Wednesday, September 1, 2010

The village of Mesta. Chios, Greece (Ι). Μεστά Χίου(Ι).

The islands of the eastern Mediterranean were suffering from the raids of pirates during the middle ages. To survive those raids, they had to build strong villages, like castles, away from the coast. They had lookouts, built like towers at strategic places, near the coast and higher, and when the pirates were seen approaching, they were communicating by lighting a fire, with each other, and the people from the smaller settlements, were seeking refuge in the larger and stronger villages. One such village, built like a fort, is still alive from those years. It is Mesta, in the center of the mastich producing area. I love the way the narrow streets and old houses look and walked and photographed every corner of the village.

Τα νησιά του Αιγαίου υπέφεραν από τις επιδρομές των πειρατών κατά τον Μεσαίωνα. Για να επιζήσουν από τις επιδρομές αυτές, οι κάτοικοι αναγκαζόντουσαν να φτιάχνουν ισχυρά χωριά, σαν κάστρα, μακρυά από τα παράλια. Είχαν και σκοπιές, που έμοιαζαν σαν πύργοι, σε στρατηγικά σημεία, κοντά στις παραλίες και σ' άλλα μέρη, από όπου ειδοποιούσαν τους κατοίκους με φωτιές, όταν εμφανιζόντουσαν οι πειρατές. Οι κάτοικοι τότε έβρισκαν καταφύγιο στα χωριά αυτά. Ένα τέτοιο  χωριό είναι τα Μεστά, που κρατιέται ζωντανό από εκείνα τα χρόνια, στο κέντρο της περιοχής που παράγει την Μαστίχα. Μ' άρεσαν οι στενοί του δρόμοι και τα σοκάκια και τα περπάτησα και πήρα φωτογραφίες από όλα τα στενά.

9 comments:

  1. What an amazing old town. I'd love to run around there for a while with a camera.
    Also...I like your new header photo!

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  2. wonderful places to take a photo!! second image is great!! congratulations

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  3. So the tower in the first photo was a lookout post?Nice shots.

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  4. Very interesting. It looks like it's perched so high up. Maybe that's why it survived all the pirate attacks! I'd love to stroll around those narrow walkways, too.

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  5. Wonderful history. Thank you for these journies, Costas!

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  6. I love those narrow streets and alleys. Thank you for these beautiful pictures - and history - I can't say how much I enjoyed this trip!

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  7. Great street pictures, Costas. One thing I always get impressed by, are the power lines and controllers you Greeks establish everywhere ;-)

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