Chios Χίος
Chios as seen from space, in June 1996
Geography
Coordinates:	38°24′N 26°01′E / 38.4, 26.017
Island Chain:	North Aegean
Area:[1]	842.289 km² (325 sq.mi.)
Highest Mountain:	Pelineon Oros (1,297 m (4,255 ft))
Government
Greece
Periphery:	North Aegean
Prefecture:	Chios
Capital:	Chios
Statistics
Population:	51,936 (as of 2001)
Density:	62 /km² (160 /sq.mi.)
Postal Code:	82x xx
Area Code:	227x0
License Code:	ΧΙ
Website
www.chios.gr

Chios (IPA: /ˈkaɪɒs, -oʊs, ˈki/)^[2] (Greek: Χίος, alternative transliterations Khios and Hios) is the fifth largest of the Greek islands, situated in the Aegean Sea seven kilometres (five miles) off the Turkish coast. The island is noted for its strong merchant shipping community, its unique mastic gum and its medieval villages. The eleventh century monastery of “Nea Moni”, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is located on the island. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (640x640, 304 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Chios Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to create... A square mile is an English unit of area equal to that of a square with sides each 1 statute mile (≈1,609 m) in length. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Greece. ... Categories: Greece geography stubs ... Chios (in Greek, Χίος – Chíos) is a town in eastern Greece. ... Look up Aegean Sea in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Damaged package The Panama canal. ... Binomial name Pistacia lentiscus L. Mastic (Pistacia lentiscus) is an evergreen shrub or small tree growing to 3-4 m tall, native to the Mediterranean region from Morocco and Iberia east to Turkey. ... A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a specific site (such as a forest, mountain, lake, desert, monument, building, complex, or city) that has been nominated and confirmed for inclusion on the list maintained by the international World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, composed of 21 State...

Additionally, "Chios" is the name of the island's main town and administrative centre, although it is often referred to locally as Chora (Χώρα - literally meaning "The Town"). Administratively, the island forms a separate prefecture (nomós- νομός) within the North Aegean Periphery. Chios (in Greek, Χίος – Chíos) is a town in eastern Greece. ... Chios (Italian: Scio, Turkish: Sakız, Χίος; alternative transliterations Khios and Hios, see also List of traditional Greek place names) is a Greek island in the Aegean Sea. ... Categories: Greece geography stubs ... The peripheries (περιφέρειες) are the subnational divisions of Greece. ...

While Chios is the earliest known name for the island dating back to prehistoric times, during the medieval age the island was ruled by a number of states and has been known by other names including; Scio (Genoese), Chio (Italian), Sakız (صاقيز - Ottoman Turkish). Chios town has been called Chora (Khora), and Castro (Kastron).

[edit] Geography

Chios island is approximately crescent or kidney shaped, 50km long from north to south, 29km at its widest, and covers an area of 842 km² (325 sq. miles). The terrain is principally mountainous and arid, with a ridge of mountains running through the spine of the island. The largest of these, "Pelineon Oros" (1297 metres or 4260 ft) and "Oros" (1188 metres or 3900 ft), are situated in the north of the island. The centre of the island is divided between east and west by a range of smaller peaks, known as Provatas.

Chios has a current resident population of 51,936 (2001 census). It is comprised of eight of the ten municipalities in Chios Prefecture (all excepting Oinousses and Psara, which are on separate islands) and has more than 97 percent of its population. A large number of Chians have moved to the major urban centres on the Greek mainland and the island has a considerable diaspora abroad, notably in London and New York. Its international fame is based on the size and quality of its merchant shipping community. Its chief export is mastic but it also produces olives, figs, and wine. Chios (Italian: Scio, Turkish: Sakız, Χίος; alternative transliterations Khios and Hios, see also List of traditional Greek place names) is a Greek island in the Aegean Sea. ... Coordinates 38°31′ N 26°13′ E Country Greece Periphery North Aegean Prefecture Chios Population 1,050 source (2001) Elevation 21 m Postal code 821 01 Area code 22710 Licence plate code ΧΙ Website oinousses. ... Psara (Greek: Ψαρά) is a Greek island in the Aegean Sea. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... This article is about the state. ... Shipping is arguably the oldest form of occupation of the Greeks. ... Binomial name L. Mastic (Pistacia lentiscus) is an evergreen shrub or small tree growing to 3–4 m tall, mainly cultivated for its aromatic resin on the Greek island of Chios,[1]. It is native throughout the Mediterranean region, from Morocco and Iberia at the east through southern France and... Binomial name L. 19th century illustration The Olive (Olea europaea) is a species of small tree in the family Oleaceae, native to coastal areas of the eastern Mediterranean region, from Syria and the maritime parts of Asia Minor and northern Iran at the south end of the Caspian Sea. ... Species About 800, including: Ficus altissima Ficus americana Ficus aurea Ficus benghalensis- Indian Banyan Ficus benjamina- Weeping Fig Ficus broadwayi Ficus carica- Common Fig Ficus citrifolia Ficus coronata Ficus drupacea Ficus elastica Ficus godeffroyi Ficus grenadensis Ficus hartii Ficus lyrata Ficus macbrideii Ficus macrophylla- Moreton Bay Fig Ficus microcarpa- Chinese... For other uses, see Wine (disambiguation). ...

[edit] East Coast

Midway up the east coast lies the main population centres, the main town of Chios and the regions of Vrontados and Kambos. Chios Town, with a population of 32,400, is built around the island's main harbour and medieval castle. The current castle, with a perimeter of 1400 m, was principally constructed during the time of Venetian and Ottoman rule; although remains have been found dating settlements there back to 2000 B.C. The town was substantially damaged by an earthquake in 1881 and only partially retains its original character.

