Khíos (Part 1)

Khíos marina with a Greek Coastguard vessel steaming past   

We left BV on Thursday afternoon and wandered into town. This was a relatively quick visit and, in hindsight, I should have taken more photos.

The impressive Byzantine fortress was hard to miss. It is moated on the landward side but the seaward side was damaged during the 1881 earthquake and that part of the rampart destroyed. The crumbling walls would suggest that the inside of the castle would be empty but the harbour side is open and unusually inside the walls is actually a rabbit warren of lanes and populated houses. Part of the moat is being used for a small UNHCR refugee camp and we saw another two small camps, our first indication of refugees this year. The chap that delivered our hire care explained that, “last year the refugees were everywhere, in the parks and all around but the aid agencies are now here looking after them and they don’t seem to be coming this year”. Time will tell, however, there is certainly a great sea-patrolling presence and obvious UNHCR and aid agency activity in the town here.

As we walked further on we saw traces of the Ottoman years with several water fountains from that era and a disused mosque which is now the Byzantine Museum.

Khíos main harbour   

We took a look at the main harbour. Tucked in the corner is a more sheltered area for yachts but it was full with what looked to be local yachts and perhaps one visitor. The other 2 visiting yachts were alongside the less protected harbour wall, sideways on to the waves, the wind and the ferry wash. We were very glad that we had elected to go into the marina despite it being a 15-minute walk into town.

Looking over the harbour wall and across the strait, Turkey is barely a couple of miles away. It’s easy to see why so many migrants arrived in Khíos last year.

Friday was our hire-car day. We headed south towards the mastihohoriá (mastic villages). These 20 villages were originally built as pirate-proof strongholds in the 14^th and 15^th centuries by the Genoese.

Pyrgí   

We planned to visit a couple, the first of which was Pyrgí. It not only has the standard rectangular plan with narrow passageways over-arched with earthquake buttresses but it also has very distinctive xystá decorations on the outside of the houses.

Pyrgí   

The mastic bushes grown around these mastihohoriá are the unique source of gum mastic. It was used as a chewing gum to sweeten the breath of the sultan’s concubines and to prevent tooth decay and Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, praised its therapeutic value. It is also used in a Greek liqueur (mastíha), in varnish, sweets and even ice-cream. With the Genoese seizing control in 1346 and strictly controlling the lucrative mastic trade, Khíos became one of the wealthiest islands in the Mediterranean.

Church of the Holy Apostles   

Tucked away down a small alleyway near Pyrgí’s main square is the Church of the Holy Apostles. The outside of this 14^th century octagonal church has elaborate brickwork. The inside was entirely covered with frescoes painted in 1665 by a painter from Crete, Antonios Kynegos. His work shows scenes from the lives and miracles of the Holy Apostles, images of the Virgin Mary and the Incarnation, scenes from the Last Judgement and many others. Some areas are damaged but what remains has vivid colours and highly decorated surrounds. Sadly no photographs were allowed inside.

Pyrgí   

After visiting Pyrgí we moved on to another mastic village, Mestá.

Mestá   

Mastic being harvested   

Mestá is in a completely different style, coming across as much more of an anti-pirate stronghold. You can see how the outside houses formed the protective outer wall and can imagine the corner towers providing defensive cover. I was also able to photograph a poster showing the mastic dripping from the scored stem of a mastic bush to show how it is harvested.

Mestá’s central square   

Whilst it is perhaps a little more sombre than Pyrgí we actually preferred Mestá and felt that it had a much more authentic air. The central square was also very pleasant and we treated ourselves to ice-creams, including a mastic one. It was relatively bland with hints of pine; I think I’ll stick to chocolate for my next ice-cream.

Khíos, Greece