Country Greece Postal code 855 xx Elevation 322 m Area code 22470 | Time zone EET (UTC+2) Vehicle registration ΚΧ, ΡΟ, ΡΚ Max length 4 km Island group Dodecanese | |
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Syrna (Greek: Σύρνα) or Sirna is a small island about 4 km2 in area to the south-east of Astypalaia in the Dodecanese group of Greek islands near the south-west coast of Turkey. It is mostly covered with juniper and garrigue scrub. The few inhabitants raise stock, catch fish and practice arable agriculture. The island is important for migrant and breeding seabirds and raptors, including Cory's shearwater, yelkouan shearwater and Eleonora's falcon.
Contents
Map of Syrna, Astipalea, Greece
History
A shipwreck of the late Roman period (2nd century CE) was found using sonar technology near the island by the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research in 2000.
On 7 December 1946, the ship Athina Rafiah carrying Jewish immigrants to Palestine was wrecked in the Agiou Soassin Bay, on the south coast of Syrna, and more than seven hundred survivors came ashore on the island. The British minesweeper HMS Providence, working with HMS Chevron, HHMS Themistocles and HHMS Aegean managed to rescue the survivors.