Explore Karpathos

Because of its remote location, local people have preserved many traditions including their dialect of the Greek language, and distinctive clothing with rich traditional costumes.

In general, all the Dodecanese societies are known for the special and respected role women occupy in the community. But this is even more true on Karpathos, an island where it is as if women rule and men have a secondary role. When one looks at photographs of people on Karpathos, one sees mostly women: Women in beautiful traditional garb on religious feast days; a woman baking bread; a woman leading a donkey along a path.

The most characteristic is the village of Olympus. Perched high on a mountain, away from tourists and travellers, it is a place where time seems to have stopped. In Olympus, the woman is without question the cohesive force within the broader family and the village while social life starts from women’s relations.