Mytilene Castle:

 

Built at the top of a pine tree hill, close to the port of Mytilene, one of the biggest castles of Mediterranean.

 

 

Its construction started during the Byzantine era (483-565 a.C.) and completed during the domination of Gatelouzi. (1355-1462). In 1373 built a multi-tower with dices. In 1384 a destructive earthquake demolished the castle that was rebuilt. Later was reinforced with defensive projects and in 1462 was seized by the Turks.

 

                                      

Today the palace of Gatelouzi is saved, a square tower with embodied slate, where the blazon of Gatelouzi is performed. Also at the external gate there is a slate with the blazon of Paleologi. During the Turkish occupation made some additional works and a Turkish seminary was constructed, a building that is saved till today.

 

 

Through the castle underground paths, that where used as a shelter for women and children of the city during the war and a water sink of 4.000 cubic meters.

 

 

Today is used as a place for cultural activities.

 

 

Mythimna Castle:

 

Built during the Byzantine era on the remnants of ancient, walls in order to defend themselves from Turks and Franks, and completed in 1373 from Francisco Gatelouso and reinforced by the Turks in 1462.

 

 

Is about a well- built castle, built with red and brown stones, with strong walls, signs, blazons e.t.c. The castle has many levels, while extremely beautiful monument is the central entrance made of thick wood, covered with fancy metal slates.

 

 

Is built at the top of a pine-trees hill and considered as one of the most well preserved castles of Eastern Mediterranean. Nowadays is used as a place of cultural activities.

 

 

Sigri Castle:

 

Is a small stone castle, built at the Turkish occupation, sample of Ottoman technique. Built in 1757 or 1767 from Suleiman Pasha (vice admiral of the Ottoman Navy) in order to protect the commercial port from the pirates.

 

 

Is quite small, square, with square supporting towers at the four corners. The central gate at the east side was closed with a two-door gate, with metal foils. Adorned with an arch - sample of Arabian architecture - constructed with red and white stones. Similar are the cells, inside the castle, that used for guards stay.

 

 

Today the castle is preserved in a quite good condition. The visitor can admire Turkish signs and decoration, that show an Eastern character. Is a few kilometres away from the settlement of Sigri and has great view.

 

 

Roman Aquaduct :

 

Is 600m. away from Moria (6 klm away from Mytilene). Is about a unique stony construction from the roman era (second a.C. century) and was brought water from Agiasos to the city of Mytilene.

 

 

Today preserved and saved the biggest part of the aquaduct, the part named "kamares": 12 pessaries and 7 kamares made with grey marble, coming from a neighbor quarry.

 

 

 

 

 

 

At the top was the water channel. The water used to gathered from the lake of Olympos, while water was taken from other springs also. Other parts of the aquaduct are saved in many places of central Lesvos. The part in Moria is 170 meters long and 27 meters high, while has 17 arches.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Museum of Theofilos Chatzimichail:

 

Is settled in the area named Varia, outside Mytilene. A building of austere architecture, designed by the Lesbian architect Gianoulelli and built in 1964 in a region full of olive trees and plants. The building was a donation of Teriade, an also important artist of Lesvos island. Inside the museum there are 86 paintings of the famous and known painter Theofilos, donation of Teriade also, from his personal collection to the Municipality of Mytilene.

 

 

Theofilos Chatzimichail, as a self educated painter, is the main representative of Greek pop art of 20th century. He was born (1868-1934) in Varia, a place where he spent his childish years and a place that he loved and expressed this love through his work. He knocked around, from Smyrni to Pilio and Larisa where he creates the first two periods of his painting. After the liberation of Lesvos island (1912) he goes back to Mytilene so as to complete the third and the last period of his work. At this time he met Teriade, a man that helped him to became known and promoted him internationally.