North of Chios Town lies the large suburb of Vrontados (population 4,500), which lays claim as the birthplace of Homer. The suburb lies in the Omiroupoli municipality, and its connection to the poet is supported by an archaeological site known traditionally as "Teacher's Rock" (Δασκαλóπετρα). Vrontados (Greek: Βροντάδος) is a small coastal town located at the eastern part of the island of Chios in Greece. ... This article is about the Greek poet Homer and the works attributed to him. ... Omiroupoli or Homiroupoli (Ομηρούπολη) is a small town of 7. ...

Directly south of Chios Town lies the island's airport and the region of Kambos (Κάμπος, "plain"), a large fertile plain noted for its stone mansions and walled orchards. At the southern edge of the Kambos plain lies the town of Thymiana (Θυμιανά). Thymiana is noted as the sole source of a beige-burgundy two-tone sandstone used both in the local mansions and much of the town itself. Inland lie a number of villages rising up into the central mountains culminating with the village of Ayios Georgios Sykoussis perched at the peak dividing east from west. Along the coast lies Karfas (Καρφάς), a large sandy beach, which along with the nearby village of Ayia Ermioni (Άγια Ερμιόνη) is now the main tourist centre with a number of large and small hotels. This article is about the geological formation. ...

[edit] Southern Region

The south of the island is noted for the "Mastichochória" (Μαστιχοχώρια, literally: Mastic Villages), the six villages of Mesta (Μεστά), Pyrgi (Πυργί) und Olυmpi (Ολύμποι), Kalamoti (Καλαμωτń), Vessa (Βέσσα), and Elata (Ελάτα), which together have controlled the production of mastic gum in the area since the Roman period. The villages, built between the 14th and 16th centuries, have a carefully designed layout with fortified gates and narrow streets to protect against the frequent raids by marauding pirates. Between Chios Town and the Mastichoria lie a large number of historic villages including Armolia (Αρμολια), Myrmighi (Μυρμňγκι), and Kalimassia (Καλλιμασιά). Along the east coast are the fishing villages of Kataraktis (Καταρράκτης) and to the south Nenita (Νένητα). Binomial name Pistacia lentiscus L. Mastic (Pistacia lentiscus) is an evergreen shrub or small tree growing to 3-4 m tall, native to the Mediterranean region from Morocco and Iberia east to Turkey. ...

The south coast is sparsely populated with only two populated areas; the modern bay of Komi and the ancient village of "Emporio", inhabited since 1800 BC, and the site of a the black volcanic beach of "Mavra Volia" believed to have been created by the explosion of Santorini island in 1600 BC. Satellite image of Thera The Bronze Age Minoan eruption of Thera (or Santorini) is considered to be one of the largest volcanic eruptions on Earth during the period of written human history. ...

[edit] West Coast

The west coast, between the deep natural harbour of Limenas at the south and the town of Vrontados at the north, forms a crescent shaped series of almost uninhabited rocky bays. The nearest population centres being the two hillside villages of Lithi and Sidirounta, while further inland lie the villages of Elata, Vessa, Avgonyma and the deserted village of Anavatos. On the west coast there still stands a system of stone beacons that were built at regular intervals to signal the approach of ships and warning the islanders against invasions by pirates.

[edit] Northern Region

The north of the island contains two major villages: Volissos on the west coast, and Kardamyla on the east. Further to the north, are three villages where cherries are grown - Amades, Viki and Kambia. In June Kambia holds an annual Cherry Festival - "Yiortí ton Kerrasión." Kambia holds several festivals during the summer months. Also located in the northern region is the island's tallest mountain, Mount Pelineon, at 1,297 metres (4,255 ft). Volissos is a small town in the northwest of Khios, Aegean Islands, Greece. ... Kardamyla (Greek: Καρδάμυλα) is a municipality in the island and prefecture of Chios, Greece. ...

Spartounda and Fyta are a few miles before Kambia. In the village of Fyta there is a watchtower from the time of the Genoese, dating back to the late 16th century.

The village of Kourounia lies 20 kilometres (12 mi) north of Volissos in the northwestern part of the island. Next to Kourounia is the village of Egrigoros.

[edit] Interior

Directly in the centre of the island, between the villages of Avgonyma to the west and Karyes to the east, lies the 11th century monastery of Nea Moni, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The monastery was lavishly built with funds gifted by the Byzantine Emperor Constantine IX, after three monks, living in caves nearby, had petitioned him while he was in exile on the island of Mytilene. The monastery had substantial estates attached, with a thriving community until the massacre in 1822. It was further damaged during the 1881 earthquake.^[3] In 1952, due to the shortage of monks, Nea Moni was converted to a convent. It is said that when the last nun living in Nea Moni dies, the convent will once again be transformed into a monastery.^{[citation needed]} Nea Moni (Greek: , lit. ... Elabana Falls is in Lamington National Park, part of the Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves World Heritage site in Queensland, Australia. ... Mosaic of Constantine IX and Empress Zoe Constantine IX Monomachus (c. ... After the beginning of the Greek War of Independence in 1821, Turkish soldiers began the massacre of thousands of Greeks around the Ottoman Empire. ...

Further south is the verdant region of Kambochoria. This is a collection of medieval villages (Halkios, Vavili, Vassileoniko, Ververato, Dafnonas, and Zifias) with a combined population of about 3,000 and an agricultural economy. In this region grows four varieties of wild tulips.

West of the Kambochoria on the central ridge of the island lies the 16th century village of Agios Geórgios Sikousis. The village is situated 400 m above sea level, strategically overlooks both sides of the island, and was previously fortified with both wall and tower.

