Ándros

The northernmost of the Cyclades, Andros rises in mountains cut by fertile, well-watered valleys. Its ancient capital, Palaeopolis, stood on a steep western hillside and possessed a temple of Dionysus. Under Byzantine rule the island became known for silk, exporting fine cloth and velvet to western Europe.

After the Fourth Crusade, Andros passed to Latin lords within the Duchy of the Archipelago. Ottoman raids devastated the island in the 15th century, carrying away many inhabitants. The admiral Hayreddin Barbarossa seized it in 1537; its lord recovered it in return for tribute, but in 1566 the islanders rose against the Sommaripa family and Andros came under Ottoman control. In the early 1770s, Russian forces occupied the island and used it as a base for operations in the Aegean.