| LESVOS WHERE TO GO AND WHAT TO VISIT
Starting from the archaeological museum in Mytilini
(the island's capital) and the museum of Eressos (with the beautiful
beach) your tour should include the most interesting and well preserved
Byzantine castles built on the ruins of ancient castles
and repaired by the Genovese Gatelouzi , the Roman
Aquarium in Moria, the castle-like houses in Thermi and
further to the traditional settlements, the aristocratic
mansions, the monasteries and churches, to the museum of
Theofilos and Eleftheriades at Varia, up to Ayiasa and
Mantamados with the exquisite technique of wooden
carvings and ceramics, and many more to be listed for
every spot of this island. |
|
|
The island's capital , with 25000 inhabitants, is built
on seven hills. Originally it was built on a small island and
there was a small canal.
"Mytilini is a big and beautiful city of Lesvos.
It is divided by canals made by the sea, and is adorned by bridges made
of white carved marble. It does not look like a city but
like an island...." Loggos in Dafnis and Chloe about
200 AD.
But as the city grew to the west side the canal was
closed. Now there is the old city with the agora, narrow streets and closely built houses, the new city and the Sourada, the Kioski and the centre of
the city with mansions of the Bavarian, Provingian , and
Neoclassical architectural style. Mytilini is the
cultural and commercial centre of Lesvos which comprises
of Lesvos, Limnos and Ayios Evstratios.
WHAT TO SEE
The Castle The byzantine emperor Iustinian built the castle onthe ruins of the ancient castle. In 1373 the Genoan Frangisco Gatelouzo reinforced the castle whilst during
Turkish occupation the castle received further
additions.The house of Gatelouzo inside the castle is
well preserved togther with the so-called tower of
the queen, a Byzantine refuge and a turkish coffee
shop.The Turks made the additions to the castle with
material from the ancient theater and from ancient
sanctuaries. During the summer months inside the castle
theatrical plays and other performances take
place.
The ancient theatre in Ayia Kyriaki is considered
equal to Epidaurus, and has seating for 15,000 people. It was built in the
Hellenistic period, reconstructed in the Roman period and
was the prototype of the Pompeian theater in Rome.
The ruins of the ancient walls of Mytilini of the 5th century BC.
The Roman Mansion
THE big graveyard of the 4th and 3rd centuries BC where there was a
sanctuary to Apollo and Hera.
The Lesbian House built in the 18th century AD and
now a museum.
MANY aristocratic mansions all over
the city.
The Mitropolis of the 17th century AD
where the remains of St Theodoros
are kept.
Many churches of the 16th and 17th centuries AD, mansions and towers.
The Archaeological Museum where there are exhibited prehistoric finds
from Thermi, archaic finds from Mytilini, Mythimna and Antissa,
ceramics and coins of all periods. The octagon of
Orpheus, mosaics from Menandros mansion with scenes from
Menandros comedies, Lesbian Treaties with Fokis and
Romans on tablets.
The New Archaeological Museum, an exhibition of
every day life of people who lived from the 7th century BC until the Roman
period.
The Byzantine Museum exhibiting Byzantine icons and
other ecclessiastical objects of great value.
The Museum of Popular Art exhibiting local
traditional clothes and other objects of popular art.
The Theofilos Museum in the house where the great painter
was born ,3.5 kilometers from the city in Varia. The museum was a donation by
Eleftheriades-Terriant and decorated by the famous painter
Yiannis Tsarouhis exhibiting paintings by Theofilos.
The Museum of Modern Art. Near the Theofilos museum there is an exhibition of paintings by Picasso, Mattisse, Chagal, Giacometti, Tsarouhis and many other great painters.
More about Lesvos
By Lelia Mitsides
Copyright: Hellenic Electronic Center
Back to the Northeast Islands
Copyright: Hellenic Electronic Center
Back to the Northeast Islands