[edit] Climate

The island's climate is warm and moderate, categorised as Temperate, Mediterranean(Csa), with modest variation due to the stabilising effect of the surrounding sea. Average temperatures normally range from a summer high of 27° to a winter low of 11° in January, although, temperatures of over 40°C or below freezing can sometimes be encountered.  Areas with Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate is a climate that resembles the climate of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin. ...

Rainfall while usually plentiful, varies greatly both throughout the year and between years. Rain is rare during the summer months, but the winters are changeable and wet. Sunshine is plentiful, as is typical of the Eastern Mediterranean, with almost no cloud cover in the summer months. Average humidity varies from 75% in winter to 60% in summer. The term humidity is usually taken in daily language to refer to relative humidity. ...

The island normally experiences steady breezes (average 3-5 m/s) throughout the year, with winds direction predominantly northerly ('Etesian' Wind - locally called the 'Meltemi') or south westerly (Sirocco). During the summer in the Aegean Sea, the prevailing winds of the main circulation are due chiefly to the deep continental depression centered over the north-west of India. ...

[edit] History

16th century map of Chios.

Image File history File links Size of this preview: 441 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (584 × 794 pixel, file size: 192 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Island of Chios in Greece on the Kitab-ı Bahriye (Book of Navigation) of Piri Reis This image is in the public domain because its copyright has... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 441 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (584 × 794 pixel, file size: 192 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Island of Chios in Greece on the Kitab-ı Bahriye (Book of Navigation) of Piri Reis This image is in the public domain because its copyright has...

[edit] Pre-historic Period

Archaeological research on Chios has found evidence that the island has been inhabited since at least the Neolithic era. The primary sites of research for this period, have been cave dwellings at Hagios Galas, in the north, and a settlement and accompanying necropolis in modern-day Emporeio at the far south of the island. The lack of information on this period however, cannot be overstated and theories on the size and duration of these settlements have not been well established. An array of Neolithic artifacts, including bracelets, axe heads, chisels, and polishing tools. ... For the record label, see Necropolis Records. ...

The British School of Athens excavated the Emporeio site from 1952-1955 and most of our current information comes from these digs. The Greek Archaeological Service (G.A.S.) has been excavating periodically on Chios since 1970, though much of their work on the island remains unpublished.

The noticeable uniformity in the size of houses at Emporeio is what primarily drives scholar's theory that there may have been no serious social distinction during the Neolithic on the island, the inhabitants instead all benefiting from agricultural and livestock farming.^[4] Anthropologists use the term Acephalous (Greek for headless) society to refer to societies which lack political leaders or hierarchies. ...

It is also widely held by scholars that the island was not occupied by humans during the Middle Bronze Age (2300 - 1600), though researchers have suggested recently that the lack of evidence that exists during this period may only demonstrate the lack of excavations on Chios and the northern Aegean.^[5] The Bronze Age is a period in a civilizations development when the most advanced metalworking (at least in systematic and widespread use) consisted of techniques for smelting copper and tin from naturally occurring outcroppings of ore, and then alloying those metals in order to cast bronze. ... Look up Aegean Sea in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

By at least the eleventh century BC the island was ruled by a kingdom/chiefdom, and the subsequent transition to aristocratic (or possibly tyrannic) rule occurred sometime over the next four centuries. Future excavations may reveal more information about this period.^[6]

[edit] Early Hellenic Period

Pherecydes, native to the Aegean, wrote that the island was occupied by the Leleges,^[7] aboriginal Greeks themselves reported to be subject to the Minoans on Crete.^[8] They were eventually driven out by invading Ionians. The Greek mythographer Pherecydes of Leros (c. ... The Leleges were one of the aboriginal peoples of southwest Anatolia (compare Pelasgians), who were already there when the Indo-European Hellenes arrived. ... The Minoans were an ancient pre-Hellenic civilization on what is now Crete (in the Mediterranean), during the Bronze Age, prior to classical Greek culture. ... For other uses, see Crete (disambiguation). ... The Ionians were one of the three main ancient Greek ethno-linguistic groups, linked by their use of the Ionic dialect of the Greek language. ...

Chios was one of the original twelve member states of the Ionian League. As a result, Chios, at the end of the 7th century BC, was one of the first cities to strike or mint coins, establishing the sphinx as its specific symbol. A tradition it maintained for almost 900 years. The Ionian League (also called the Panionic League) was a religious and cultural (as opposed to a political or military) confederacy comprised of 12 Ionian cities, formed as early as 800 BC. The cities were, (from south to north), Miletus, its principal city, Myus, Priene, Ephesus, Colophon, Lebedus, Teos...

By the fifth to fourth centuries BC, the island had grown to an estimated population of over 120,000 (two to three times the estimated population in 2005), and based on the huge necropoli at the main city of Chios, the asty, it is thought the majority lived in that area.^[9]

[edit] Hellenistic Period

In the decades immediately preceding Macedonia's domination of the Greek city states, Chios was home to a school of rhetoric which Isocrates had opened,^[10] as well as a faction aligned with Sparta. After the Battle of Leuctra, supporters of the Lacedaemonians were exiled. Among the exiled were Damasistratus and his son Theopompus, who had received instruction from the school and went on to study with Isocrates in Athens before becoming a historian. Isocrates (436–338 BC), Greek rhetorician. ... For modern day Sparta, see Sparti (municipality). ... Combatants Thebes Sparta Commanders Epaminondas Cleombrotus I † Strength 6,000–7,000 10,000–11,000 Casualties Unknown About 2,000 The Battle of Leuctra is a battle fought between the Thebans and the Spartans and their allies in the neighbourhood of Leuctra, a village in Boeotia in the territory... Laconia (Λακωνία), also known as Lacedaemonia, was in ancient Greece the portion of the Peloponnesus of which the most important city was Sparta. ... Theopompus, a Greek historian and rhetorician, was born at Chios about 380 BC. In early youth he seems to have spent some time at Athens, along with his father, who had been exiled on account of his Laconian sympathies. ...

