Chios, the four seasons island

27.11.2023 - 09:46 / traveldailynews.com / Stavros Andriopoulos

Chios is located in the North East Aegean Sea. It is known as one of the most likely birthplaces of Homer, and also the ancient mathematicians Hippocrates and Enopides.

Chios is the fifth largest Greek island (842 square kilometers) with a coastline of 213 kilometers and a population of 54.000. The Regional Unit of Chios includes the islands of Chios, Psara, Antipsara and Oinousses. Administratively, it is divided into three municipalities: Chios, Psara and Oinousses.

Chios Island is known for its picturesque landscape, for the Mediterranean climate, but mainly formastiha. Chios Mastiha is the brand product of Chios. It is a unique in the world natural aromatic resin, product of the mastiha tree (pistacialentiscusvar chia), that grows only in the southern part of Chios island. It has multiple uses in the food and drinks industries, as well as in pharmaceutics and cosmetics and its production and trade is a main pillar of the local economy. Chios Gum Mastic Growers Association is the exclusive manufacturer and distributor of natural Chios Mastiha, both in Greece and abroad.

In 2010 the Ministry of Culture, Piraeus  Bank Group Cultural Foundation and Chios Mastiha Growers’ Association started coordinated efforts to promote the inscriptio of mastiha cultivation in UNESCO’s catalogue for the preservation of humanity’s  immaterial cultural heritage, something that was achieved in 2014. 

The recognition of traditional mastiha cultivation signifies that Mastiha villages and their people are a special and unique cultural element, which encores the knowledge of a long tradition, passing from one genration to another, from ancient times until nowadays. The recognition of mastiha cultivation by UNESCO has a huge significance for mastiha, its villages and for Chios island in general, because it adds prestige to the element. Also, together with the Chios Mastiha Museum, it brings mastiha culture in a new era, promoting it as a whole way of life and an integral part of the local identity.

During its 3.000 – year history the town has been through periods of prosperity as well as decline. Nowadays Chios is a vivid town with various economic, maritime and commercial activities. It is also the island’s cultural center, as most schools and libraries (The Koraes library among them) and the Homerion Cultural Center are situated there. Despite its transformations due to the 1822 catastrophe, the 1881 earthquake and extensive post-war rebuilding, the town has a lot of sites of architectural interest not only in the center but also in several of the neighbourhoods.

Chios has the best-preserved medieval defence networks in the Mediterranean (castles and towers, watchtowers, fortified settlements). It is a remarkable