The pebbles on the island of Kasos are recorded

The old pebbles of the island of Kasos are to be recorded with the aim of promoting and preserving them by the municipality of Kasos.

The municipal council has already unanimously decided to begin the recording process, which is expected to be successfully completed in the near future, as pointed out in statements to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency by the mayor of Kasos, Michalis Erotokritos, who considers the effort to be particularly important.

The old pebbles are found in the outdoor areas (courtyards) of houses and temples. The mayor of the Heroic Island of Kasos, Mr. Erotokritos, accepted the proposal of Professor Stefania Chlouveraki of the University of West Attica to record and restore the old pebble floors in Kasos, during a conference held last August on the island about the pebble floors of the Dodecanese. The presentation was made by Nektaria Dasakli, head of the Department of Conservation of Modern Monuments and Works of Art of the YNTE Dodecanese, following an invitation from the president of the Federation of Dodecanese Associations of Athens – Piraeus, Yiannis Fragoulis.

The proposal was unanimously approved by the Municipal Council of the municipality of the Heroic Island of Kasos and will be implemented by municipal councilor and president of the municipality's Public Benefit Enterprise, Ilias Mastropavlos.

The recording effort has begun, Mr. Mastropavlos told the Athens-Macedonian News Agency (ANA-MPA), noting that, as he emphasized in his presentation to the municipal council, the pebble beaches will first be recorded, then photographed, and finally placed on a map.

Mr. Mastropavlos states that this record «will be a useful and necessary tool both for the preparation of a comprehensive study for the promotion and maintenance of all the pebble beaches on the island and for the prioritization of restoration actions serious damage in cooperation with the Dodecanese Modern Monuments Service.».

On the island, as on most of the Dodecanese islands, there are several buildings with pebble-covered exteriors, as this was a common practice for churches, captains' houses, etc. Many of these have been destroyed by time, but it is estimated that the remaining ones, which are an important element of island architecture, should be preserved and promoted.

For this reason, the «Votsalakia-Votsalakia» program was implemented in 2021 and continues today, with the aim of informing schoolchildren in particular, but also raising awareness among local communities on the Dodecanese islands of the need to preserve cultural heritage.