Reproduction of Chios Sphinx emblem.

Theopompus moved back to Chios with the other exiles in 333 BC after Alexander had invaded Asia Minor and decreed their return,^[11] as well as the exile or trial of Persian supporters on the island. Theopompus was exiled again sometime after Alexander's death and took refuge in Egypt.^[12] Image File history File links Size of this preview: 600 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (738 × 738 pixel, file size: 49 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Photo, Modern reproduction of symbol used for Chian goods and coinage during pre-hellenic times. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 600 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (738 × 738 pixel, file size: 49 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Photo, Modern reproduction of symbol used for Chian goods and coinage during pre-hellenic times. ... For the film of the same name, see Alexander the Great (1956 film). ... Anatolia (Greek: ανατολη anatole, rising of the sun or East; compare Orient and Levant, by popular etymology Turkish Anadolu to ana mother and dolu filled), also called by the Latin name of Asia Minor, is a region of Southwest Asia which corresponds today to the Asian portion of Turkey. ... Founder of empires: Cyrus, The Great is still revered in modern Iran as he was in all the successor Persian Empires. ...

During this period, the island also had become the largest exporter of Greek wine, which was noted for being of relative high quality (see Chian wine). Chian amphoras, with a characteristic sphinx emblem and bunches of grape have been found in nearly every country that the ancient Greeks traded with from as far away as Gaul, Upper Egypt and Eastern Russia.^[13] Amphoræ on display in Bodrum Castle, Turkey An amphora is a type of ceramic vase with two handles, used for the transportation and storage of perishable goods and more rarely as containers for the ashes of the dead or as prize awards. ... Gaul (Latin: ) was the name given, in ancient times, to the region of Western Europe comprising present-day northern Italy, France, Belgium, western Switzerland and the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the west bank of the Rhine river. ... Map of Upper and Lower Egypt Ancient Egypt was divided into two kingdoms, known as Upper and Lower Egypt. ...

[edit] Roman Period

During the Third Macedonian War, thirty-five vessels allied to Rome, carrying about 1,000 Galatian troops, as well as a number of horses, were sent by Eumenes II to his brother Attalus. The Third Macedonian War (171 BC - 168 BC) was a war fought between Rome and King Perseus of Macedon. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Coin of Eumenes II Eumenes II of Pergamon (ruled 197 - 158 BC) was king of Pergamon and a member of the Attalid dynasty. ... Attalus II Philadelphus (220 BC–138 BC) was a King of Pergamon. ...

Leaving from Elaea, they were headed to Phanae, planning to disembark from there to Macedonia. However, Perseus's naval commander Antenor intercepted the fleet between Erythrae (on the Western coast of Turkey) and Chios. Coin of Perseus of Macedon Perseus was the last king of the Antigonid dynasty, who ruled the successor state in Macedon created upon the death of Alexander the Great. ... Erythrae (mod. ...

According to Livy,^[14] they were caught completely off-guard by Antenor. Eumenes' officers at first thought the intercepting fleet were friendly Romans, but scattered upon realizing they were facing an attack by their Macedonian enemy, some choosing to abandon ship and swim to Erythrae. Others, crashing their ships into land on Chios, fled toward the city. A portrait of Titus Livius made long after his death. ...

The Chians however closed their gates, startled at the calamity. And the Macedonians, who had docked closer to the city anyway, cut the rest of the fleet off outside the city gates, and on the road leading to the city. Of the 1,000 men, 800 were killed, 200 taken prisoner.

[edit] Middle Ages

The fine oil painting of the Chios Massacre by Eugène Delacroix. The costumes and the scenery are entirely authentic. This and the works of Lord Byron did much to draw the attention of mainland Europe to the catastrophe that had taken place on Chios (1824, oil on canvas, 419 x 354 cm, Musée du Louvre, Paris.

After the permanent division of the Roman Empire in 395 AD, Chios was for six centuries under the rule of the Byzantine Empire. This came to an end when the island was briefly held (1090-97) by Çaka Bey, a Turkish emir in the region is Smyrna during the first expansion of the Turks to the Aegean coast. However the Turks were driven back from the Aegean coast by the First Crusade, and the island reverted to Byzantine rule. Image File history File links Eugène_Delacroix_-_Massacre_at_Chios. ... Image File history File links Eugène_Delacroix_-_Massacre_at_Chios. ... After the beginning of the Greek War of Independence in 1821, Turkish soldiers began the massacre of thousands of Greeks around the Ottoman Empire. ... Ferdinand Victor Eugène Delacroix (April 26, 1798 – August 13, 1863) was one of the most important of the French Romantic painters. ... This article is about the museum. ... This article is about the capital of France. ... For other uses, see Roman Empire (disambiguation). ... Byzantine redirects here. ... Combatants Christendom, Catholicism West European Christians, Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia Seljuks, Arabs and other Muslims The First Crusade was launched in 1095 by Pope Urban II with the dual goals of liberating the sacred city of Jerusalem and the Holy Land from Muslims and freeing the Eastern Christians from Muslim...

This relative stability was ended by the sacking of Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade (1204) and during the turmoil of the 13th century the island ownership was constantly affected by the regional power struggles. Belligerents Crusaders Holy Roman Empire Republic of Venice Montferret Champagne Blois Amiens ÃŽle-de-France Saint-Pol Burgundy Flanders Balkans Byzantine Empire Kingdom of Hungary Croatia Dalmatia Commanders Otto IV Boniface I Theobald I Lois I Alexios V Doukas Isaac II Angelos Alexios III Angelos Emeric I The Fourth Crusade...

