Mestá is a medieval village preserved as a historic monument. Its townscape has a fortress-like appearance: the houses stand close together, with no gaps, and their outer walls form a protective enclosing wall. The enclosure is therefore part of the overall arrangement of the houses. For travelers interested in historic village architecture, the appeal lies in the unified layout, not just in individual buildings.
When looking for hotels in Mestá, you can first consider whether the village layout, church art, or Carnival custom is the deciding factor. These points of interest offer different perspectives: architectural form, art-historical detail, and satirical tradition.
Churches and Woodcarving
The Church of the Old Taxiarchis in Mestá is a 15th-century monument. It has an elaborately carved wooden iconostasis, characteristic of the woodcarving of Chios and one of the oldest surviving on the island. For those interested in art history, the church monument’s dating is combined here with a distinctive detail of the island’s art.
The Church of Taxiarches stands in Mestá’s village square and is also called “Big Taxiarches” or “New Taxiarches.” These two names are alternative designations for this church and provide another point of reference among the village’s religious buildings.
The Agas Carnival Custom
Mestá’s Carnival custom includes the Agas trials: a satirical reenactment of court proceedings from the period of Turkish occupation. The historical connection and satirical form go together; the custom is therefore not simply a depiction of a trial from that time, but revisits it in a Carnival context. If you are interested in the details of an event in a particular year, check local information about the current arrangements.
Souma and Mestousiko
Souma is a drink associated with Mestá, made by distilling figs and grapes. The wine “Mestousiko” is also associated with the village, which is known for it. The two products have different characteristics: Souma is a distilled drink made from the two fruits mentioned, while Mestousiko is a wine associated with the village. They add local drinks to the picture of Mestá, alongside its architecture and church-related cultural features.
Chios in a Broader Cultural Context
On Chios, Nea Moni offers another point of cultural and historical interest. The monastery was built between 1042 and 1056 and is considered an undisputed masterpiece of Byzantine art. Its mosaics are part of one of the three surviving collections in Greece from the Middle Byzantine period. At Nea Moni, Byzantine art and mosaics take center stage; Mestá’s profile is shaped by its fortress-like village layout and churches.
Another aspect of Chios is explored at the Chios Mastic Museum in Pyrgi. Its permanent exhibition presents traditional knowledge about mastic cultivation; the outdoor exhibition brings visitors into contact with the mastic plant and its natural habitat. The museum opened to the public in 2016. It has free parking; confirm this facility before your visit. Thus, Chios’s broader cultural context offers insight not only into monastic art but also into knowledge about mastic cultivation and the plant itself.
Discover more destinations: Kambochora, Emporios, Volissos, Kardamyla, Psara, Limnia, Avgónyma, Patrika
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