According to tradition, it derives its name from Icarus, the son of Daedalus in Greek mythology, who was believed to have fallen into the sea nearby and to have been buried on the island.

Around 750 BC, Greeks from Miletus colonized Ikaria, establishing a settlement in the area of present-day Campos, which later became the ancient capital city of Oenoe.

In antiquity, the island was called Icaria or Ikaria (Ancient Greek: Ἰκαρία), as today; and also Icarus or Ikaros (Ἴκαρος).

[12] Metapontus later married Melanippe and her two sons founded towns in Propontis called by their names — Boeotia and Aeolia.

It was an appropriate location for sailors to make sacrifices to Artemis Tauropolos, who was a patron of seafarers; here, the goddess was represented in an archaic wooden xoanon.

The temple stood in good repair until the middle of the 19th century when the marble was pillaged, for their local church, by the Kato Raches villagers.

Once an unknown or enemy vessel appeared, the observers would at once light a fire at the top and run to a tank which was always filled with water.

Once the water level reached the mark signifying the appropriate message, the messengers would place the plug back on the tank and put out the fire, so that each of the other towers could decode the size and gravity of the incoming danger.

It had a single low door and the sea-facing side was protected with tall walls, while there was an opening on the roof (locally called the Anefantis).

There were the panigiria (traditional festivals featuring dances, music and consumption of local products), team labor and elder councils who would take the decisions.

The oral story in regards to the event talks of an Ottoman Aga, who demanded two locals to carry him on their shoulders atop a seat.

[14] The Ottomans imposed a very loose administration, not sending any officials to Ikaria for several centuries, although in later years they would appoint groups of locals in each village of the island to act as Kodjabashis in order to collect taxes for the empire.

They also continued to store it in the old-fashioned way prevalent since the Bronze Age, in terracotta pithoi containers sunk to their rims in earth, thus protecting their supplies from both tax collectors and pirates.

Unlike the closely built towns of Samos, the hardy inhabitants lived separately in fortified unfurnished farmsteads.

[18] Ikaria remained part of the Ottoman Empire until 17 July 1912, when the Ikarians expelled the Turkish garrison and thereby achieved independence.

His bust, depicting him defiantly, with bandoliers on his body and rifle in hand, may be seen at the memorial established in his honour at the site of his death located in the Ikarian town of Chrysostomos.

To this date, the majority of the locals have remained sympathetic to left parties and communism, and, for this reason, Ikaria is referred to by some as the "Red Rock" (Κόκκινος Βράχος, Kokkinos Vrahos).

[20][21] In his analysis, Rebels and Radicals: Icaria 1600–2000, historian Anthony J. Papalas (East Carolina University) examines modern Ikaria in the light of such 20th-century questions as poverty, emigration to America, the nature of the Axis occupation, the rise of Communism, the Greek Civil War, and the rightwing reaction to radical postwar movements.

The quality of life improved greatly after 1960, when the Greek government began to invest in the infrastructure of the island to assist in the promotion of tourism.

Today, Ikaria is considered one of the world's five "Blue zones" – places where the population regularly lives to an advanced age (one in three make it to their 90s).

[24] The study also showed the high rate of sexual intercourse among elderly men; 80% of Ikarian males aged between 65 and 100 were found to still be having sex on a regular basis.

The museum contains over 250 artifacts, including Neolithic tools, pottery vessels, clay statuettes, columns, coins, and carved headstones.

This listed building will house all of Ikaria's most relevant finds and highlight the history and culture of the island in the facilities of a modern museum and research/conservation center.

Complete with multimedia displays and films dedicated to the Myth of Ikaros and the ancient citadel of Drakano, the museum presents Ikaria's archeological findings and relates to the visitor an understanding of the cultural, commercial and social development of the settlements of ancient Ikaria throughout the course of the island's history.

Its mission is to preserve and promote Ikarian folklore, traditions and customs through its display of over 1,500 objects that reflect the history and heritage of Ikaria and its inhabitants.

The museum exhibits items of cultural importance from the island, including dresses, textiles, household articles, pottery, agriculture and trade tools & instruments, photos, documents and many other objects.