After the Fourth Crusade, the Byzantine empire was divided up by the Latin emperors of Constantinople, with Chios nominally becoming a possession of the Republic of Venice. However, defeats for the Latin empire resulted in the island reverting to Byzantine rule in 1225. The Byzantine rulers had little influence and through the treaty of Nymphaeum, authority was ceded to the Genoa (1261).^[15] At this time the island was frequently attacked by pirates and by (1302-1303) was a target for the renewed Turkish fleets. To prevent Turkish expansion, the island was reconquered and kept as a renewable concession, at the behest of the Byzantine emperor Andronicus II, by the Genovese Benedetto I Zaccaria (1304), then admiral to Philip of France. Zaccaria installed himself as ruler of the island, in the short-lived Lordship of Chios. His rule was benign and effective rule remained in the hands of the local Greek landowners. Beneto Zacharia was followed by his nephew (Benedetto II) and then son (Martino). They attempted to turn the island towards the Latin and Papal powers, and away from the predominant Byzantine influence. The locals, still loyal to the Byzantine Empire, responded to a letter from the emperor and, despite a standing army of a thousand infantrymen, a hundred cavalrymen and two galleys, expelled the Zacharia family from the island (1329) and dissolved the fiefdom.^[16] Arms of the Latin Empire of Constantinople The Latin Empire with its vassals and the Greek successor states after the partition of the Byzantine Empire, c. ... Borders of the Republic of Venice in 1796 Capital Venice Language(s) Venetian, Latin, Italian Religion Roman Catholic Government Republic Doge  - 1789–97 Ludovico Manin History  - Established 697  - Treaty of Zara June 27, 1358  - Treaty of Leoben April 17, 1797 * Traditionally, the establishment of the Republic is dated to 697. ... Benedetto I Zaccaria (c. ... The Lordship of Chios was founded in 1304, when Benedetto I Zaccaria conquered the Greek island of Chios and received it as a fief from the Byzantine emperor Andronicus II Palaeologus. ... Benedetto II Zaccaria (1235 – 1314), known as Paleologo, was the Lord of Chios and Phocaea, as well as other Aegean islands from 1307. ... Martino Zaccaria (died 15 January 1345) was the lord of Phocea and Chios from 1314 to 1330. ...

Local rule was brief. In 1346, a Chartered company or Maona (the ‘Maona di Chio e di Focea’) was set up in Genoa to reconquer and exploit Chios and the neighbouring town of Phocaea in Asia Minor. Although the islanders firmly rejected an initial offer of protection, the island was invaded by a Genoese Fleet, lead by Simone Vignoso, and the castle besieged. Again rule was transferred peacefully, as on 12 September the castle was surrendered and a treaty signed with no loss of privileges to the local landowners as long as the new authority was accepted. A maona (from the Arabic Maounach) or Societas comperarum was a medieval Italian association of investors formed to manage the purchased shares (loca or partes) of the revenue due to the relevant city-state through tax farming; the shares were individually sold to wealthy merchants, but the collection could be... The Maona di Chio e di Focea (1346-1566) was a maona formed to exact taxes for Genoa upon the then-unconquered island of Chios and port of Phocaea; Genoa sold the rights to their taxes to the maona, which raised funds from its investors to buy galleys and conquer... For other uses, see Genoa (disambiguation). ... Phocaea (Greek: Φώκαια) (modern-day Foça in Turkey) was an ancient Ionian Greek city on the western coast of Anatolia. ...

The Genoese, being interested in profit rather than conquest, controlled the trade-posts and warehouses, in particular the trade of mastic, alum, salt and pitch. Other trades such as grain, wine oil and cloth and most professions were run jointly with the locals. After a failed uprising in 1347, and being heavily outnumbered (less that 10% of the population in 1395), the Latins maintained light control over the local population, remaining largely in the town and allowing full religious freedom. In this way the island remained under Genoese control for two centuries. For other uses, see Genoa (disambiguation). ... Binomial name L. Mastic (Pistacia lentiscus) is an evergreen shrub or small tree growing to 3–4 m tall, mainly cultivated for its aromatic resin on the Greek island of Chios,[1]. It is native throughout the Mediterranean region, from Morocco and Iberia at the east through southern France and...

By the middle of the 15th century, Asia Minor and the surrounding islands had fallen under Ottoman rule, however the Genoese families managed to maintain control over the island through the payment of a tribute to the Sultan. By the 16th century, as Genoese power waned, trade with Genoa had decreased and the local rulers become assimilated into the local population. This largely independent rule continued until 1566, when, with tensions rising, the Sultan decided that the island could potentially be used as a base for Western attacks on Constantinople. The island was invaded by Ottoman troops and absorbed without a battle into the Ottoman Empire. Motto دولت ابد مدت Devlet-i Ebed-müddet (The Eternal State) Anthem Ottoman imperial anthem Borders in 1683, see: list of territories Capital Söğüt (1299–1326) Bursa (1326–1365) Edirne (1365–1453) Ä°stanbul (1453–1922) Government Monarchy Sultans  - 1281–1326 (first) Osman I  - 1918–22 (last) Mehmed VI Grand Viziers  - 1320...

As well as the Latin and Turkish influx, documents record a small Jewish population from at least 1049 AD.^[17] The original Greek (Romaniote) Jews, thought to have been brought over by the Romans, were later joined by Sephardic Jews welcomed by the Ottomans during the Iberian expulsions of the 15th century. Language(s) Greek, Yevanic and the local languages of the areas where they live. ...

