Anavatos is a historical, medieval settlement of central Chios, which now counts only one permanent resident. It is at the top of a steep hill 450 meters, which is why it is often called “Mystra of the Aegean”. The Anavatos has a natural fortification and is surrounded by two imposing canyons, while entrance to the settlement is only possible on the north side. It is about 16 kilometers from the city of Chios and captivates visitors with its unique architecture, which becomes one with the natural landscape. The name of the settlement is due to the rough location in which it is built. The word derives from the verb “I climb” that reveals the climb from the low to the high, while in the local dialect of Chios the term Anavatos identifies the rough place.

The founding of the Anavatos dates back to the average Byzantine times. According to tradition, it was created by workers who arrived in Chios for the construction of the New Monastery on Constantine of Monomachos. Another version argues that the settlement was created due to the pirate raids scourge the west coast of the island. The first core of the settlement was built in the area of ​​the castle, at the top of the hill, and was surrounded by a fortification enclosure. Subsequently, at the time of Genoa’s domination, the castle was greatly reinforced and the settlement expanded east, except for the Acropolis, creating Mesochori. Due to its location, Anavatos served as an observatory for both the sea and the inland of the island. According to Italian cartographer Francesco Piachendza, in the late 17th century Anavatos numbered 150 inhabitants.

The old core of the settlement was destroyed during the events of the slaughter of Chios, when the Anavatos was besieged and destroyed by the Ottoman troops. At the same time, a large number of survivors settled in Ermoupolis, Syros and Chios. The main settlement was finally abandoned after the devastating earthquake of 1881 and its few remaining inhabitants settled in the hill’s curbs, in the lower part of Anavatos. Most of the residents of the settlement were involved in agriculture and livestock farming. The island came to the Greek state during the Balkan Wars, and in 1918 temporarily settled refugees from the Asia Minor coasts, which were mainly involved in tobacco cultivation.

Today at the top of the hill we see the castle, which is characterized by the dense construction of the houses, which rests on each other, and has an outer enclosure with a gateway to the north. It has a total area of ​​about 800 square meters, while the buildings of the settlement stand out the Temple of Taxiarchis, at a rate of two -room basilica, and the so -called three -storey, which had a grease on the ground floor, a tank and a school on the floor and at the top of the temple of Panagia. The rest of the buildings are mainly two -storey, with the ground floor used as a warehouse or stable, while the family’s home was located on the floor. The two floors communicate with each other with an internal stairway. They have few small arched openings on the floor and the outdoor spaces are few. The houses, in fact, are based on the rock without foundations and the construction material is local limestone, while a clay is used for mortar, with a low lime and sand content.

To the east of the castle is Mesochori, also known as the old village. It is crossed by almost two parallel axes in the north south direction. The New Village grows lower and differs from the rest of the village, as the houses there are larger, two -storey with tiles and have a plot around them. In the new village is the new Temple of Taxiarchis. The whole area exudes a mysterious medieval feel, the hill -perched hill magnetizes the look from afar, while the view from above is magnificent. So Anavatos may be in danger of being “turned off” from the map, but it has a special charm that always attracts the world and makes it a historical, cultural and social point of reference.