In the middle of the 19th century there was an increased need for fossil fuels. This need was created by the industrial revolution in the Western countries and resulted in the opening of mines in most Aegean islands. The iron mines of Kythnos operated from 1873 to 1940. The mines are currently inactive, but the remains of the mining activity (administrative buildings, social housing, loading stairs, arcades and equipment) can still be seen everywhere on the island.
The mines and their facilities are a peculiar and discredited part of the technical - industrial culture so the students of the National Technical University of Athens have come up with a touristic proposal for those who want to combine their holidays with some cultural and educational information: They would like to preserve the mines in order to highlight the historical, ethnographical and archaeological character of the island.
