Syros or Siros or Syra (Greek:Σύρος), is a Greek island in the Cyclades, in the Aegean Sea. Ermoupoli is the capital of the island and of the Cyclades. It has always been a significant port town, and during the 19th century it was even more significant than Piraeus. Ermoupoli stands on a naturally amphitheatrical site, with neo-classical buildings, old mansions, and white houses cascading down to the harbour. It was built during the Greek War of Independence in the 1820s. The city hall is in the center of the town, in Miaoulis Square, ringed with cafés, seating areas, and palm trees. Dubbed the "City of Hermes", Syros has numerous churches. There is an archaeological museum and a municipal library. The quarter of Vaporia is where sea captains traditionally lived. There are numerous neo-classical mansions along the quarter’s narrow streets. The main villages of the island are Galissas, Chroussa, Poseidonia, Vari and Foinikas. Poseidonia is marked by stately mansions built in the 19th century as the summer homes of the rich merchants who comprised Greece’s first urban class.