Amades (
modern Greek: Αμάδες) is a semi mountainous small village located in the Northeastern area of
Chios island, in
Greece.
, discover Chios (n.d.) Amades. Retrieved from
Greece.com (n.d.) Amades. Retrieved form http://www.greece.com/destinations/North_Aegean/Chios/Village/Amades.html. After the ratification of the Greek law of Kallikrates, Amades belongs to the municipal unit of
Kardamyla
Kardamyla ( el, Καρδάμυλα) is a village and a former municipality on the island of Chios, North Aegean, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Chios, of which it is a municipal unit.
It is located in ...
within the municipality of
Chios.
According to the last census, which took place in 2011, the permanent population of Amades is 140 people.
History
It is said that the very first inhabitants of the village were
Pelasgians
The name Pelasgians ( grc, Πελασγοί, ''Pelasgoí'', singular: Πελασγός, ''Pelasgós'') was used by classical Greek writers to refer either to the predecessors of the Greeks, or to all the inhabitants of Greece before the emergenc ...
who came from
Thessaly and who believed in the Pelinean
Zeus, whom the mountain near the village is named after. The Pelinaio mountain, at is the highest mountain in Chios and one of the highest in the
Aegean sea. How this village took its name is not certain. The most common explanation is that it took its name from the ancient game amada (
modern Greek: Αμάδα), where each participant had a small stone and within a specific perimeter they tried to hit the others’ stones. The contemporary game of Amada is said to be like billiards or bowling.
Economy
The most common occupation for the inhabitants is farming. Most own land on which they cultivate vegetables and other crops. Additionally, the village is known for the production of olive oil.
Architecture
Early houses were typically built from stone and wood. In most cases each house consisted of two, maximum three rooms. Later houses were built according to more modern standards.
Attractions
Apart from the chance to hike on Pelinaio mountain or swim to the village's beach, visitors may be delighted to taste local dishes in the tavern near the river and under the huge tree of
Hippocrates,
Platanus.
References
{{coord, 38, 34, N, 26, 02, E, display=title, region:GR_type:city_source:GNS-enwiki
Populated places in Chios