Mytilene
Mytilene and Mitylene are redirects to this article. See also: Mytilene (disambiguation) or titular archbishopric of Mitylene.
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The port city of Mytilini (Greek Μυτιλήνη [mitiˈlini] (f. sg.), Ancient Greek pronunciation Mytilēne, Turkish Midilli) is the economic, administrative and cultural centre of the Greek island of Lesvos. The city is the administrative seat of the eponymous municipality of Mytilini (Δήμος Μυτιλήνης Dímos Mytilínis), the Northern Aegean Region and the main location of the University of the Aegean.
After the conquest of Lesvos by Greek troops, Mytilini was recognized as a municipality (dimos) in 1918. In 1997, the municipality was greatly enlarged through numerous incorporations. This municipality was absorbed into the newly created municipality of Lesvos in the 2010 administrative reform, which covers the entire territory of the island and forms one of thirteen municipal districts within it.
Location
The municipality is located on the Amali Peninsula (Χερσόνησο της Αμαλής Chersoniso Amalis), the southeasternmost and smallest of the three large peninsulas of Lesvos, and extends a few kilometres northwards beyond it. In total, its north-south extension is 20 km and from east to west a maximum of 7 km. The Amali Peninsula is bounded on the east by the Strait of Lesbos (Στενό Μυτιλήνης Steno Mytilinis) and on the west by the Gulf of Gera (Κόλπος της Γέρας Kolpos tis Geras), Cape Agrilia (Ακροτιριο Αγριλιά Akrotirio Agrilia) is the southernmost point. The small peninsula of Machera (Μαχαίρα) forms the northern end of the municipal area. South of it and east of the small port of Skala Pamfyllon is the small uninhabited island of Pamfyllon (Ν. Παμφυλλον).
Neighboring municipalities are Loutropolis Thermis and Evergetoulas to the north, and the municipality of Gera to the west, opposite the Gulf of Gera.
The municipality of Mytilini is located in the middle of the east coast at the narrowest point of the Amali Peninsula, about 3 km.
Mythology
According to Diodorus (5,81f) Mytilini bears the name of one of the two daughters of king Makar mentioned in Homer, the other daughter was called Mithymna.
