SIRAGIO (CAVE OF PARASKEVAS) It is an important historical
area of Piraeus on the eastern side of Kastella, on a steep and
rocky coast above the sea. Siragio, also known as “Siraga”, is a
cave that is believed to be constructed by the first inhabitants of
the area, the prehistoric Minyans of Ionian origin. In the inner part
of the cave there have been found an altar dedicated to Apollo
and two ancient graves, while the walls of the cave and both
sides of the entrance have been adorned with mosaics. During the
Roman period, the use of the cave might have changed and it was
transformed into hot springs. In the most recent history, Siragio
became famous as the “Cave of Paraskevas”, named after the
tavern restaurant that used to operate there during the 1920s. In
1960 it became a nightlife hotspot, where the greatest Greek folk
singers like Manilos Chiotis, Grigoris Bithikotsis and Mary Linda
used to sing. Today, iron railings have been placed at Siragio in
order to prevent the entry.
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