Chios Mastic Museum
Opening hours:
March 1st - October 15th: 10:00 - 18:00October 16th - February 28th: 10:00 - 17:00
Address:
Locality of Rachi (Tepeki), in the Pyrgio region of the Municipality of Chios. (Map)Telephone:
2271072212Surrounded by Chios Mastiha trees, in complete harmony with the environment, the Chios Mastic Museum is ready to welcome its visitors. The Chios Mastic Museum is dedicated to Chios Mastiha (or gum mastic), the unique product that has shaped the natural and human environment of the Mastichochoria area of southern Chios, as well as the productive and economic history of the island. Mastiha (or gum mastic) is the aromatic resin of the lentisc tree (Pistacia lentiscus Chia, or skinos in greek). This evergreen bush grows wild throughout the Mediterranean, but, curiously, southern Chios is the only place where it is cultivated to produce Mastiha.
Chios Mastic Museum unveils the secrets of Mastiha cultivation and introduces us to the Culture of Mastiha, as a whole way of life, characterisitic of this small part of the world. The know-how of Chios mastic cultivation was inscribed in the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2014.
The exhibition introduces us to the traditional mastiha cultivation techniques, the history and culture of mastiha through a multifaceted experience. The visitor can touch and smell the mastiha and learn about the architecture, history and social organisation of the Mastichochoria area. Another section of the exhibition is dedicated to the cooperative of the mastiha producers, the productive history of mastiha, its uses and exports all over the world. A variety of media are used in the exhibition, such as multimedia applications, films, models and machines from the first mastiha factory. The last section of the exhibition is outdoors, where the visitor walks around a mastiha grove.
