Chios, a Greek island in the northern Aegean, is famous for its mastic - a particular type of resin with many uses—and Mesta is one of its so-called 'mastic villages'.
As you might expect, these are villages where the harvesting and processing of mastic has historically been the main economic activity. However, there is more to it: for a long time mastic was a highly sought after, very valuable commodity and Chios, therefore, represented an attractive target for pirates as well as foreign invaders. These ever-present threats are reflected in the way in which the mastic producers built their villages—several of the major ones are surrounded by strong defensive walls and a warren of narrow lanes inside slowed down any would-be plunderers and provided opportunities for ambushing them.
Mesta is a prime example of this type of design.
As the photos show, Mesta does not conform to the stereotypical image of a Greek village composed of white-washed houses with bright blue doors and window frames. It is, however, a wonderful place to wander round and explore. Getting lost is almost guaranteed, but occasionally you will find a little sign pointing you towards one of the exits into the outside world.
The photo at the very beginning of this piece shows the clock tower of Mesta's Taxiarchis church, the largest on Chios. Its entrance colonnade is depicted below.
Photos are not permitted inside, but I was allowed to take a snap through the door—which might give you an impression of what lies behind. To say that the interior is absolutely stunning is an understatement!
Near the church we did eventually come across an area with a couple of tavernas, but we had Pyrgi, another mastic village, on our self-imposed agenda, so we did not linger. Looking at the photo now, however, I think we should have sat down here for a coffee at least.
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