Following the publication of my book “The Treasures of Kambos” (2017), I feel the need to share with you my next big step. As an architect, researcher, and author, I am working on a collectible book set (box set) that depicts the unbroken grandeur of Chios from 6,000 BC to the present day.
Chios as a Global Hub: Chios has never been an ordinary island. Together with Piraeus, they constituted the most important ports of the Aegean. Their strategic position established us as the controllers of the four corners of the earth. Upon the waves, global commerce was born.
The Research Journey:
- The Prehistoric Dawn: From the first findings in the Cave of Agio Galas and the first settler, Inopion, who introduced the culture of the vine from Minoan Crete.
- Intellectual & Political Pioneering: The homeland of Homer and the seat of the “Chios Retra” – the oldest recorded Democracy of the world (6th century BC) – and the grandeur of the Temples, such as Apollo Phanaios.
- Byzantine Splendor: Chios as the favored island of the Emperors. The founding of Nea Moni (11th century) with its incomparable golden mosaics, a World Heritage site (UNESCO) reflecting the influence of the Byzantium on the island.
- The Economic Empire: Chios of the Genovese and the Maona (1346), the first joint-stock company in the world, which organized the production of Mastic.
- The Cosmopolitan Kampos: The architecture of the orchards, Mansions, and Towers. The era of the Vice-Consulates (Italian, English, French, Russian, etc.), which bear witness to the international power of Chian families (Argenti, Mavrogordato, Rodocanachi, Petrocochino, Scylitsi, etc.) that also served as sanctuaries of salvation during the Massacre of 1822.
A Land Severely Tested: The history of the island is also marked by pain. From the Massacre of 1822 and the Earthquake of 1881, to the Occupation and the Civil War, the island perseveres and remains resilient.
My Purpose: From Chios and Kampos, to the Whole World. In an era where values are fading, preserving our history is a matter of survival. Without it, we have no substance. If our historic buildings are left to their fate to collapse, we perish along with them, remaining without an identity.
I am working so that everyone, and especially the youth, may be sensitized. I consider it undeniably essential for them to know the identity of our land, as it constitutes the quintessence of our existence. Guided by a vast archive of books, photographs, videos, interviews, maps, and epistles, I am uniting the pieces of our identity.
Proofreading: Lia Forou – Karava