Anavatos Chios Aerial view

Anavatos Chios Aerial view

Anavatos Chios Aerial view. Χίος Ανάβατος Ελλάδα. Anavatos is a byzantine tower-village in the center of Chios. Due to its location on a large granite rock at the end of a cliff, the ancient city towers majestically above the surrounding area.Although it is a deserted village, it has still preserved its history, which is often sensed by the visitor when wandering through its stone-paved streets. The town has often been associated with the Greek War of Independence in 1821 and the massacres of 1822, who represent an important part in history of the island.The village of Anavatos got its name originally from the Greek word "anaveno", which means "I climb". For such a difficult to reach village perched on top of a cliff, this name definitely fits. The village is built on a rocky elevation with steep sides and sheer cliffs on the South and West, so that it can only be approached from the North. This natural defenses make it probable that the village was originally founded in this site for security reasons to control the west cast during the period of piracy.Another version, and probably a truer rendition of the founding of this village is the story told by the local people here. Tradition has it that the first settlers were the woodcutters who came to build the famous New Covent Monastery at the request of the ruler Constantine the Monomahos of Constantinople. In exchange they requested him to give them this land to settle a village. The ruler was more than happy to oblige and he even gave monetary aid for the building of their new village. The people worked hard and finally they founded the new city of Anavatos.However, pirate raids were to ravish the village many times, but still the people rebuilt it again. www.chios.com  Μια όμορφη πρωινή εκδρομή με εικόνες απο τον Ανάβατο της Χίου ....