White Horses
Greek mythology credits the god Poseidon with the creation of the horse. During a competition with the goddess Athena, Poseidon brought down his mighty trident with godly force, and from the turbulence, frothy waves formed in the sea. The white waves took a clearer form, showing legs and hooves as they approached the coast, presenting themselves as the most magnificent land animal that had ever been witnessed. This is how Poseidon won the title of god of horses, by bringing them into existence; and while in some cultures, white horses stand for the balance of wisdom and power. In others, like Christianity or Islam, the white horse is seen as an omen of death.
Since 2015, a new pact between the Albanian ‘Ministry of Defence’ and the ’Ministry of Tourism’ came in effect; and Sazan was opened for guided tours as an open air museum during the summer season. From just a few hundred tourists during the first year of this new phase, that number has grown exponentially to over 800 daily visitors, with tens of boats hurdling towards the island several times a day. It is to be seen whether this field day and new attention over Sazan will prove to be the beginning of a wholesome symbolic and physical transformation of the island, or whether these white horses are an omen of a development synonymous with death.
