Culture of Lesvos. Places to visit - old town, temples, theaters, museums and palaces

Most iconic landmarks of the island are located in the port city of Mytilene. Here you can see beautiful Byzantine buildings, ancient churches, monuments and examples of modern architecture. One of the main distinguishing features of the city is an abundance of beautiful Turkish fountains. They are located along the main road; Mytilene itself can boast more than a dozen of old fountains.

The main symbol of the island is beautiful Genoese castle built on a high hill. After the recent renovation, fortress was made available for public access; today it hosts music concerts and theatrical performances. Tour participants will certainly be able to visit the nearby ancient theater; it has a unique room acoustics. No less striking historical monument is the Byzantine fortress, the construction of which took place in the second half of the 15th century. The fortress was seriously damaged during the war with Turkey, a significant portion of towers and fortifications were destroyed.

Now the fortress is located on the territory of an important archaeological area, where scientists haven’t stop working for many decades. You can see what they've found in the Archaeological Museum; its collection is updated with new exhibits literally every day. The church of Agios Ferapon is one of the few religious sites that have managed to preserve to this day in their original form. In addition to a compelling and original appearance, the church differs with an abundance of valuable religious artifacts. Recently, it has been converted into a museum which holds a vast collection of 13th-16th century’s icons. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Old icons will be interesting to absolutely everyone; every year the church is visited by a huge number of pilgrims. The most attractive place for walking is an ancient Greek port, which is surrounded by buildings dating to 18th-19th centuries. Here you can see some beautiful and modern houses. Such a contrast makes the old district even more compelling in the eyes of travelers.

Not far from the port area is the Old Market, which is also one of the important sightseeing objects. In addition to numerous shopping malls, there are some restaurants and taverns that have begun serving visitors many centuries ago. The new harbor is also an attractive place for a stroll; you can watch drifting ships there and enjoy the beautiful panorama of the coast.

The rule of the Ottoman Empire on Lesbos is evidenced by the historical monument Yeni Tzami. Since the mosque (or rather, its ruins) is located near the port, the shrine offers wonderful views of the old harbor - and this is another plus to visiting the monument. In Mithymna, you can find another interesting attraction — the Castle of Molyvos, which is clearly visible while approaching the city. The powerful fortress is the second largest castle in Lesbos. It was built during the period of Byzantine rule on the island to protect it from the Ottoman Empire. Today, due to the loss of strategic importance, the building lies in ruins. However, it is interesting to explore them in the summer, when wonderful cultural events are held here.

Not far from the fortress is the beautifully restored hammam (Χαμάμ) that presently houses a museum. Here you can take a trip to a real oriental fairy tale, and, of course, find a lot of interesting information about the island's life during the Ottoman rule. You can also learn about the Roman heritage of Lesbos by visiting the ruins of the Roman aqueduct (Ρωμαϊκό Υδραγωγείο Μόριας), which can be found near Moria. It is believed that it was built at the beginning of the 3rd century BC, and many travelers are amazed by the unusual atmosphere of the place breathing the history.

Among religious attractions, the Limonos Monastery (Ιερά Μονή Λειμώνος) located in the city of Kalloni stands out. The year of its construction is 1526, it was built on the site of another Byzantine monastery. Since its founder was Ignatios Agallianos, you can sometimes hear another name for the shrine from locals - namely, the Saint Ignatios Monastery. Of special interest to tourists is the library, which contains two and a half thousand rare works and about five hundred manuscripts dating from the 16th-19th centuries. Near the city of Messa is the Temple of Aphrodite - another great place to visit bearing evidence to the ancient Greek period in the history of the island.

In Plomari, you can find the Barbayannis Ouzo Museum - a unique for Greece cultural institution where you will learn a lot of interesting facts about the country's national alcoholic drink - ouzo - and, of course, taste it at the end of the tour. It is worth noting that the latter is perhaps the most popular liquor in Lesbos. The drink itself is an anise-flavored brandy. Despite the fact that it was invented in Greece, the name of the drink comes from the Turkish “üzüm” (grape). It is worth getting acquainted with another popular Greek product and methods of its production - of course, this is about olive oil, which will be covered in the Museum of Olive Oil (Μουσείο Βιομηχανικής Ελαιουργίας Λέσβου) located in the city of Agia Paraskevi.

Outside of the city, there are two pieces of evidence of the ancient era - the Kremasti Bridge and the ruins of the ancient city of Arisvi. Archaeological excavations are carried out on the sites in close proximity. Artifacts found here are later put on public display at the already mentioned Archaeological Museum. Another active archaeological site (Προϊστορικός Οικισμός Θερμής) is located in Pirgi Thermis. Apart from the excavation site, of interest is the local church dedicated to St. Nicholas (Εκκλησια Αγιου Νικολαου), which conquers tourists with its atmosphere once and for all.

A wonderful architectural monument is Sarlitza Palace (Σάρλιτζα Παλλάς) that lies in ruins in Paralia Thermis. Despite its condition, it looks magnificent even as a ruin. The palace was built in 1909 but abandoned by 1982. It once housed an upscale hotel whose popularity was ensured by its good location. The fact is that the city and the region have always been famous for their wonderful hot springs (hence the name of the settlement and some adjacent towns). Now, tourists who like abandoned places are happy to explore every detail of the former hotel.

While in Sigri, be sure to visit the Natural History Museum (Μουσείο Φυσικής Ιστορίας Απολιθωμένου Δάσους Λέσβου), which is often called the best cultural institution of this kind not only in Lesbos but throughout Greece. All thanks to a magnificent collection of stuffed animals and dinosaur skeletons, many of which can even be touched. The most interesting thing in the museum is an earthquake simulator. Young tourists who want to know everything about everything in the world like this cultural institution more than others. A petrified forest located near the museum deserves special mention. The park is not always open to the public so you shouldn't miss opening hours when you can stroll though it freely and get a lot of great impressions.