Location information

Agios Georgios Sykoussa Community

AGIOS GEORGIOS SYKOUSSA (Village) CHIOS
Tel: +30 22710 78358

Kambochora Community

CHALKIO (Village) CHIOS
  Halkios is on the Southeast part of our beautiful island and in the middle of Kambochora, about eight and a half kilometers away from the town of Chios with which it communicates with contemporary transport means. It's the center of the Municipality after the joining of six colonizing, which means that from the East it is near Vassileoniko, from the West it is adjacent with Ververato, from the South with Vavili and Neochori, from the North with the mountain Korakari and from the Southwest with Zifia. On your way up to Aghios Georgios, your sight lies beyond Halkios to Kambochora, Thimiana, Tholopotami, and Aghios Georgios Sikousi.
  The village Halkios is the biggest of all the villages in the Municipality. It has a population of 906 citizens (1991 census) and the cultivating land covers 3,9 square kilometers, without the big extents of pasture-ground of Korakari, Misovouno and Mili.
  Halkios was always characterized as "Kefalochori". This means that it was a rich and big village, with a rich agricultural production of cereals, citrus fruits, crops, olive oil, gardening products, almonds, and the famous beans from Halkios. In the old days there was also a production of wine and tobacco, but not anymore.
  The Town Hall is in the center of the Municipality of Kambochora and it is located on the main external road of Halkios. The Municipal School Center is on the main external road of Halkios at the place of the old Fliskion School for Girls and it is a five-teacher-school. Apart from the students from Ververato and Vavili, that have their own single-teacher schools, some students from other colonizing of the Municipality also study in this school. Besides, the Nursery School of Kampochora is located in Halkios.

DAFNONAS (Village) CHIOS
  This beautiful and picturesque colonizing is located on the slopes of mount "Kakia Skala". So it watches from the top all the Kampochora, the Kambos, the sea and the coast of Ionia (Asia Minor) across the Aegean. The village took its name from the dafnes (=laurels) and it's 9,5 kilometers away from the city of Chios if you go by Halkios, but if you go by the "Koris Gefiri" and Psaropetra, it is 8 kilometers. The tradition mentions that the village comes from an old colonizing at Petrana, at Kanavoutsata, or at Lavrina. It was transferred at its present location, always according to the tradition, at the end of the 10th and the beginning of the 11th century.
  The favored Saint of the village is Agios Panteleimon, the temple of whom is at the entrance of the village with a wonderful stone belltower, built in 1990. In the village there is Agios Georgios church, an ancient and parish temple which has been repaired and renewed recently. Around the village there are the places Kanavoutsato, Stratigato, Vestarchato, where there was plenty of Medieval and older Greek material. Those names show the marks the Genoese leadership left in the area, like the ruined castle in the center of the village, the tower in Lavrina, etc.

This text is cited Feb 2002 from the Municipality of Kambochora URL that have been removed.

VASSILEONIKO (Village) CHIOS
  The village of Vassileoniko is located 6 kilometers Southwest of the city of Chios, capital of the Prefecture, and very close to the . The name Vassileoniko or Vassileonikos is compound by the words Vassileon and Oikos (Vassileon = of the Kings and -(o)ikos = home) and according to the popular tradition it came from the residence of a king who once lived in the village. It is also mentioned on Attalos?s sign which was found in Asia Minor. In 1881, a destructive earthquake leveled the whole village, which according to "The History of Chios" written by G. Zolotas, was composed by a few houses with a central church, the last of which exists until today and is called Agios Georgios. The local tradition says, however, that at the village there were only three houses, in the so called Valide Tsiflik (=Property of Sultan?s Wife) near the castle of Doxara.
  The temple of Agios Georgios was in the center of the village and it was a small one with only two windows. After the earthquake, a greater one was built by the citizens of the village, who apart from having been known to be the best gardeners, were also excellent builders. The estates of the Sultans found in that area, were rented for 200 coins annually as a tax to the Sultan?s wife. The tenants were obliged along with the citizens of Dafnona and those of Karies, to watch and maintain the aqueducts of the town. After the slaughter of 1770 in Peloponnisos, families from there came to Chios and settled in Vassileoniko with the permission of the Turk supervisor (Agas), since the village was being closed with gates that opened only with his permission.

