The island of Chios's chief town and principal port, Chios lies half-way down the east coast, roughly on the site of the ancient city. It extends in a semicircle round the harbor, dominated on the north by the dilapidated medieval Kastro (13th-16th centuries; restoration planned). Little is left of the old part of the town, since the houses that survived the Turkish raid of 1822 were mostly destroyed in the 1881 earthquake. Features of interest in the town are the Archeological Museum, with pottery from prehistoric times onward, coins and some sculpture; the Folk Museum; and the Korais Library.
The Chios Archeological Museum, which is located behind the town's pier, has a collection of prehistoric and Archaic items. The museum has faced some structural problems related to the ground sinking. A project is underway to stabilize the situation.
November 1 to March 31: 8:30am-3pm; Closed: Mon, Mon
Always closed on: New Year's Day (January 1), Greek National Day (March 25), May Day / Labor Day (May 1), Christmas - Christian (December 25), Day after Christmas, St Stephen's Day, Boxing Day (December 26), Maundy (Holy) Thursday - Christian
Tips: Admission is free on Sundays between November and March.
Combination tickets are available for the Museum of Chios
and Justiniani Palace.
The Chios Byzantine Museum is housed in a 19th century mosque. The collection features Byzantine and post Byzantine murals, as well as ceramics, fabrics, and wood-carvings.
November 1 to March 31: 10am-1pm; Sun:8:30am-3pm; Closed: Mon, Mon
Always closed on: New Year's Day (January 1), Greek National Day (March 25), May Day / Labor Day (May 1), Day after Christmas, St Stephen's Day, Boxing Day (December 26), Christmas - Christian (December 25), Easter - Christian, Good Friday - Christian
Tips: Admission is free on Sundays between November and March.
The Korais Library is the third largest in Greece, with 140,000 volumes. The library is named after the Chios-born scholar Adamantios Korais (1748-1833), who later worked in Paris. In the same building is the Argentis family's large collection of paintings and folk art, presented to Chios by Filippos Argentis (bust in front of the building); the collection also includes a wealth of material on the history of Chios.
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