Anavatos is one of many hidden jewels on Chios island. We visited the city in the middle of November but it was still warm enough to enjoy the mystique and history of this place. But even if it had been very cold, Anavatos would have enchanted its visitors anyway.
Anavatos is an abandoned byzantine village and it’s located on a large rock. The village ends at the edge of the cliff it is built on. Anavatos is surrounded by everything Mother Nature has to offer and the view is amazingly breathtaking. The name of the village comes from the Greek term “anavevo” (I climb) and explains perfectly what going through the narrow and steep streets feels like. The village was originally built to hide people in case of attacks by pirates. Because the houses are built from stone the village is almost invisible from afar.
Anavatos played a big role in the Greek Independence War in 1821 and the massacres of 1822. When walking through the village you can almost feel the history, also due to the abandonment. Some of the buildings are still intact or being preserved by the Greek and it was interesting to see how small the home of a big family can be.
The view on the top down the cliff can make you feel breathless. In the past this cliff was known as the place of death of many desperate women, children and men who jumped into the depths of nothingness to escape a meaningless life as slaves.
To see all the pictures go into our gallery!
