Mesta - Chios (Greece)

Mesta. Mesta is a medieval village on the Greek island of Chios. It is located at about thirty-five kilometres southwest of the capital city of Chios, Chora. It is one of the famous mastic villages. In this area grows the tree "Skinos" which produces a type of resin, the Greeks call it Masticha. Hence the villages in this area are called “Mastichochoria” (Mastic villages).

Mesta is a special village because it is walled like a fortress. Formerly there were pirates who regularly attacked and pillaged. At the time the Genoese were on Chios, they created a fortress in the village, the exteriors of the houses of the village therefore form the outer walls. There are two gates through which you can enter and once inside, you can imagine yourself in medieval times.

Narrow alleys paved with stones, stone houses, small bridges connecting the balconies of the houses together, the village looks like a maze. Everywhere you see and smell flowers. In the middle of the village is the village square, where several tavernas and cafes can be found.

Mesta is very popular and many tourists go to Chios on vacation and they like to make a trip to Mesta. In the village, which is completely car-free, are many historic churches like the Great Taxiarch and Old Taxiarch and many other churches. In Mesta live about five hundred permanent residents.

Text: Yorgos and Wendy Nikolidakis - Revised by Maxine van Hoften Gee

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Mesta in other languages

• Mesta (GriekseGids.nl)
   
• Mesta (GriekseGids.be)
   
• Mesta (GreeceGuide.co.uk)
   
• Mesta (GriechenlandWeb.de)

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