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A
historic monument of great value is Agios
Yianis Fakas (Saint John), which is filled with religious frescoes. During the days of Turkish massacre (April 1822), the Turks, searching for victims, reached this chapel with its many Byzantine adornments. Unable to find Christians, they slot and slashed the icons of the Saints. Signs of this barbarity are evident to this day. From the former community building the road continues uphill past a Windmill of Aegean architecture and leads to the Monastery of Agioi Anargiri (the Saints Anargiri). Today monks no longer reside there, but liturgy is held from time to time. |
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The exquisite pebbled courtyard and the plethora of old
icons are very impressive. The monastery was founded in 1639. In the past, people with mental problems came to this monastery to be cured by the miraculous powers of the Saints. Tradition tells us that there were 28 nuns here and that, when the number increased, one of them always died. The monastery ceased to function in 1987. It is now being renovated to house the Ecclesiastical High School of the Northern Aegean. Further uphill, at the top of the mountain, among the pine -trees, is the chapel of Prophet Elias. Here we find remains of the old cells that housed those struck by the plague in 1808 and 1812 and by small pox in 1900 when those fatal diseases touched our island. The view from this spot is panoramic. To the north is Chios town, the capital, with the island of Inousse in the background. |
| To the south is Thymiana with the islands of
Samos and Ikaria in the horizon. Eastward lies the blue Aegean and the shores of Asia Minor, while in the west are the Kambochoria - the villages of Kambos - the lush, green valley. A monument worth seeing, on the west side of town, is the church of Agion Saranton which was built in 1740. It's interior contained numerous icons and a hand -carved iconostas, but unfortunately it collapsed 25 years ago. Today, the visitor will see only imprints of the icons on the north wall, the only one standing. |
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| Further on is the old church of
Agion Theodoron (the Saints Theodore)
with the old cemetery. At the easternmost part of the town is the chapel of Agios Dimitris (Saint Dimitrios) which was built in 1800. Its cemetery, built in 1913, contains architecture and sculptures worth seeing. Finally, a noteworthy church is the privately -owned Agios Tryfonas (Saint Tryfon). It's interior contains the remains of the newly martyred Agios Nikolaos (Saint Nicholas) from Vroula, Asia Minor. |
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