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Amir Ali

35 linked entries
Village introduction

A small cluster of residences in the Karavas area, known primarily through legends and traditions rather than historical significance. Two main legends—one about a Turkish tax collector named Amir Ali and another about a Turk demanding the right to spend the first night with brides—have no historical basis. The name actually derives from the Byzantine term "amiralios," meaning admiral, an official title introduced from the Arabic "amir" via Byzantine usage. The toponym likely originated from a minor Venetian port official (armiraglio) who held property there. The name first appears on Kythera in 1720. Today, the settlement consists of a handful of houses in one of the island's most beautiful landscapes.

Condensed from Emmanuel Kalligeros's excellent Kytherian Geographical Placenames which is available here

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24 linked entries
Vintage Portraits/ People

Kirrani Souris. My yia yia. Seated imperiously.

My yia yia always possessed a powerful sense of dignity.

She was a Souris, from Yerakari, who lived in my great-grandfather's Theothosios's house, on the 90º bend which leads down to the kendro at Amir Ali. Kirrani was my grandfather's (my namesake) Trunduphilos's second wife.

Triunduphilo, my pappou, was the mayor of Karavas for 13 years. During his administration he performed many fine civic deeds for Karavas and surrounding towns under his jurisdiction, such as helping create the mollos at Plattia Ammos.
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Photos, Vintage Portraits/ People
Nature

Amir Ali.

Area around the Amir Ali Cafe.

The Amir Ali Cafe is owned by:

George & Judith Rizomarkos

Phone 27360-34346

e-mail: rizolaar@hotmail.com

See:

http://www.kythira.info/infokyth/karavas.htm
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Photos, Nature
Nature

Amir Ali XIII

Are they visible, those flashes of electric blue wings? The valley is full of the most beautiful dragon flies in many varieties, sit fascinated and watch them for hours...
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Photos, Nature
Nature

Amir Ali X

Just follow the path down, cross the stream and climb the steps onto the picnic platform and drink from the delicious cool waters, rest and wonder and enjoy the magic and song of the valley...
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Photos, Nature
Nature

Amir Ali VIII

Could this be the dwelling of “little folk”? magic folk? A sorceress perhaps? I could swear I photographed a little cottage on that slope, but it seems almost magically invisible in the picture…
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Photos, Nature
Nature

Amir Ali VI

The paved path begins to wind into the valley, a stone bench offers a cool spot to sit and dream, and all the while the magic of Amir Ali surrounds the explorer...
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Photos, Nature
Nature

Amir Ali V

People flow over the bridge as water flows below, the current carries anything from renegade ducks to autumn leaves as it dances over the rocks and runs singing into the valley...
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Photos, Nature

A Frog’s life

When visiting the beautiful valley of Amir Ali in spring or summer, one of the many striking facts is the clamour of the frog quires in the stream, as they compete fiercely with any dogs or people that happen to be making a racket at that moment.

On closer scrutiny, they are very beautiful creatures, dappled and covered in a layer of green fungi from the damp, diving gracefully into the water or singing in groups on the rocks. There is of course a story as to their origin.

The Turkish Lord, Amir Ali, whose death caused that lovely place to be named after him, had, it seems, a great fancy for French cuisine, and most especially frogs legs!

He therefore had a bunch of the critters imported and bred in the waters of the stream, for the sole reason of satisfying his appetite! When he left, the frogs quite apparently remained, to serenade his ghost in the cool waters of Amir Ali.
Oral History

The real naming of Amir Ali…and Mavrogiorgi

It was at the time when the Turks were on the island. Amir was one of them, a warrior of their army. One night he went down to the spring, but for some reason his horse slipped and fell, bringing him down with it. The rest of the Turks however assumed that the locals had somehow played a part in the act, and they ransacked a few houses, taking the men, one of whom (Giorgi) they killed as revenge.
When the locals heard they began to say “Poor black Giorgi” (mavro=black), black being a symbol of bad luck, and so the surname Mavrogiorgi came into being… and the most beautiful part of the island was named after Amir Ali….
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History, Oral History

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