The Castle of Chios is a

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the Post-classical, post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with t ...

citadel in Chios town on the

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

island of

Chios Chios (; el, Χίος, Chíos , traditionally known as Scio in English) is the fifth largest Greek island, situated in the northern Aegean Sea. The island is separated from Turkey by the Chios Strait. Chios is notable for its exports of mastic ...

Layout and history

The castle is situated adjacent to the main port of Chios, and its east side borders the sea. It consists of an inhabited area surrounded by a large

stone wall Stone walls are a kind of masonry construction that has been used for thousands of years. The first stone walls were constructed by farmers and primitive people by piling loose field stones into a dry stone wall. Later, mortar and plaster ...

structure with various

fortification A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

s purposed to defend the enclosed population and properties against

naval A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral zone, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and ...

attack and siege. The castle was constructed in the

medieval period In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

, with its first construction phase having started in the 10th century by the

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

s. The structures surviving to this day are part of later construction and expansion dated to the time when the Genoese, who maintained commercial concerns, ruled the island during the 14th to the 16th century.

Saint George's church

Aghiou Georgiou (Saint George's) Church is located on the main street of the castle, Aghiou Georgiou street. There was initially a Byzantine church dating back to the 10th or 11th century. It later became a Genoese church (San Domenico).

Giovanni Giustiniani Giovanni Giustiniani Longo ( el, , ''Iōánnēs Lóngos Ioustiniánēs''; la, Ioannes Iustinianus Longus; 1418 – 1 June 1453) was a Genoese captain, a member of one of the greatest families of the Republic of Genoa, a kinsman to the powerful ...

was buried here.

Piyale Pasha Piali Pasha, ( tr, Piyale Paşa; hu, Piali pasa) (c. 1515–1578) was an Ottoman Grand Admiral (Kapudan Pasha) between 1553 and 1567, and a Vizier (minister) after 1568. He is also known as Piale Pasha in English. Early life His exact place ...

, an Ottoman admiral, converted the west part of the church into the Eski ("Old") Mosque upon the Ottoman capture of the island in 1566. The mosque was reconstructed after 1881 earthquake and later became the contemporary church of Aghios Georgios.

Turkish baths

In the north of the castle area, there are

Turkish baths A hammam ( ar, حمّام, translit=ḥammām, tr, hamam) or Turkish bath is a type of steam bath or a place of public bathing associated with the Islamic world. It is a prominent feature in the culture of the Muslim world and was inherited ...

with typical vaulted roofs. Just after the entrance, the Kria Vrisi tank is on the right hand. It is a large semi-underground water reservoir with vaults forming four quarters divided by a cross on its roof that is supported by eight shafts. Then Chian press of the time mentions that in 1920 the Mayor of Chios and architect Dim. Tselepidis had set out its cleaning. “The pumping of water was originally performed through a large dome-roofed elevated arcade that was extending all along the eastern part of the tank and later on through a short cistern in its southeast corner.” Professor Char. Bouras mentioned about the tank.

References

External links

Chios Castle, Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Tourism
{{portal bar, Greece, Byzantine Empire, Middle Ages Buildings and structures in Chios Castles in Greece Byzantine fortifications in Greece Crusader castles

Layout and history

Saint George's church

Turkish baths

See also

References

External links