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Here are some of the castles, archaeological sites and other historical sites that you should not miss
while you are in Lesvos, built by the Ancient Greeks, Genovese, the Ottoman Turks and other people who have lived on or occupied the island throughout history.
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Molyvos: The castle that crowns the heights
of the town is from Byzantine times and was later
repaired by Francesco Gattelusi. In terms of
majesty and size it is the second most impressive
on the island. During the summer months it is used
for concerts and cultural events. The original fortress was said to have been beseiged by Achilles in the Illiad. See The Castle of Mithymna
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Mytilini
: The castle located on the north side of Mytilini
and overlooks the city is one of the largest in
the eastern Mediteranean. It's foundations were
laid during the time of Justinian on the ruins of
an even older fortification which can still be
seen in sections of the walls. It has been used
and rebuilt by the Romans, Byzantines, Venetians
and the Turks and is now used in the summer for
cultural events for example a concert by the Scorpians, or local opera singer Joanna Karvelas. There is a Roman or Byzantine
reservoir with a 4,000 cubic meter capacity. There
are also underground tunnels which cover a large
area beneath the castle and the
hill.
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Sigri
:This castle was built in 1757 by the Turks during
their occupation of the island. It sits on a small
peninsula above the harbor with a view of the
beach and the town. There is no entrance fee and
visitors are free to wander around and explore.
There are great tavernas and an excellent beach
nearby so you can make a day of it. Also nearby is
the Petrified
forest.
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The Roman
Aquaduct at
Moria:
Approximately 600 meters to the west of the
village of Moria rise up the impressive arches of
the great aquaduct built by the Romans. It is the
remains of a fantastic technical achievement of
the first 3 centuries AD, which began in the
region of Agiassos and passed through the villages
of Lambou Mylou and Larsos, supplying Mytilini
with water.
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Ancient
Antissa:
Located on peninsula between two bays near
Skalahori, this site can most easily be reached by
going towards Gavatha and following the signs.
There are the remains of medieval walls and a
fortress. There are also columns and pieces of
marble scattered around the valley near a small
church that overlooks the beach. I assume that
most of ancient Antissa lies unexcavated beneath
the soil. There is a great taverna here open in the summer. The beach is not very nice but if you go further to the church of Agia Barbara there is a sandy beach with shade.
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The Bridge
at Kremasti
near Agia Paraskevis
was built at the time of the Gattilusi families
rule over the island between 1355 and 1462. Made
entirely of stone, the bridge is a wonder of
traditional architecture and is still used today.
Many of Lesvos ancient sites are in the vicinity
of Agia Paraskevis. Photo courtesy of Depositphotos.com
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Petrified
Forest:
This is Lesvos' oldest antiquity. Situated between
Sigri and Eressos and on the shores of the small
island of Nissiopi. This forest is actually much
larger then the more famous petrified rorest in
Arizona but does not have the promotion or public
relations staff. Regardless, it is still one of
the wonders of the world and should not be missed.
Pieces of petrified wood and trees still standing
cover a large area and the age of the forest has
been estimated as twenty million years old.
Apparently the trees had been preserved when they
were covered by volcanic ash from nearby Mount
Ordymnos.
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Sanctuary of Messa
: An Aeolian center of worship with some remains
of an Ionic temple pavilion. Situated near the
salt plains of Kaloni. if you are driving the main
road from Mytilini to Kaloni it's on the right a
few minutes after you reach the valley. Follow the
dirt road until you come to a small settlement and
can't go any
further.
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Ancient
Pyrra: One
of the 5 ancient cities of Lesvos. Located near
Achladeri, remains can be seen of the town which
was destroyed by an
earthquake. Bring a mask and snorkel though. That is the only way you will see anything. Eat at Nondas Taverna nearby for some of the best fresh fish in Lesvos.
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Doorway of Apollo: This little known site was on the old road to Sigri and was at one time thought to have been built by the same archtect who did the other doorway of Apollo on Naxos. Archaeologists have doubted the authenticity of the structure pointing out that in ancient times they did not construct with concrete and re-bar. The controversey continued for a number of years until finally a farmer came forth
and said he built it so his sheep could find their way home. It has since disappeared and this is the only remaining photo so we will probably never know the truth.
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Commercial Stoa of Pano Skala: The ruins of this Hellenistic Stoa is in the ancient harbor of Mytilini town which you can reach by following Ermou Street from the market area. There are several reas with ancient buidings and also the remains of the ancient harbor though some of them don't seem well cared for. Anyway unless you are an archaeological fanatic these ruins are not worth going out of your way for except that there are several
great fish tavernas on the sea right across the street.
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The Ancient
Theatre in Mytilini:
High up in the north
side of town in the pine grove is the ancient
theatre. It was one of the largest in Greece with
room for 15,000 spectators, considered on a par
with the theatre at Epidavros. It was built in
Hellenistic times though by whom is not known. It
was repaired by the Romans. When Pompei visited
the island he was so excited about the theatre
that he ordered a similar one built in
Rome.
(Thank you Robert Chang!)
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The Yeni
Mosque:
This mosque in
Pano Skala is an example of Turkish architecture with
distinct Greek features. It is in the north part
of Mytilini town where first the Romans and then
the Turks lived. It was built between 1823 and
1828 and it is a shame that they have let it deteriorate, especially since most of the tourists who now come to Lesvos are Turkish. There are also a number of hamams (Turkish baths) scattered around the island that should be restored.
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The Sarlitza Pallas Hotel and Spa was built in 1909 while the island of Lesvos was still under Ottoman control. In its heyday it was not only the most beautiful hotel on Lesvos, it was one of the most beautiful hotels in Greece. Even as late as the early seventies there were orchestras playing in the gardens on Sunday and the hotel was the center of activity for the town of Pirgi Thermi. Almost half a century later the hotel is still closed. The Archaeologists have dug up the
gardens looking for antiquities and left their trenches to be filled with garbage and the water from the hot springs which are also now closed. Apparently the last person to leave the building forgot to turn off the faucet and the land in front of the hotel has become a therapuetic bog that nobody in their right mind would want to put their feet in. The building is collapsing and efforts to restore it have come to nothing, perhaps because it is just too big a job. It is a tragedy really. See
Sarlitsa Palace Hotel
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Christian
Temple of
Chalinados:
On the agricultural region of Chalinados, about 1
hour from Agia Paraskevis, are imposing ruins of
an early Christian basilica of Agios Georgios
which was restored by professor A. Orlandos in
1937. It was originally a three-aisled basilica
with a timber roof.
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Klopedi:
Accessable on a trail
from the village of Agia Paraskevis there are
traces of an Aeolian Temple dedicated to the god
Apollo.
In Eressos
there are the ruins of the
Church of Saint
Andrew
which dates back to
the first half of the 5th century AD. Next to it
is the archeological museum with relics of life
from the archaic era up to Byzantine times. Nearby
on the hill of Vigla is the Hellenic polygonal
wall, ruins of a medieval castle, a Roman cistern
and two turrets, one Genovese and the other
Turkish.
Besides these listed there are many others including giant polygonal
stone walls that are being excavated in the towns
and can be seen in the fields and hills around the
island. There are ruins of ancient churches and
temples scattered all over Lesvos and if you look
carefully in all the towns and villages you will
find evidence of the island's ancient past now
incorporated in steps, stone walls and paving
stones.
Old Photos
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Christian
Temple at Chalinados |
Ruins
in Eressos |
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Minaret
in Skalahori |
Mosque
in Parakila |
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Ancient
Baths at Thermi |
Mike
Dukakis Hometown of Pelopi |
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