Mesta, Greece

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Mesta

Μεστά
MestaXiou1.jpg
The outside of the village
Greece location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Mesta
Coordinates: 38°15′N25°55′E / 38.250°N 25.917°E / 38.250; 25.917 Coordinates: 38°15′N25°55′E / 38.250°N 25.917°E / 38.250; 25.917
Country Greece
Administrative region North Aegean
Regional unit Mastichochoria
Municipality Chios
Elevation
120 m (390 ft)
Population
(2011) [1]
 •  Rural
337
Community
[1]
 • Population437 (2011)
Time zone UTC+2 (EET)
 • Summer (DST) UTC+3 (EEST)
Postal code
821 00
Area code(s) 22710
Vehicle registration ΧΙ

Mesta is a Greek traditional village on the island of Chios. It belongs to the Mastic Villages, a group of villages in South Chios where the main activity is the manufacture of mastic. The mastic villages have been added to the representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity of UNESCO. [2] [3] Mesta is characterised by particular architecture since it is a village-castle with perfectly preserved medieval architecture. [4] [5] Mesta is located 35 km south west of Chios (town), 4 km away from the coast. It is built at a height of 120m and it belongs to Chios municipality and Mastichochoria municipal unit. It is also a community that comprises the village Limenas where the port of south west Chios is located.

Chios Place in Greece

Chios is the fifth largest of the Greek islands, situated in the Aegean Sea, 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) off the Anatolian coast. The island is separated from Turkey by the Chios Strait. Chios is notable for its exports of mastic gum and its nickname is the Mastic Island. Tourist attractions include its medieval villages and the 11th-century monastery of Nea Moni, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Mastic (plant resin) A resin traditionally obtained from the mastic tree on the island of [[Chios]]

Mastic is a resin obtained from the mastic tree. In pharmacies and nature shops, it is called Arabic gum and Yemen gum. In Greece, it is known as tears of Chios, being traditionally produced on that Greek island, and, like other natural resins, is produced in "tears" or droplets.

UNESCO Specialised agency of the United Nations

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) based in Paris. Its declared purpose is to contribute to peace and security by promoting international collaboration through educational, scientific, and cultural reforms in order to increase universal respect for justice, the rule of law, and human rights along with fundamental freedom proclaimed in the United Nations Charter. It is the successor of the League of Nations' International Committee on Intellectual Cooperation.

Contents

History

The village was probably built in the 12th century during the Byzantine era. The architecture of the settlement with its narrow streets and perimetric fortification served to repel pirate raids. The street plan of the village is pentagonical and its many narrow roads inside the fortifications give the impression of a labyrinth. The fortifications were reinforced during the Genoese era in Chios, between 1346 and 1566. The church of the Older Taxiarchi that is located in the centre of the village was built in 1794. A lot of villagers of Mesta were killed or captured during the Chios massacre. Some of them were released after a while because the mastic agriculture was important for the Ottomans. [6]

Byzantine Empire Roman Empire during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages

The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinople. It survived the fragmentation and fall of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD and continued to exist for an additional thousand years until it fell to the Ottoman Turks in 1453. During most of its existence, the empire was the most powerful economic, cultural, and military force in Europe. Both the terms "Byzantine Empire" and "Eastern Roman Empire" are historiographical terms created after the end of the realm; its citizens continued to refer to their empire simply as the Roman Empire, or Romania (Ῥωμανία), and to themselves as "Romans".

Chios massacre slaughter of tens of thousands of Greeks on the island of Chios by Ottoman troops during the Greek War of Independence in 1822

The Chios massacre was the killing of tens of thousands of Greeks on the island of Chios by Ottoman troops during the Greek War of Independence in 1824. Greeks from neighbouring islands had arrived on Chios and encouraged the Chians to join their revolt. In response, Ottoman troops landed on the island and killed thousands. The massacre of Christians provoked international outrage, and led to increasing support for the Greek cause worldwide.

Historical population

CensusSettlementCommunity
1991337
2001501565
2011337437

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References

  1. 1 2 "Απογραφή Πληθυσμού - Κατοικιών 2011. ΜΟΝΙΜΟΣ Πληθυσμός" (in Greek). Hellenic Statistical Authority.
  2. ↑ "Know-how of cultivating mastic on the island of Chios". unesco.org. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
  3. ↑ "UNESCO recognizes the mastic cultivation of Chios". protothema.gr. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
  4. ↑ "Μεστά". chios.com. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
  5. ↑ "Μεστά". chiosonline.gr. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
  6. ↑ "Ιστορία". chioshistory.gr. Archived from the original on 11 March 2016. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
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