Greece is a beautiful country, full of beautiful cities and idyllic islands. Some of the islands are very well known by many tourists, but others are off the beaten track and are definitely worth exploring.
Among these less famous islands is Chios, the fifth largest Greek island, and located on the border of the EU. This beautiful island is full of unspoiled nature and lovely beaches, and is best known for its mastic gum. The population in the south makes its living off the gum of these trees, which is processed into various products and traded all over the world.
The twenty Mastic villages in the south form one municipality. The main village of the municipality is Pyrgi. The municipality is located about 25 km from the capital of Chios, which is also called Chios.
The Mastic villages were built far inland to protect them from pirate attacks in the 14th and 15th centuries. The proximity of Turkey (about 8 km from Chios) necessitated the fortification of the villages. They were the only villages spared from the massacre that the Turks inflicted on the island in 1822.
All the Mastic villages are built in the same style. The outer homes serve as an outer wall. Fortified towers guard the corners of the village. The streets are very narrow and follow an intricate pattern to confuse strangers. The roofs of the houses are flat to facilitate escape from enemies over the rooftops if necessary. The narrow streets lead to a courtyard with a fortified tower, which can serve as a last resort in an emergency.
