Chios, also called Chora, is the largest city on the island of Chios. Its history can be traced through very different places: the castle, directly connected to the port; the central Plateia Vounakiou; and Aplotaria Street, with its civic buildings. If you are looking for accommodation in Chios, start by considering whether you mainly want to explore the city’s history or also take in other cultural aspects of the island.

The square, buildings and museum themes

The offices of the Regional Unit of Chios and the Town Hall are located on the central Plateia Vounakiou. Around the square are also the former Ottoman Mecidiye Camii, now the Chios Byzantine Museum, and the city park. The museum’s permanent exhibition is housed in the Mecidiye Camii, which was built in the mid-19th century.

The Chios Maritime Museum offers a different focus. It is housed in a traditional residence built in the early 20th century. Features of the island’s neoclassical architectural style and painted ceilings define the house; the collection includes ship models and other nautical objects.

The castle and its historical layers

Chios Castle was built in the 10th century on the site of the ancient city and is directly connected to the port. Since the Genoese rule, it has formed the city’s walled core. The area has been inhabited since at least Hellenistic times. These dates refer to different historical layers: the early settlement of the castle area, the construction of the castle, and its later role as the city’s walled core.

One specific architectural feature is the Porta Maggiore: it is the main entrance on the south side of the castle and was built by the Venetians in 1694. The date therefore refers to the entrance, not the construction of the castle.

A closer look at the city’s architecture

Aplotaria Street is lined with numerous civic buildings from the 19th and 20th centuries. The historic High School of Chios, founded in 1792, marks a different period. These dates tell the story of different parts of the city: the founding of an educational institution, on the one hand, and a later period of construction featuring civic architecture, on the other.

Other cultural themes on the island of Chios

Other cultural themes, with different points of emphasis, can be found across the island of Chios. Nea Moni Monastery was built between 1042 and 1056 and is considered an undisputed masterpiece of Byzantine art. Its mosaics are part of one of three surviving collections in Greece from the Middle Byzantine period. Alongside the harbor castle and city museums, this brings monastic architecture and mosaic art into focus.

In Pyrgi, the permanent exhibition at the Chios Mastic Museum presents traditional knowledge about mastic cultivation. The outdoor exhibition introduces visitors to the mastic plant and its natural habitat. The “Xysta” are also characteristic of Pyrgi: black-and-white geometric decorations on house facades. Mesta offers another point of architectural comparison. The medieval village is preserved as a monument; its closely packed houses form a protective outer wall, giving the settlement the layout of a castle.

The differences between urban architecture, monastic art, the mastic tradition and the medieval village layout can help you decide what kind of stay you want.

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For the main travel overview: Chios.