Medieval traces in Aegean 2

Medieval traces in Aegean 2

Greece
Aegean Sea
island of Chios (for more information please refer to the previous photo in the series. Thank you very much).

The Medieval period in Chios beggins with the early existence of the Byzantine Empire in 395 AD by Constantine the Great. A long and stablized period ensued interrupted in 1204 when Constantinople experienced the atrocities of the Fourth Crusade and after that the island passed in Venetian and eventually Genowese hands,around 1350 AD. Under the Byzantines Chios enjoyed a high economic level because of the many local products but especially mastische export. A lot of medieaval villages have been built during that period, mainly beautiful Byzantine churches with most famous the basilica Moni of Chora,present till
now.

In the photo the town of Mesta.
Mesta is a perfectly preserved town of the Byzantine period(14th-15th century) sending the visitor centuries back with its compact form of the tightly together houses and cobbled tiny streets with windows and doors facing to them,ie directly to the interior of the village giving the sense of a fortress. Several of them end in cul de sacs and the rest in a large and beautiful square, the meeting point of locals. At frequent intervals there are traverse archways supporting the structures as well as vaults and arches supporting the rooms giving the character of organized defense and this style of construction was favoured and further imposed by the Genowese later. The surrounding area is treeless and only a small harbour is at a distance of 4 km from the town with a beautiful beach.
In general the functional character of the houses are geared to secure defense.