Chios The Island Of Ones Dreams

In the vastness of the Aegean, beyond the well known island of Rhodes, Castellorizo, Kos and the likes, lies the island of Chios (pronounced Hios). Situated in the north east of the Aegean, north of the island Samos and south of Lesbos, it is within sight of Asia Minor. Chios has an area of 84 square km and a coastline of 213 km, with a population of 48,700.

The Capital is Chora (Hora), as the inhabitants or Chiotes call it. Just under half of the total population (24,070) live there. Tradition has it that the name Chios is derived from the son of the God Poseidon, who was also called Chios. The island is infinitely picturesque; it has incredible views, breathtaking mountainous scenery, sandy beaches and crystal blue sea water. It has magnificent countryside with villages full of tradition scattered all over the island away from the shores for fears of pirates in time of old. The villages (approximately 53) still possess a peaceful way of life which contrasts markedly with the rush of big cities.

Despite the fact that Chios may not be an island well known by some, it does not fall short of some very impressive history. For instance, Chios is the birthplace of the great poet and orator Homer. In the northern village of Vrontados lie the famous Daskalopetra (Teaching Stone) where, according to tradition, Homer used to deliver his lectures and teachings.

In addition, Adamantios Korais, regarded as the father of Modern Greek literature and the scholar who laid the intellectual foundation for the Greek struggle for independence from the Ottoman Turks, is uniquely identified with Chios. Born in Smyrna, Turkey (on 27 April 1748) Korais throughout his life strongly related to his father's birht place, Chios, although he never actually set foot ont he island. His influence on modern Greek language and culture has been compared to that of Dante on Italian and Luther on German. Upon his death in 1833, Korais donated all of his writings and manuscripts to his beloved island of Chios.
Today the Korais Library comprises of over 130,000 books and volumes, many of them primary source materials, and academics travel from all parts of the world to study there.

Chios is also the home of one of the most significant Byzantine monuments in Europe, the Nea Moni (New Monastery), built in the 11th century by Constantine the Gladiator. Nea Moni is endowed with marvellous frescoes and mosaics, and remains one of the strongest indicators of the Byzantine presence in Greece.

Chios is famous worldwide for the production if mastic. Produced from the mastic tree, it is deposited as a crystal resin - a phenomenon that only occurs on the island of Chios. It has a very fresh, unique flavor and is used in a variety of ways; for chewing, for liquor production and for the preperation of varnishes and Spanish wax. The mastic tree is cultivated in the south of the island in the Masticochoria, and 300 tonnes are produced and exported annually.

The most important branches of industry on the island are farming and the production of sweets known as "spoon-sweets". Fishing is also a major industry. But many men still have to leave the island in order to secure employement, usually as sailors on Greek-owned cargo ship tankers. It must be noted with pride that a considerable part of the internationally flourishing Greek navigation fleet is controlled by Chian shipowners.

The 6th century was the beginning of the golden era for Chios. Trade and navigation turned Chios into an international centre of commerce because of its strategic position on the border between east and west. The inhabitants of the island were thought to be the richest of the Greeks; living in great luxury the Chian way of life was famous.

The significant commercial opportunities were the reason why Chios has been an island under continual occupation by other groups over the last three thousand years. First the Athenians, then the Macedonians, the Romans, Byzantines, Venetians, Genoese and finally the Turks. It was during the Genoese occupation of Christopher Columbus, the famous explorer, vistied Chios on his maiden voyage between 1473 and 1475 to consult records and maps in the island's library. In fact , so identified with Chios is Columbus that recently a new theory has emerged claiming him to be a Byzantine Prince from Chios.

Even during the Turkish occupation Chios, being self-governed, flourished. However this all changed with the outbreak of the 1821 revolution; a revolution the Chians were not disposed to take part in. On the 11th of March 1822 a fleet of 2000 men led by a Samian landed on Chios and proclaimed the beginning of the revolution on the island. The Chians took up arms, but the expedition was not all well prepared, leading to a very tragic result. The 30th of March 1822, marks the massacre of Chios by Turkish troops that came from Asia Minor. Beautiful Chios was turned to ruins. An estimated 22,000 inhabitants were slaughtered and 45,000 were sold into slavery. The only part of Chios which escaped the tragedy was the Masticochoria, given that the mastic was in great demand in the Sultan's harem.

Chios' sacrifice impressed all Europe and created a strong current of philhellenism. The painter Delacroix depicted the tragedy in the painting, the Chios Massacre which is displayed int he Louvre museum; with a reproduction on show in the museum of Chios.

After the massacre and holocaust of Chios began to rebuilt. However, in 1881 a terrible earthquake destroyed the island again. This was one of many earthquakes that have ravaged Chios over the Centuries, but the 1881 quake was by far the most serious; claiming 3,560 lives.

Chios continued under Turkish rule until the 11th of November 1912 when the final battle against Turkish occupation was mounted by the Greek navy. It was on this day that Chios became Greek again.

Like many other Greek islands, Chios has a patron saint; in this case Agia Markella. The monastery of Agia Markella is found in the port of the village of Volissos. On the patron Saint's day (22 July), pilgrims from Chios and all over Greece visit the monastery.

Chios is the jealously preserved secret in the heart of the Aegean. It is Homer's Island, Koaris' island, the mastic island and much more; it keeps history hidden away in its heart. It is an island which makes you feel that you have found an island not visited by many. Next time one mentions the Greek islands they can mention Rhodes, Castellorizo, Kos and Chios!