient and modern Greek history.

Because of its proximity to Athens, Aegina has long been a popular destination for short trips and summer holidays. The island is also famous throughout Greece for its pistachios, one of its best-known local products.

Aegina Town itself is worth exploring. Visitors can walk along the waterfront, discover colorful neoclassical houses and traditional buildings, or take a horse-drawn carriage ride through parts of the town.

The town also preserves several important buildings associated with Ioannis Kapodistrias and the first years of the modern Greek state.

A Glance

Aegina was one of the most important maritime and commercial powers of Archaic Greece and later became a major rival of Athens.

Its strategic position between Attica and the Peloponnese helped the island develop an extensive maritime trading network. Aegina also produced some of the earliest and most recognizable Greek silver coins, particularly the famous staters decorated with a sea turtle.

During the Persian Wars, Aegina played an important role in the Greek naval alliance. At the Battle of Salamis in 480 BC, the Aeginetans contributed thirty of their best ships and earned a distinguished reputation for their role in the Greek victory.

Agriculture, fishing, and maritime activity have traditionally played an important role in island life. Today, pistachio cultivation is particularly associated with Aegina, together with olives and other Mediterranean produce.

Aegina Town is also closely connected with the foundation of the modern Greek state. From 1828 to 1829, Aegina served as the capital of Greece during the administration of Governor Ioannis Kapodistrias.

Several buildings from this period can still be seen. The Government House served as Kapodistrias’ residence and housed public services, while the Orphanage was a separate institution commissioned by Kapodistrias to care for children orphaned during the Greek War of Independence.

Myth and Legend

According to ancient Greek mythology, Aegina was originally called Oenone. The island later took its name from the nymph Aegina, daughter of the river god Asopus.

Zeus brought Aegina to the island, where she gave birth to Aeacus. Aeacus became the legendary king of Aegina and an important figure in Greek mythology. His descendants included some of the most famous heroes associated with the Trojan War.

Aegina’s history, however, reaches far beyond mythology. Archaeological evidence shows human activity on the island from prehistoric times, particularly around Kolona, near modern Aegina Town.

During the Bronze Age, Aegina developed important connections with the wider Aegean world. By the Archaic period, the island had become one of the leading commercial and naval powers of the Greek world.

Its rivalry with Athens became especially intense during the late 6th and early 5th centuries BC. Despite this rivalry, Aegina joined the other Greek states against the Persian invasion and played an important role at Salamis in 480 BC.

Centuries later, Aegina once again became central to Greek history during the Greek War of Independence and the creation of the modern Greek state.

The Temple of Aphaia

One of the island’s most important ancient monuments is the Temple of Aphaia, standing on a wooded hill in the northeastern part of Aegina, not far from Agia Marina.

The surviving temple was constructed during the late Archaic period, approximately 500–480 BC. It is a Doric peripteral temple with six columns across the façades and twelve along the sides.

The sanctuary itself is much older than the surviving temple. Archaeological finds indicate religious activity at the site centuries earlier, while a previous temple was constructed during the 6th century BC.

The sanctuary was later enlarged and rebuilt, creating the monumental complex whose remains visitors can see today.

The temple’s elevated position provides impressive views over the Saronic Gulf and contributes greatly to the atmosphere of the archaeological site.

Aphaia and Britomartis

The goddess Aphaia had strong connections with Crete.

According to ancient tradition, Aphaia was associated with Britomartis, a Cretan nymph and companion of Artemis. Britomartis was pursued by King Minos and escaped by throwing herself into the sea, where she became caught in fishermen’s nets.

The tradition eventually connected her with Aegina, where she was worshipped under the name Aphaia.

For many years there was uncertainty concerning the identity of the deity worshipped at the sanctuary. Archaeological work and inscriptions discovered at the site eventually confirmed that the sanctuary was dedicated to Aphaia.

The magnificent pedimental sculptures from the temple depicted episodes connected with the Trojan Wars. Many of the original sculptures discovered during the early 19th century are today preserved in Munich’s Glyptothek.

Archaeological Research at the Sanctuary

Modern archaeological investigation of the Sanctuary of Aphaia developed significantly during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The most important early systematic excavations began in 1901 under the German archaeologist Adolf Furtwängler and his colleagues. Their work helped establish the building history of the sanctuary and confirmed through inscriptions that the site was dedicated to Aphaia.

Research has shown that the sanctuary passed through several important phases.

Cult activity existed at the site before the construction of the monumental temples. During the 6th century BC, a temple, altar, and sacred enclosure were created. In the early 5th century BC, the sanctuary was extensively rebuilt and enlarged, and the present Temple of Aphaia was constructed.

The later temple included a pronaos, a main cella, and an opisthodomos. Inside the cella stood a two-level arrangement of columns, while the temple and sanctuary were surrounded by additional structures associated with worship and those who served there.

The Temple of Aphaia Today

Today, the Temple of Aphaia is one of the most significant surviving examples of late Archaic Doric architecture in Greece.

The combination of the surviving columns, the elevated landscape, and the archaeological remains surrounding the temple makes the sanctuary one of Aegina’s most important cultural attractions.

Visitors can still understand the original organization of the sanctuary, including the temple, altar, sacred enclosure, entrance area, and remains of buildings connected with those who served the sanctuary.

The site also provides an important link between Aegina’s prehistoric past, its prosperity during the Archaic period, and its role in the wider history of ancient Greece.

Paliachora and the Monastery of Agios Nektarios

A short distance from the Temple of Aphaia lies another important historic area of the island.

Paliachora was the medieval capital of Aegina. The settlement developed around the 9th century, when inhabitants moved inland to protect themselves from pirate raids.

Today, visitors can walk among the ruins, old paths, cisterns, and numerous surviving churches scattered across the hillside. Dozens of historic chapels remain visible, together with the remains of the later castle at the summit.

Nearby is the Monastery of Agios Nektarios, one of the island’s major religious landmarks and an important pilgrimage destination in Greece.

Aegina and Modern Greek History

Aegina also played a remarkable role during the formation of modern Greece.

When Ioannis Kapodistrias became Governor, the island served as the capital of the developing Greek state from 1828 to 1829. Several important institutions were established during this short but significant period.

Among the buildings connected with this period are the Government House, the Orphanage, the Eynardeio educational building, Markellos Tower, and the Metropolitan Church of Aegina.

These monuments make Aegina unusual among Greek islands because its history connects the ancient Greek world with some of the earliest institutions of the modern Greek state.

The island is also associated with Nikos Kazantzakis, the celebrated Greek writer and author of Zorba the Greek, who spent periods of his life on Aegina.

Aegina Today

Today, Aegina combines archaeological sites, religious monuments, traditional villages, beaches, local cuisine, and easy access from Athens.

Its long history can be seen throughout the island, from the prehistoric remains at Kolona and the Temple of Aphaia to the medieval churches of Paliachora and the buildings connected with the first government of modern Greece.

Whether visiting for its history, architecture, pistachios, seaside atmosphere, or ancient monuments, Aegina offers much more than a simple island escape from Athens.