During the Ottoman rule, the government and tax gathering again remained in the hands of Greeks and the Turkish garrison was small and inconspicuous.^[18] Chios town itself however, was ethnically segregated, with the castle (Kastro) barred to the native Greeks and inhabited by Turkish and Jews. Motto دولت ابد مدت Devlet-i Ebed-müddet (The Eternal State) Anthem Ottoman imperial anthem Borders in 1683, see: list of territories Capital Söğüt (1299–1326) Bursa (1326–1365) Edirne (1365–1453) Ä°stanbul (1453–1922) Government Monarchy Sultans  - 1281–1326 (first) Osman I  - 1918–22 (last) Mehmed VI Grand Viziers  - 1320...

The mainstay of the island's wealth was the mastic crop. Chios was able to make a substantial contribution to the imperial treasury while at the same time maintaining only a light level of taxation. The Ottoman government regarded it as one of the most valuable provinces of the Empire.^[19]

[edit] Modern Period

Nikiphoros Lytras, "The blowing up of the Nasuh Ali Pasha's flagship by Kanaris", 143x109 cm. Averoff Gallery

When the Greek War of Independence broke out, the island's leaders were reluctant to join the revolutionaries, fearing the loss of their security and prosperity. However, in March 1822, several hundred armed Greeks from the neighbouring island of Samos landed in Chios. They proclaimed the Revolution and launched attacks against the Turks, at which point islanders decided to join the struggle. Image File history File links KonstantinosKanaris. ... Image File history File links KonstantinosKanaris. ... Nikiphoros Lytras (1832-1904) was a nineteenth century Greek painter born in Tinos, and trained in Athens at the School of Arts. ... Combatants Greek revolutionaries United Kingdom France Russian Empire  Ottoman Empire Egyptian Khedivate Commanders Theodoros Kolokotronis Alexander Ypsilanti Georgios Karaiskakis Omer Vryonis Mahmud Dramali Pasha ReÅŸid Mehmed Pasha Ibrahim Pasha. ... Samos (Greek: Σάμος) is a Greek island in the Eastern Aegean sea, located between the island of Chios to the North and the archipelagic complex of the Dodecanese to the South and in particular the island of Patmos and off the coast of Turkey, on what was formerly known as Ionia. ...

In revenge, the Sultan ordered a massacre of the islanders. Depicted by Eugène Delacroix in his famous artwork at The Louvre, the Ottoman massacre of Chios massacre expelled or annihilated 5/6 of the 120,000 Greek inhabitants of the island. Wiping out whole villages and even affecting the valuable Mastichohoria, the mastic growing villages in the south of the island. It triggered enormous public outrage in Western Europe, as can be seen in the art of Delacroix, and in the writing of Lord Byron and Victor Hugo. After the beginning of the Greek War of Independence in 1821, Turkish soldiers began the massacre of thousands of Greeks around the Ottoman Empire. ... Ferdinand Victor Eugène Delacroix (April 26, 1798 – August 13, 1863) was one of the most important of the French Romantic painters. ... This article is about the museum. ... Byron redirects here. ... Victor-Marie Hugo (pronounced ) (February 26, 1802 — May 22, 1885) was a French poet, playwright, novelist, essayist, visual artist, statesman, human rights campaigner, and perhaps the most influential exponent of the Romantic movement in France. ...

Further misfortune struck the island in 1881, when an earthquake, estimated as 6.5 on the Richter scale, damaged a large proportion of the island's buildings and resulted in great loss of life (reports at the time talk of 5500-10000 dead).

Chios rejoined the rest of independent Greece after the First Balkan War (1912), however it was further affected by the population exchanges after the Greco–Turkish War of 1919–1922, the incoming Greek refugees settling in the, previously Turkish, Kastro and in new settlements hurriedly built south of Chios Town. Belligerents Ottoman Empire Balkan League: Bulgaria Greece Montenegro Serbia Commanders Nazim Pasha, Zekki Pasha, Essad Pasha, Abdullah Pasha, Ali Rizah Pasha Ivan Fichev, Vasil Kutinchev, Nikola Ivanov, Radko Dimitriev, Georgi Todorov Crown Prince Constantine, Panagiotis Danglis, Pavlos Kountouriotis King Nicholas I, Prince Danilo Petrović, Mitar Martinović, Janko Vukotić Radomir Putnik... Combatants Greece Turkish Revolutionaries Commanders Gen Leonidas Paraskevopoulos, Gen Anastasios Papoulas, Gen Georgios Hatzianestis Ali Fethi Okyar, Ismet Inonu, Mustafa Kemal Strength 120,000 men 450,000 men [1] Casualties 30,000 dead; 20,820 captured 20,000 dead; 10,000 wounded The Greco–Turkish War of 1919–1922, also...

Chios was officially annexed from Turkey by the Treaty of Lausanne in 1923. Borders as shaped by the treaty The Treaty of Lausanne (July 24, 1923) was a peace treaty signed in Lausanne that settled the Anatolian part of the partitioning of the Ottoman Empire by annulment of the Treaty of Sèvres signed by the Ottoman Empire as the consequences of the...

During World War II, the island was occupied by the Germans (1941-44), resulting in severe deprivation for the inhabitants and the deportation of the few remaining Jewish families. Most of the Jews had fled the island during the Turkish attack of 1822, and subsequent earthquake 1881. In 1944, there were no Jews living in Chios.

[edit] Landmarks

Detail of mosaic from Nea Moni, a World Heritage Site.

• Nea Moni is a monastery with fine mosaics from Constantine IX's reign and a World Heritage Site. [5]
• Chios claims to be the birthplace of Homer, Hippocrates the mathematician, and Oenopides. Oenopion, a legendary king, is said to have brought winemaking to the island.
• Chios' satellite islands include Oinoussais and Psara, from where Kanaris fired the first shots in the Greek War of Independence (1822 onwards).

