The second most popular excursion on Chios is to the Medieval Villages. The major group of these are also called Mastic Villages (Mastikokhoria), because this is the region where the mastich tree's resin is harvested. The most known of these villages are described below.
Village of Mesta
The
village of Mesta is the most distant of the medieval villages but it is also
the most well-preserved. the form and architecture here is totally unique. The
houses are build side-by-side to each-other, so tightly that there are only
two entrances to the village. The streets are very narrow, and most of them
are covered with arches and vaults. The whole village has been intendently planned
and built as a maze, in order to prevent the pirate raiding parties from reaching
easily the most important buildings located in the center of the village. The
oldest monument of Mesta is the church of Palaios (=Old) Taxiarchis on the north-west
part. It was originally a vaulted one-nave basilica, dating from the Byzantine
period. In 1794 it was extended to become two-aisled. Some traces of old wallpaintings
can be seen, although most of them have been covered with plaster. The iconostasis
of the church is wood carved and an excellent example of local woodwork (finished
in 1833). To find out more about Mesta, you can visit the Mesta
Complete Guide.
Anavatos
About
17 kilometers West from the city of Chios is the village of Anavatos. It
is built on a rocky elevation with sides so steep it can only be approach
from one point. The natural defenses of the site make it probable it was
originally founded to control the island's west coast during the period
of piracy. The village is now completely deserted but the overall shape
of the settlement is quite well-preserved to give a unique picture of a
ghost town surrounded by a wild and rough natural environment.
Pyrgi
The
village is a fortresslike complex of narrow streets, tightly packed houses
and arches, with a ruined tower-dungeon at its center. Even more unexpected
is the distinctive graffito technique used to decorate the exteriors of
many of the buildings: The outer layer of cement is painted white and then
geometric shapes (triangles, chevrons, circles, etc.) are scraped away.
The church on the main square is truly eye-catching, while off the square
is the small church of Aghii Apostoli, with frescoes dated to the 12th
century.
The village of Olympi is located between
Pyrgi and Mesta and it has mostly the same architectural form. Closer to
the city of Chios are the villages of Armolia (20 km) best known for its
<ceramic products>, the villages of Kalamoti, Nenita, Kallimasia and
a variety of smaller villages.