| In 1537, Ios and some other small Cycladic islands were | | | | of the Turkish galleys were sunk and 500 Turks were |
| captured by Hairedin Barbarossa, formerly a fearsome | | | | killed, while the victor's losses were only 24 men. The |
| pirate who had become a Turkish admiral and the | | | | place where the battle took place, near the harbour of |
| Turks finally secured complete domination over the | | | | los, is now called Bourloto. A minor interruption in the |
| Cyclades in 1566, when they captured Naxos, the seat | | | | Turkish occupation resulted from the war that broke |
| of the Duchy. The official Turkish name of los at this | | | | under in 1770 between Russia and Turkey, in which the |
| time was Antza, though the new conquerors also | | | | Russians were temporarily victorious. The Cyclades, |
| called it Aine. No Turkish authorities settled on the | | | | including los, passed under Russian occupation for four |
| island, but Ios paid the obligatory poll tax every year. | | | | years. The islands returned to Turkish rule, however, |
| Disaster suddenly befell the island in 1558. Turkish | | | | with the treaty of Kutchuk Kainardji in 1774. |
| pirates with 14 galleys invaded the island and plundered | | | | Despite the fact that los was a small, poor island, it |
| and devastated everything in sight before carrying the | | | | played a notable role in the Greek struggle for |
| inhabitants off to the slave-markets of the East. Ios | | | | liberation. The national uprising was proclaimed on los |
| remained unpopulated for 21 years until 1579, when it | | | | on 10 May 1821 by Panayotis Amoiradakis, two months |
| was settled by Albanians and those who had survived | | | | after its official proclamation in the Peloponnese. This |
| the 1558 disaster. Albanians also are said to have | | | | prompt rising was naturally due to the patriotic |
| settled on the island, though on a lesser scale, at the | | | | sentiments of the islanders, but may also have owed |
| time of Markos I, in order to meet the need for work | | | | much to the circumstance that one of its sons, Sp. |
| hands. On both occasions, the settlers were rapidly | | | | Valettas, had already been initiated into the "Philiki |
| assimilated and Hellenized, and did not have any effect | | | | Etairia" (the core of the uprising) as early as 1818, and |
| on the Greek character of the island. | | | | was indeed one of its most important members. |
| Their presence on Ios is attested only by a few | | | | Valettas gave great assistance to the island, both |
| names and the fact that in former times, the | | | | during the War of Independence and afterwards and |
| inhabitants of the neighbouring island of Sikinos used to | | | | in his honour, his fellow-islanders erected a bust of him |
| call the people of los tsarouchades (after tsarouchi, a | | | | in the main street of Chora. The people of los fought |
| shoe with a pompon worn by the Albanians). | | | | the Turks both on their island, when the enemy |
| Thefamous sheltered harbour of Ios, which led the | | | | attempted to make a landing and at sea in their ships. |
| Turks to call the island Little Malta, played an important | | | | The harbour of los served as a safe haven and a |
| role in its history. It was the scene of an episode for | | | | base of operations for all the Greek freedom fighters. |
| which the French have every reason to be proud. | | | | los was officially liberated and united with the rest of |
| In 1668, the French Temercours brothers, with two | | | | Greece on 10 March 1829, with the signing of the |
| frigates and two light boats, routed the Turkish fleet of | | | | Treaty of London. |
| Kapudan Pasha, which consisted of 54 galleys. Three | | | | |