Skaramagas (also spelled Skaramangas; ) is a port town in the western part of the Athens agglomeration, Greece. It is part of the municipality of Haidari and is divided into three main neighborhoods, Ano Afaia, Kato Afaia and the coastal zone. [1] It is known for its large shipyard. It took its name by the Chios merchant Amvrosios Skaramagas.
In 1973, the Skaramagas harbour was the scene of an experiment carried out by Greek scientist Ioannis Sakkas, to test whether or not it was possible for Archimedes to use focused sunlight as a "heat ray" to burn Roman ships during the Siege of Syracuse (214–212 BC). This event is mentioned in ancient accounts but often doubted by modern historians. In the 1973 experiment at Skaramagas harbour, 70 mirrors with a copper coating, such as were available in Archimedes' time, did focus enough sunlight to set on fire a plywood of a Roman warship at a distance of around .
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