Neochori

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NEOCHORI

	Leaving Thymiana, the next village to the south is Neochori, the second in size and population. It is located on the lush green side of the hill across Kambos, west of the monastery of Agios Minas. This is 8 kilometers from Chios town. According to tradition, the old village of Neochori was named Kamari and was built near the charming beach of Agia Fotini. But because of the dangers from Algerian pirates, who frequented there, the people were forced to find a safer living area; thus they selected today's site. Numerous small passageways in Neochori lead to the stone -paved Town Square. Its main church the, Panaghia (The Virgin) is noteworthy in it's local architecture of the late 19th century. A short distance from Neochori, turning left on the main road, we proceed uphill to the Monastery of Agios Minas (Saint Minas). This is an important monument, for it is related to the modern history of the island. It was founded in 1578-1586 by the Rev. Father Neofitos Koumanos and his son Minas Koumanos; and was a monk's monastery, which later became a nunnery.

The monastery is built on the peak of a mountain above Neochori, with a view of the southern villages on the one side and the sea as far as Asia Minor on the other. The feast day of the Saint is on November 11, the day we also celebrate the liberation of the Northern Aegean islands (which include Chios) from the Turkish yoke in 1912. It is important for the visitor to learn the history of this monastery to understand its historical value as well as its grandeur. When the Turkish army landed in Chios on March 30, 1822 they began the massacre of the Christian islanders.

	To save themselves from the sword, over 3000 women and children from Thymiana, Neochori and Kambos took refuge in Agios Minas, which was considered a secure place, since its walls were impenetrable. A few men remained with these people to defend them - Konstantinos Monoyios of Neochori, Yiannis Fatouros of Thymiana and several others. On Easter Sunday, April 2, 1822 the Turks managed to dig under the monastery walls and entered it, burning and slaughtering everyone inside. The ground was soaked in blood and to this day, children's bloodied footprints are visible on the stone floor of the chapel. In efforts to describe the depths of this catastrophe, the poet Orfanides wrote, in his epic poem, "All of Greece was martyred here". To remind the newer generations of the sacrifice of their ancestors, the bones of these martyred villagers are encased in the tiny chapel of Agioi Saranti on the monastery grounds. Today, the few nuns, who remain in the monastery, welcome visitors. Their small workshop contains items one may purchase - hand -painted icons and various souvenirs - to remember this visit.

The church of Agios Isidoros (Saint Isidore) is located on a hill east of Neochori.
It was built of Thymiana stone, battered by the Turks in 1822 and rebuilt by the people of Neochori in 1911. To the right, as one enters, is the marble plaque with the Greek letters " ΗΡΩΟΝ IC " - Heroes of Isidore. During the early Christian years, the word "ΗΡΩΟΝ" (Heroes) meant "place of honor and martyrdom".
The church was built here because, according to legend, this was the spot where the martyr was beheaded.
Other picturesque chapels in the area of Neochori are Ypapanti (The Presentation), Agios Prokopios and Agioi Saranti.

The church of Aghios Isidoros

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