"The Island of Chios (Under Construction) " a Chios Island Travel Page by grkboiler

First of all, I want to welcome anyone from Tholopotami who found this page. I didn't think anyone would find it. My yiayia told me people have been calling her telling her they found her picture on the Internet.

For everyone else visiting the page, this island is very important to me, as it is where my mother's family is originally from. I finally got to visit here on my 3rd trip to Greece, and was fortunate to stay for a whole month. I spent about a week in a resort at Karfas in Chios, and then the rest of the time in the village of Tholopotami where my mother's family is from. There is definitely plenty to see, but I did not have enough time to visit everything (and my Yiayia (grandmother) wouldn't let me leave the village alone!).

Probably the best aspect of Chios is that it is not like some of the other Greek islands, with less tourists and a more authentic feel.

Chios (HEE-os) is the 5th largest island in Greece. There are 65 villages and towns with a total population of about 50,000.

On this page, I am going to try to give you a few tips about villages in Chios that are not listed on VT, so check out my other Chios-related pages for specific info about major towns on the island. When I return, I will have a digital camera with me to take pictures of more villages.

Chios Town, or Hora, is the largest and most modern town in Chios. Good restaurants, shopping, and museums. (See my Chios page for more info)

The villages in the southern half of the island, which are the most popular with tourists, are called the mastichochoria, which means "mastic villages". The Mastic Tree grows in these villages, and Chios is the most famous producer of mastic gum in the world. Villages to visit include Pyrgi, the medieval village of Mesta, and Kambos. The beaches at Mavra Volia (black volcanic rock), Komi, Karfas, and Agia Fotia are beautiful.

Northern Chios is definitely less visited than the south, but there are still great villages to see, including Vrontados, which is just north of Chios Town, Langada, and Kardamyla.

Volissos is also up north and is near Agia Markella. Agia Markella is a very important site to Greek Orthodox Christians. On July 22nd each year, thousands of people make a pilgrimage to Agia Markella for a church service, some of them walking the entire way from their own village. (check out my Volissos page for more)

Popular beaches in the north are Agia Markella and Daskalopetra, where Homer was said to teach poems to his students.

Chios has been settled since prehistoric times. Nobody knows the first inhabitants. One legend has the name coming from Oinopion, son of Dionysos and Ariadne, who came from Crete and named the island after his nymph daughter, Chion. Another theory is that Chios was named by the Phoenicians for the Syrian word for mastic. Anyways, we know that the Mycenaeans were there followed by the Ionians.

The Ionians colonized Chios around 1000 BC and made it famous for its mastic and expensive wine. By the 6th century BC, the population was about 80,000, not including slaves. In 493 BC, the Persians conquered the island and destroyed everything.

In 473 BC, Chios joined the Athenian League until the Peloponnesian War, when they switched sides and aligned with Sparta, and then back with the Athenians. They were conquered by Alexander the Great in 332 BC. The Romans arrived in 146 BC and the Chians aligned with them and received preferential treatment until Vespasian stripped their autonomy in the year 70.

Christianity was spread throughout Chios by St. Isidore, who was martyred there around 250. From the 4th to 7th century, the island prospered, followed by a period of decline from the 7th to 10th centuries after being destroyed by the Arabs in 650.

The Byzantines in the 11th century began to rebuild Chios and staved off Turkish and Venetian invasions. The Genoese were invited to establish themselves there in 1261. In 1346, the Genoese conquered the island and the economy was revived, although leadership was cruel and cut out lots of cultural development, causing them to be hated by the people. The Genoese ruled until 1566.

The Turks took over and ruled for nearly 350 years. Chios was a resort for them and its products were favored, so the Chians enjoyed more religious and political freedoms and prosperity than the rest of Greece. The heavy taxes imposed on the Chians were allowed to be paid back with mastic. In 1822, all of this ended when the island rebelled from the Turks. 30-40,000 people (just under the current population of the island) were slaughtered over 15 days in what is known as the Massacre of Chios. News of the massacre spread throughout the world and inspired many, including Lord Byron, to support the Greek cause for independence.

Chios was still under Turkish rule after the revolution, but rebuilt quickly. An earthquake in March 1881 devastated the island and destroyed almost everything, killing 3,500 people. Finally on November 11, 1912, Chios was liberated from the Turks and rejoined Greece.

During WWII, Chios was under Nazi rule for 3 years, and many escaped to the Middle East.

Chios is now known for its natural beauty, its culture, traditions, and the hospitality of its people.