Lesbos - Lesvos
Lesvos photoalbum
LESVOS, Greeces third largest island, has a long history
and varied, fascinating scenery. The birthplace of the illustrious
ancient poets Sappho and Alkaios, the guitarist Arion, the
musician Terpander and Pittakos of Mitilini, one of the Seven
Sages of antiquity, it even today continues the tradition
of producing famous artists, poets and writers. The capital
of Lesvos is Mitilini, built like an amphitheatre above its
ancient namesake and with its Byzantine cats le
towering over it from the top of a pine- covered hill. On
the northeast edge of town there is a Hellenistic theatre
with superb acoustics which once accommodated an audience
of 10.000, while to the east of it you can see a section
of ancient polygonal wall. The archaeological Museum contains
a wealth of finds and the Byzantine Museum has exhibits from
both the Byzantine and the post-Byzantine periods. The town
also boasts some interesting churches: the Cathedral dedicated
to St. Athanassios, Agios Therapontas and Agii Theodori,
which has wonderful wood carvings and icons. VAria, a suburb
of Mitilini, is the site of the Theofilos Museum with works
from Greece's best-loved naive painter Theofilos and the
Teriade Museum - Library housing : Great Books" and
art magazines published and donated by Lesvos' famous art
critic, Stratis
Eleftheriades (Teriade). Its walls are hung with lithographs
from the Great Books done by Picasso, Matisse, Chagall, Leger
and other famous 20th century artists.
Click on the pictures to enlarge
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Lesbos.
Photo: Rita de Koster |
The harbour on
Lesbos.
Photo: Rita de Koster
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Lesbos, Kastro Mytilini.
Photo: Claudia Huisman
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Lesbos.
Photo: Hami Visscher |
Six
kilometres away at Moria there is a section of Roman
aqueduct erected in the 2nd century A.D. In the northeast
part of
the island, after passing a series of charming coastal
villages, the first major place you should visit is Mantamados,
known for its characteristic stone houses, fine pottery,
wood carvings, and delicious local cheeses. Don't miss
a stop at the monastery of the Taxiarch, which possess
the only relief portrait of the archangel in the Orthodox
world. Further north, you come to Sikamia, the birthplace
of the famous novelist, Stratis Myrivilis, and its port
Skala Sikamias, a picturesque fishing harbour with a
chapel dedicated to the Virgin Gorgona (mermaid) described
in Myrivils'
novel of the same name. |
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The volcanic landscape, Western Lesbos.
Photo: Gerard Bambacht
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next stop is Molivos or Mithimna, the island's best known
resort and artists' colony, whose mediaeval castle and
traditional architecture give it a distinctive atmosphere.
Among its sights are its archaeological museum, library
and a small picture gallery. Another of Lesvos' well known
places is Agiassos, near the middle of the island. This
attractive village has kept its old flavour and the fame
of its pottery and wood carving has traveled well beyond
Greece. It also has an Ecclesiastical and Folk Art Museum
and a Reading Society with a theatre and a good sized library.
Don't miss the church of the Virgin (Panagia) with its
collection of old icons, which includes an icon of the
Mother and Child (Vrefocratoussa) attributed to St. Luke.
Further west, Agia Paraskevi, a market town with old mansions,
is known for its curious Festival of the Bull, celebrated
since 1774. Near here, at Klopedi, are the remains of the
ancient Aeolian Temple of Napaios Apollo, while Messa,
also nearby, boasts the ruins of a big Ionian temple (late
4th
- early 3rd century B.C.), possibly dedicated to three
deities, Zeus, Hera and Dionysos. A monument from a later
date, the Early Christian basilica of St. George, restored
by the noted mediaevalist, professor A. Orlandos, may be
seen at Halinados, not far away. |
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to see in the vicinity of Kaloni include the Limonos Monastery
(1527) whose church dedicated to St. John contains interesting
16th century frescoes, a library with 2500 volumes and an
ecclesiastical folk art museum. Sigri, at the western tip
of Lesvos, is a pretty fishing port with a lovely beach and
an 18th century fortress. Not far from here is the island's
celebrated Petrified Forest, dating back some fifteen million
years. The fossilized trunks, some fallen, some still erect,
some in the sea, are unusual for the brilliance and diversity
of their colours. Also near Sigri are Eressos, the birthplace
of Sappho and Theophrastos, and its port Skala Eressou which
has a magnificent beach and full facilities for tourists.
Worth seeing here are the archaeological collection and the
ruined 5th century basilica of Agios Andreas with stunning
mosaics. On the south coast, other resorts have grown up
alongside superb beaches. These are Vatera and Plomari, Lesvos'
second
largest town, famed for its exceptional ouzo and interesting
architecture. Lesvos abounds in mineral springs, where health
spas have been developed, as at the Gulf of Gera, Thermi,
Lisvori, Eftalou, Polichnitos etc. |
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Lesbos. Frank and Ruben with Stefanos the monk, Moni Pythariou.
Photo: Gerard Bambacht
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Lesbos, Photo: Robert Van
Thielen.
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Lesbos, Gavathos
Photo: Eleni |
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