 

 

Theofilos art is represented by a great in quantity painting work and wall-painting work (houses and shops) in Lesvos and Pilio. His themes were historical and sentimental mainly- express his two basic elements : a patriotism and an inclination to romanticism. He takes inspiration from the history of Greek tribe, starting from antiquity till 1821, the year of Greek Revolution. Greek history gives him his heroes : Alexander the great, Kostantinos Palaiologos, Kolokotronis, Markos Mpotsaris e.t.c. From the novels takes the figures of Aretousa, Romeo and Juliet and many other women. We have to mention that a source of inspiration was the natural environment also. The Greek landscape and idyllic scenes follow his painting. His art has all the characteristics of pure pop art : bright colors, authenticity, ingenuousness and honesty, elements that bring balance to some historic inaccuracies and technical clumsiness. The paintings that exposed in the museum belong to the mature period of his paintings where color harmony, realism and liveliness are joined. Soon in the city of Mytilene the visitor will have the ability to visit the house where the painter lived many years and will became a museum.

 

Modern Art Museum - Teriade Library (Elefteriadis):

 

Is very close to the building that houses the museum of Theofilos, in Varia. Stratis Elefteriadis was born in Mytilene (1897-1983), while in a small age goes to Paris, studies jurally but his love for painting leads him to became an art critic. He cooperated with publishers of his era in magazine and book editions., while in 1937 initiates his own publishing company "VERVE", publishing the homonymous magazine, where many famous writers, painters and poets cooperate with him (copies of the magazine are exposed in the entrance of the museum. Teriade had the inspiration to encourage many artists-friends so as to publish "The great Books". While VERVE magazine was a reproduction of paintings, "The great Books" are originally, handmade, in a small number of copies (180-250), numbered and signed by the artist.

 

                                         

The idea of an illustrated book is a result of his publishing experience and deep knowledge with painting and scripts of the Medieval. In 1964 offered to the Municipality of Mytilene the museum of Theofilos and later creates the Modern Art Museum, construct the building, a design of the architect G.Gianoulelli, in the same area where Theofilos museum is settled.

   
In every room of the museum there is a showcase with "The great Books", while on the walls there are pictures and pages exposed to each visitor. The pages on the walls are the final testing copies, before the printing of the book. Through these pictures the visitor can observe the creative try of painting-poetry. This was the purpose of Teriade and he managed to achieve this in so high degree that the museum could renamed to "Open Book".
In the museum there are also 37 paintings of Theofilos, 6 paintings of Tsarouxis and three off Kaligiannis.

 

Archaeological Museum (old building):

 

 

Is in the area of south port of Mytilene. Is housed in a wonderful mansion, built in 1912, in peculiar style, that is considered preserved. In the main building are exposed idols, ceramics and jewelry from the pre-historic to the Roman era. At the manor and courtyard heavy items such as aeolian capitals from the ancient temples of Clopedi, signs, anaglyph, statues and coins from the Ancient and Roman times. The museum has the following collections: findings of the K department of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities, findings from the cave of Agios Vartholomeos and exhibits from donations (Simantiris, Grimanis, Alatza, Lagou, Mpinou e.t.c.).

 

 

 

 Archaeological Museum (new building):

 

In housed in a very modern (1995) exhibition area close to the old building of the Archaeological museum. The museum hostiles the permanent exhibition named "Lesvos from Hellenistic to the Roman era", initiated in 1999 and has as a purpose to show to the visitor the way of living in Lesvos from the 2d b.C. till 3d a.C., by showing items, utensils, sculptures e.t.c. The exhibition is completed with scripts, maps and other things so as the visitor to understand better the exhibits. The museum has tilled floor and frescoes from luxury villas that discovered to the hill of Agia Kiriaki - signs of the great economic development of Mytilene in 2d b.C. and remarkable samples of  sculpture from Hellenistic and Roman times (anaglyphs, statues and portraits.

 

 

 

 Byzantine Art Museum:

 

 

Is settled at the centre of Mytilene, opposite to the Church of Agios Therapon, built in 1978. The museum houses important ecclesiastic items of the Byzantine and Post-Byzantine period. The exhibits are sacred utensils, wood curved items, scripts, old books e.t.c. The icons collection covers the period between the 13th and 19th century. Extremely impressing are 3 icons of big dimensions: Pantokratoras, Agios Ioannis Theologos and Agios Georgios.