Native name: Άκρα Σίδερος Nickname: Cape Mavramouri | |
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![]() Vai beach in the center, Cape Sidero in the background. View from the south headland over the beach, eastern Crete. | |
![]() This N-S alignment of Crete depicts the NE promontory at the top. Left-to-right: Dionysades Islands, Sideros Promontory showing the joined "islands" Sideros (or Mavromouri) and Kyriamadi, the joined Itanos Peninsula, Elasa Island, and Cape Plakas. | |
Etymology | Uncertain. Possibly a connection to iron or stars, or to prehistoric words now lost, most likely a Venetian form, San Sidero, of Agios Isidoros, "Saint Isidore," which one uncertain. |
Geography | |
Location | NE Crete |
Coordinates | 35°18′46″N 26°18′27″E / 35.31282°N 26.30759°E |
Archipelago | Hellenic arc |
Adjacent to | Sea of Crete |
Administration | |
Greece | |
Municipality (2011) | Siteia |
Municipal Unit | Itanos |
Cape Sideros or Cape Sidero (Greek: Άκρα Σίδερος, romanized: Akra Sideros) is a cape at the eastern end of the island of Crete, Greece. Anciently it was known as Samonium or Samonion (Ancient Greek: Σαμώνιον), Sammonium or Sammonion (Ancient Greek: Σαμμώνιον),[1] Salmonium or Salmonion (Σαλμώνιον)[2] and Salmone (Σαλμώνη).[3] The cape shares the name Sideros or Sidero with the island-like peninsula of which it is a projection, but which had the name first remains unknown, as does the provenance of either name. Cape Sidero is often not confined to the peninsula Sideros, but might refer to the entire northeast promontory.