One of the more common types of bunkers found on Kos are what I’m calling the “Dome Bunkersâ€. They can be found from the NE tip of Kos at Lambi, along to the next resort at Tingaki. I have also seem them along the main road that runs the length of the island and one by the road that climbs up to the mountain village of Zia. It is likely there are more hidden in the undergrowth or ones that have been demolished.
These structures are massively constructed concrete pillboxes that strangely seem to be designed for nothing more than a heavy machine gun. I have no idea when they were built, but along with the bunkers containing the tank turrets I posted on earlier, I assume they date to around the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974.
All the following pictures were taken at six different sites and inside three separate bunkers. The camera used was a 16mp Sony HX9 compact.
This is how you usually find them. Well hidden and protected. This one is on the beach, facing east along the coast
This is its partner about 250m, (measured on Google Earth), to the west, facing in the opposite direction. There must have been defences covering the gap between these pairs of bunkers, several of which can be found over the next couple of miles. The ground around this one has been eroded away, possibly while it was still in use, judging by the camouflage paint. The moped gives an idea of the size and how much is underground. Usually they are buried up to the gunport
Back view of the same bunker, showing the usually sunken entrance
This one is about a third of a mile inland by a small road. It is still locked securely, though in common with all these structures, the door looks a bit flimsy compared with the rest of the building. The business side is very overgrown, but would have provided a field of fire onto anyone advancing from the sea.
Inside one, looking from the door. Note the alcove on the left and the gunport
Looking back towards the door in a different bunker. This one is the only one I’ve been in with two alcoves. Note the wooden box and the door lying on the floor. In Summer 2010 this one was locked securely
Gunmounting. It is covered in sand and muck, sticking to the grease that still coats it
Inside one of the wooden boxes you find inside these places. Presumably this is the rest of the gun mounting. Its pretty well preserved and covered in a layer of grease. Should have packed a pair of rubber gloves to have a closer look. Could one of the military experts on here give an idea of what sort of gun this would be for?
Grill covering what I think is a sump. No ROC sump pumps here though
What I believe is a grenade sump. If it was an ordinary drain it would just fill up with water and rubbish and flood the place.
This looks like the other end of a grenade sump on a bunker that has had the earth covering eroded by the sea. There was probably a concrete box on the end at one time
Lump of wire that was hanging out of the wall. Phone cable perhaps?
This one has been eroded into the sea. The wind got up one afternoon and the sea got a bit lively. Erosion is quite a problem on the NE of Kos. A lot of the land there didn’t exist until an earthquake in 1933 raised the land level. Now the sea is trying to take it back
This bunker has been badly eroded, but is still clinging on near the local Iberostar Hotel. This shows the construction quite well. The entrance is on the left and the small projection on the right is the alcove you see just inside the door
The other side of the structure. The extent of the paint shows how deep it would have been originally buried
Thanks for looking
These structures are massively constructed concrete pillboxes that strangely seem to be designed for nothing more than a heavy machine gun. I have no idea when they were built, but along with the bunkers containing the tank turrets I posted on earlier, I assume they date to around the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974.
All the following pictures were taken at six different sites and inside three separate bunkers. The camera used was a 16mp Sony HX9 compact.
This is how you usually find them. Well hidden and protected. This one is on the beach, facing east along the coast
This is its partner about 250m, (measured on Google Earth), to the west, facing in the opposite direction. There must have been defences covering the gap between these pairs of bunkers, several of which can be found over the next couple of miles. The ground around this one has been eroded away, possibly while it was still in use, judging by the camouflage paint. The moped gives an idea of the size and how much is underground. Usually they are buried up to the gunport
Back view of the same bunker, showing the usually sunken entrance
This one is about a third of a mile inland by a small road. It is still locked securely, though in common with all these structures, the door looks a bit flimsy compared with the rest of the building. The business side is very overgrown, but would have provided a field of fire onto anyone advancing from the sea.
Inside one, looking from the door. Note the alcove on the left and the gunport
Looking back towards the door in a different bunker. This one is the only one I’ve been in with two alcoves. Note the wooden box and the door lying on the floor. In Summer 2010 this one was locked securely
Gunmounting. It is covered in sand and muck, sticking to the grease that still coats it
Inside one of the wooden boxes you find inside these places. Presumably this is the rest of the gun mounting. Its pretty well preserved and covered in a layer of grease. Should have packed a pair of rubber gloves to have a closer look. Could one of the military experts on here give an idea of what sort of gun this would be for?
Grill covering what I think is a sump. No ROC sump pumps here though
What I believe is a grenade sump. If it was an ordinary drain it would just fill up with water and rubbish and flood the place.
This looks like the other end of a grenade sump on a bunker that has had the earth covering eroded by the sea. There was probably a concrete box on the end at one time
Lump of wire that was hanging out of the wall. Phone cable perhaps?
This one has been eroded into the sea. The wind got up one afternoon and the sea got a bit lively. Erosion is quite a problem on the NE of Kos. A lot of the land there didn’t exist until an earthquake in 1933 raised the land level. Now the sea is trying to take it back
This bunker has been badly eroded, but is still clinging on near the local Iberostar Hotel. This shows the construction quite well. The entrance is on the left and the small projection on the right is the alcove you see just inside the door
The other side of the structure. The extent of the paint shows how deep it would have been originally buried
Thanks for looking