• The Korai Library, in Chios, is one of the most important in Greece, containing 95,000 volumes.
• Chios Museum of Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Art, m/e212cm01.html Website
• Chios Archaeological Museum, m/e211tm02.html Website
• The town of Vrontados is home to a unique Easter celebration, where competing teams of locals gather at the town's two (rival) churches to fire tens of thousands of homemade rockets at the other church's bell tower while the Easter service is going on inside the churches, in what has become known as rouketopolemos ("the Easter church war").

Image File history File links Size of this preview: 455 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1576 × 2077 pixel, file size: 465 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 455 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1576 × 2077 pixel, file size: 465 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... This article is about a decorative art. ... Nea Moni (Greek: , lit. ... This article is about a decorative art. ... Mosaic of Constantine IX and Empress Zoe Constantine IX Monomachus (c. ... A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a specific site (such as a forest, mountain, lake, desert, monument, building, complex, or city) that has been nominated and confirmed for inclusion on the list maintained by the international World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, composed of 21 State... This article is about the Greek poet Homer and the works attributed to him. ... Hippocrates of Chios was an ancient Greek mathematician (geometer) and astronomer, who lived c. ... Oenopides of Chios was an ancient Greek mathematician (geometer) and astronomer, who lived around 450 BCE. He was born shortly after 500 BC on the island of Chios, but mostly worked in Athens. ... In Greek mythology, Oenopion (wine-faced), son of Dionysus and Ariadne, was a legendary king of Khios, said to have brought winemaking to the island. ... Oinousses is a barren island some 5km from the Greek island of Khios. ... Psara (Greek: Ψαρά) is a Greek island in the Aegean Sea. ... Constantine Kanaris (or Canaris, Greek: Κωνσταντίνος Κανάρης) (1793 or 1795 – September 2, 1877) was a Greek admiral, freedom fighter and politician. ... Combatants Greek revolutionaries United Kingdom France Russian Empire  Ottoman Empire Egyptian Khedivate Commanders Theodoros Kolokotronis Alexander Ypsilanti Georgios Karaiskakis Omer Vryonis Mahmud Dramali Pasha ReÅŸid Mehmed Pasha Ibrahim Pasha. ... Rouketopolemos (Greek ρουκετοπόλεμος, literally Rocket-war) is the name of a local traditional event held annually at Easter in the town of Vrontado (Βροντάδο) on the Greek island of Chios. ...

[edit] Town twins

Chios has been twinned with the city of Genoa, Italy since 1985.^[20] Sign denoting twin towns of Neckarsulm, Germany Town twinning is a concept whereby towns or cities in geographically and politically distinct areas are paired with the goal of fostering human contact and cultural links. ... For other uses, see Genoa (disambiguation). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Italy. ...

[edit] Notable Natives and Inhabitants

• Chios claims to be the birthplace of Homer the poet, and the ancient mathematicians Hippocrates and Oenopides. Oenopion, a legendary king, is said to have brought winemaking to the island.
• Archermus (6th century BC) sculptor
• Athenis (6th century BC) sculptor
• Bupalus (6th century BC) sculptor
• Ion of Chios (c.490-c.420 BC) learned writer of prose and poetry, historian and philosopher.
• Theopompus of Chios (378-ca.320) rhetorical historian,^[21]
• Erasistratus of Chios (304-250 BC) pioneering anatomist, royal physician and founder of the ancient medical school of Alexandria, who discovered the linking between organs through the systems of veins, arteries and nerves.^[22].
• Saint Markella, the patron saint of Chios (celebrated on the 22nd of July).^[23]
• Some claim Chios is Christopher Columbus's birthplace.^[24] Columbus himself said he was from the Republic of Genoa, which included the island of Chios at the time. Columbus was friendly with a number of Chian Genoese families, referenced Chios in his writings and used the Greek language for some of his notes.^[25] 'Columbus' remains a common surname on Chios. Other common Greek spellings are: Kouloumbis and Couloumbis.
• Andrea Bianco, famous 15th century Genoese cartographer resided on Chios.
• Ralli Brothers founders of major 19th century trading concern.
• Andreas Papandreou (1919-1996) politician, Prime Minister of Greece
• Mikis Theodorakis (1925) composer
• Takis Fotopoulos (1940) political writer
• Giorgos Dilvois, Nikos Gialouris, and Matheos Moundes, 20th century poets were born in Chios.^{[citation needed]}
• Dimitris Varos (1949) author, poet, journalist
• Axia Andreadaki (1985) fashion model
• Patriarch Constantine V of Constantinople (1856)
• İbrahim Ethem Pasha 19th century Ottoman grand vizier was born on Chios, who also had notable descendants (carrying the surname "Eldem" to this day), including painter Osman Hamdi Bey.
• Namık Kemal, one of the principal founders of modern Turkish literature, served as a sub-prefect (exiled in practical terms) of Chios from 1886 to his death on the island in 1888.
• Leo Allatius (Leone Allacci), (c.1586-1669) Greek Catholic scholar and theologian.
• Dr. Stamatios M. (Tom) Krimigis, Head Emeritus of the Space Department at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory since 1991. (Asteroid '8323 Krimigis' has been named in his honour)
• Chios is home to a Greek ship-owning fraternity, including the families of Livanos, Chandris, Los, Lemos, Pachos, Pateras, Fafalios, Frangos, Pittas, Caroussis and Xylas hailing from the island. About 60 families became international grain merchants as a result of the 19th century diaspora, settling in Smyrna, Amsterdam, Trieste, and moved into shipping when their markets closed after World War I.
• Patricia Field, noted Designer and stylist for Sex and the City is also from Chios.

