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Chios (town)
Encyclopedia
Chios is the main town
and a former municipality on the island of Chios
, North Aegean, Greece
. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Chios
, of which it is a municipal unit. It is located on the eastern coast
of the island facing the Turkish
coastal town of Çeşme
. The town has a population of 32,000 and is the administrative capital and main port of both the island and of the peripheral unit
of Chios. Chios town is one of eight municipal units on the island.
The city is often locally referred to as "Chora" (χώρα; literally meaning "town") or "Kastro" (Καστρο) to distinguish it from the entirely of the island with which it shares the name.
Originally the site of an ancient settlement, the town was first built at the north side of a natural harbour. By the 16th century, the walled town had been further fortified by successive rulers into a massive medieval castle, the "Kastro".
The current town, has expanded out from the "Kastro", and the port in the last 200 years. After the devastating earthquake of 1881
, the town was substantially rebuilt in neoclassical style, although much of the quayside and outskirts are more modern. Although the population is relatively stable, the town continues to expand with suburbs being built to the north and south. Nevertheless, the centre of the town is still concentrated between the port and castle where the administration, several museums, the main shopping street "Aplotaria", and the municipal gardens lie.
North of Chios lies the suburb of Vrondathos, while the Chios Island National Airport
lies a few kilometres south of the centre.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
and a former municipality on the island of Chios
Chios
Chios is the fifth largest of the Greek islands, situated in the Aegean Sea, seven kilometres off the Asia Minor coast. The island is separated from Turkey by the Chios Strait. The island is noted for its strong merchant shipping community, its unique mastic gum and its medieval villages...
, North Aegean, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Chios
Chios
Chios is the fifth largest of the Greek islands, situated in the Aegean Sea, seven kilometres off the Asia Minor coast. The island is separated from Turkey by the Chios Strait. The island is noted for its strong merchant shipping community, its unique mastic gum and its medieval villages...
, of which it is a municipal unit. It is located on the eastern coast
Coast
A coastline or seashore is the area where land meets the sea or ocean. A precise line that can be called a coastline cannot be determined due to the dynamic nature of tides. The term "coastal zone" can be used instead, which is a spatial zone where interaction of the sea and land processes occurs...
of the island facing the Turkish
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
coastal town of Çeşme
Çesme
Çeşme is a coastal town and the center-town of the district of the same name in Turkey's western-most end, on a promontory on the tip of the peninsula which also carries the same name and which extends inland to form a whole with the wider Karaburun Peninsula...
. The town has a population of 32,000 and is the administrative capital and main port of both the island and of the peripheral unit
Peripheral units of Greece
The 74 regional units are administrative units of Greece. They are subdivisions of the country's 13 regions, further subdivided into municipalities. They were introduced as part of the "Kallikratis" administrative reform on 1 January 2011 and are comparable in size and often coterminous with the...
of Chios. Chios town is one of eight municipal units on the island.
The city is often locally referred to as "Chora" (χώρα; literally meaning "town") or "Kastro" (Καστρο) to distinguish it from the entirely of the island with which it shares the name.
Originally the site of an ancient settlement, the town was first built at the north side of a natural harbour. By the 16th century, the walled town had been further fortified by successive rulers into a massive medieval castle, the "Kastro".
The current town, has expanded out from the "Kastro", and the port in the last 200 years. After the devastating earthquake of 1881
1881 Chios earthquake
The 1881 Chios earthquake occurred at 11:30 UTC on 3 April. It caused severe damage on the island of Chios and also affected Çeşme and Alaçatı on the coast of Turkey. The earthquake had an estimated magnitude of 7.3 and there were an estimated 7,866 casualties...
, the town was substantially rebuilt in neoclassical style, although much of the quayside and outskirts are more modern. Although the population is relatively stable, the town continues to expand with suburbs being built to the north and south. Nevertheless, the centre of the town is still concentrated between the port and castle where the administration, several museums, the main shopping street "Aplotaria", and the municipal gardens lie.
North of Chios lies the suburb of Vrondathos, while the Chios Island National Airport
Chios Island National Airport
Chios Island National Airport is an airport on the island of Chios in Greece. It is also known as Chios National Airport, "Omiros" or Chios Airport located at the region of Kampos, south of the city of Chios.-Airlines and destinations:...
lies a few kilometres south of the centre.
Notable landmarks
- Archaeological Museum of Chios
- Byzantine Museum of Chios
- Palace of Ioustinian
- Maritime Museum of Chios
- Museum of Nea Moni