Thursday, August 18, 2016

Spinalonga, the leper island | Greece


Postcard
In 1903, a leper colony was established on Spinalonga island, to isolate people suffering from this disease from the healthy population. The cure for leprosy had not yet been discovered, and the contagious disease was regarded with horror. The island was one of the last active leper colonies in Europe. The last inhabitant left the island in 1962. 

Today, the uninhabited island is a popular tourist attraction in Crete.

Stamp
The stamp is part of a set called 'Diving Tourism' featuring colorful scenes of shipwrecks and underwater finds (issue 2015). 

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