Mesta is one of the best preserved villages but the most remote medieval village in the south (35 km from the city). It was built during the Byzantine period (14th, 15th century) and the form and architecture is unique. The houses are built side-by-side without gaps while leaving two gates for entrance inside the village. The streets are narrow and most of them have arches above. The village is built like a maze so that the pirates would get lost and not being able to reach the center of the village where there were the most important buildings. The way they are built homes allowed them to move to the rooftops without being seen. So they create a square fortress with angular structure. Today we can see traces of frescoes and there are many shops with old things that give an extra tuna in the picturesque village. Noteworthy is the carved shrine (Chian carving) of 1833 and the domed Basilica of the Old Commander. Mesta is 4 kilometers from the village.
A trip back centuries will make whoever found in picturesque castle village of Mesta, on the south side of the island. Mesta story interwoven with tradition and natural beauty with medieval majesty. Narrow streets, stone houses, quirky architecture reminiscent castle, are some of the elements that characterize one of the most beautiful areas of the island.
All this culminating defense tower which dominates the center of the village, which was used by the residents to protect themselves from enemy attacks, conduce the impressive appearance. From the most famous of Chios mastic with traditional beauty kept intact, Mesta stand for the particular structure of their buildings contributed the centuries defensive protection of residents.
The densely-built houses of the Genoese period and passageways with arches that join each other to allow residents to move from roof to roof, while the absence of windows on the facades and circular towers that adorn the outer corners of the village justify the classification Mesta as a village – fort.
Located in a valley, the medieval village of Mesta is one of the most popular parts of the island and offers visitors unique landscapes, plucked from another era . Mesta will be impressed by the vaulted basilica of Old Commander, a monument dating from 1868. The shrine is a representative sample of the local art of woodcarving.
Besides visiting the oldest monument of Mesta, you wander in the “meadow” of the village, as they call Square locals, and feel the breeze of Chian delivery to your surrounds. In cafes you meet there will try possible Chian ouzo and traditional mastic from the world’s only mastic. Mesta have kept traditions alive in their path throughout the centuries and here’s to revive customs like the one with Aga in Pure Monday, derived from the Turkish period.
Away from the center of the island, but close to picturesque beaches, Mesta is one of the most popular tourist destinations, attracting visitors who mainly prefer a peaceful holiday in a picturesque place, but those who wish to discover the magic of the Middle Ages. A stroll through the authentic charm of Mesta will fulfill the expectations of the most demanding visitor.