This article is about the Greek poet Homer and the works attributed to him. ... Hippocrates of Chios was an ancient Greek mathematician (geometer) and astronomer, who lived c. ... Oenopides of Chios was an ancient Greek mathematician (geometer) and astronomer, who lived around 450 BCE. He was born shortly after 500 BC on the island of Chios, but mostly worked in Athens. ... In Greek mythology, Oenopion (wine-faced), son of Dionysus and Ariadne, was a legendary king of Khios, said to have brought winemaking to the island. ... Archermus is a Chian sculptor of the middle of the 6th century BC. His father Micciades, and his sons, Bupalus and Athenis, were all sculptors of marble, using doubtlessly the fine marble of their native land. ... Bupalus and Athenis, were sons of Archermus, and members of the celebrated school of sculpture in marble which flourished in Chios in the 6th century BC. They were contemporaries of the poet Hipponax, whom they were said to have caricatured. ... Bupalus and Athenis, were sons of Archermus, and members of the celebrated school of sculpture in marble which flourished in Chios in the 6th century BC. They were contemporaries of the poet Hipponax, whom they were said to have caricatured. ... Ion of Chios was a versatile writer, dramatist, lyric poet and philosopher in Ancient Greece. ... Theopompus, a Greek historian and rhetorician, was born at Chios about 380 BC. In early youth he seems to have spent some time at Athens, along with his father, who had been exiled on account of his Laconian sympathies. ... Erasistratus of Chios (330? BC - 250? BC) was a Greek anatomist. ... Saint Quentin is the patron saint of locksmiths and is also invoked against coughs and sneezes. ... Christopher Columbus (1451 – May 20, 1506) was a navigator, colonizer, and explorer and one of the first Europeans to explore the Americas after the Vikings. ... The Republic of Genoa, in full the Most Serene Republic of Genoa (known as the Ligurian Republic from 1798 to 1805) was an independent state in Liguria on the northwestern Italian coast from ca. ... The Bianco map (1436). ... The five Ralli Brothers, Zannis a. ... Andreas Georgiou Papandreou (Greek: ) (5 February 1919 – 23 June 1996) was a Greek economist, a socialist politician and a major figure in Greek politics. ... Mikis Theodorakis (Greek: Μίκης Θεοδωράκης) (b. ... Takis Fotopoulos (born October 14, 1940) is a Greek political writer and former academic. ... Dimitris Varos (born 1949 on the island of Chios) is a modern Greek poet, journalist, and photographer, . He has been director and editor-in-chief of many Greek national newspapers, including Chiakos Laos, Acropolis, Ethnos, Proti, Ethnos tis Kyriakis,Typos tis Kyriakis and many national magazines. ... Axia Andreadaki, (Greek: Άξια Ανδρεαδάκη) is a top fashion model in Greece. ... Constantine V was Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople from 1897 to 1901. ... Ä°brahim Ethem Pasha (source&permission: Chamber of Mining Engineers of Turkey) Ä°brahim Ethem Pasha (also spelled Edhem) is an Ottoman statesman who held the office of Grand Vizier in the beginning of Abdulhamid IIs reign between 5 February 1877 - 11 January 1878. ... Motto دولت ابد مدت Devlet-i Ebed-müddet (The Eternal State) Anthem Ottoman imperial anthem Borders in 1683, see: list of territories Capital Söğüt (1299–1326) Bursa (1326–1365) Edirne (1365–1453) Ä°stanbul (1453–1922) Government Monarchy Sultans  - 1281–1326 (first) Osman I  - 1918–22 (last) Mehmed VI Grand Viziers  - 1320... Self-portait of Osman Hamdi Bey (Source&permisson: Osman Hamdi Bey Museum, Gebze, Ä°stanbul). ... Namık Kemal (December 2, 1840 - December 2, 1888) was a Turkish nationalist poet, translator, journalist, and social reformer. ... Leo Allatius (circa 1586 - January 19, 1669) was an energetic Greek Catholic scholar and theologian. ... The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), located in Laurel, Maryland, is a not-for-profit, university-affiliated research center employing 4,000 people. ... Shipping is arguably the oldest form of occupation of the Greeks. ... Georges Livanos was born in 1926 in New Orleans. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... ΠΡΟΣΟΧΗ!! ΣΤΟ ΤΕΛΟΣ ΤΟΥ ΚΑΘΕ ΑΡΘΡΟΥ ΓΙΑ ΤΑ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΑ ΝΗΣΙΑ ΤΟΥ ΑΙΓΑΙΟΥ ΕΧΟΥΝ ΒΑΛΕΙ ΤΟΥΡΚΙΚΗ ΣΗΜΑΙΑ !!  Greece  Greece  Greece  Greece  Greece  Greece  Greece  Greece  Greece  Greece  Greece  Greece  Greece ΠΡΟΣΟΧΗ!! ΣΤΟ ΤΕΛΟΣ ΤΟΥ ΚΑΘΕ ΑΡΘΡΟΥ ΓΙΑ ΤΑ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΑ ΝΗΣΙΑ ΤΟΥ ΑΙΓΑΙΟΥ ΕΧΟΥΝ ΒΑΛΕΙ ΤΟΥΡΚΙΚΗ ΣΗΜΑΙΑ !!  Greece  Greece  Greece  Greece  Greece  Greece  Greece  Greece  Greece  Greece  Greece  Greece  Greece ΠΡΟΣΟΧΗ!! ΣΤΟ ΤΕΛΟΣ ΤΟΥ ΚΑΘΕ ΑΡΘΡΟΥ ΓΙΑ ΤΑ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΑ ΝΗΣΙΑ ΤΟΥ ΑΙΓΑΙΟΥ ΕΧΟΥΝ ΒΑΛΕΙ ΤΟΥΡΚΙΚΗ ΣΗΜΑΙΑ !!  Greece  Greece  Greece