Olympi

Thirty-one kilometers south of the town of Chios and six kilometers after Pyrgi, visitors encounter the medieval village called Olympi.  Its beautiful houses, connected to each other, used to form its defensive wall.  The narrow streets, cobbled roads and rigid, yet simple architecture, testify to the village’s medieval origin. 

The whole village has been categorized as a medieval monument.  Here, one can see the skepastra and doxharades.  The villagers are occupied with agriculture and beehives.  The defensive tower of the village is also very impressive.  The central tower is one of the few that are still preserved in Chios’ medieval villages.

A few kilometers outside the village is a beautiful beach called Fana which is preferred by the villagers for swimming.  Here, there are also the remains of the temple of Phaneos Apollo which was founded the same date as the sacred temples in Delos.

Today, the carnival activities in the mastic villages, such as Olympi, continue the Turkish judge trials’ charade.  This event dates back to the Ottoman Occupation where the Aghas or Turkish official tried the citizens and forced them to pay taxes in mastic.

During the carnival season, the man who is dressed as “Aghas” usually mock political officials currently in office and charges them with the legislature they disagree with. This satirical performance is unique to other mastic villages such as Mesta, Elata, Lithi, and others.

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Don’t miss…

  • The Aghas trials, which take place in the village square the last Sunday in February of each year.

Coming Soon…

  • The Olympi Cave…a stalactite cave that has been estimated to be approximately 200,000 years old!