This text is cited Feb 2002 from the Municipality of Kambochora URL that have been removed.

VAVILI (Village) CHIOS
  Southwest of the town of Chios and just 7 kilometers form it, there is Vavili. Between Neochorio and Sklavia, you think that it is built in a "pit" and around it appears, in the South, the mountain of Anemona and in the Northwest, the hill of Sklavia.
   Its 200 citizens are occupied with agriculture. Their gardens are located in the West side of the village, on the side of Sklavia, there where wells with plenty of water are. They produce many premature gardening products and the very famous, sweet and easy cooking beans of Vavili. There is also a small production of mastic.
  This small village also belongs to the municipality of Kambochora. But it maintains its municipal school, while it has a library and a Byzantine Museum. In this, ecclesiastical objects of great value and wonderful pictures taken from the temple of Panagia Krina, are exposed.
  The name "Vavili" is said to be derived from the Genoese last name "Vavilas", while the tradition mentions that the village was built from the slaves (kopelia, sklavia) of the Genoese, who had their castles and their estates in the area (Krina, Kardamada, Anemonas, Sklavia). When the slaves were set free, along with their freedom they had the right to settle in the area nearby and cultivate it. This tradition is also a possible explanation of the name Sklavia (slavery), (sklavi=little slave). In this area old Genoese mansions still remain, surrounded by a wonderful pine forest. The church of Agios Ioannis of the Catholics still exists, too.

This text is cited Feb 2002 from the Municipality of Kambochora URL that have been removed.

VERVERATO (Village) CHIOS
  Just 7,5 kilometers away form the city of Chios is one more village of the Municipality of Kampochora, Ververato. Surrounded by other villages, one can see it a little further away from Halkios, South of Zifias, going to the West. Even though it is a small village, it stands out for its ponds and plentiful waters. It is found in the North of the area of Lavrinas, East of Halkios, South of Zifias and West of Profitis Helias. If someone wants to see how "united" all those places are, all he has to do is climb on a hill of the rocky area of Petrana and admire the view from up there. It has only a few houses, since the citizens are only 340 (1991 census). They are occupied with agriculture and gardening.
  After the joining of the divided colonizings of the Municipality, the old Community Center of the village "gave" its building to the Municipal Water and Sewage Company of Kampochora, which is located in the center of the external road. The village's Doctor's Office is found in the nearby room. The village has also a small sports stadium that was constructed recently. Although the village has lost its "old color" and the customs that still remain are very few, it is still alive. The center of the happenings is the Educational and Civilizing Council, which with the citizens? help tries to take advantage of all opportunities to develop the area. The history of Ververato and its assistance to all the hard days of the wars is remarkable. the ruins of the forts and the castles that remain until today prove it.
  The name of the village, as some people say, came from the "Ververis", the last name of a Spanish citizen. One of the castles of the village belonged to him, but unfortunately time has left only a few remains from all the traditional buildings for us to admire and be able to travel back to those days. Looking from high up, the small houses, most of which have two floors, form big pyramidal quadrilaterals and seem gathered one next to the other. Around them, the green trees form a circle which hugs them and relaxes them with its freshness in the summer.

This text is cited Feb 2002 from the Municipality of Kambochora URL that have been removed.

ZYFIAS (Village) CHIOS
  About 8 kilometers away from the town of Chios, built in a hill, further down from Agios Georgios Sikousis, is the small village Zifias. The people who lived in Vassileoniko used to call it Zofia, those who lived in Agios Georgios called it Joufia. It was also mentioned as Zofades or Zifia. Some people believe the name comes from the last name Zizifias and some others from the "zuffe", the Arabian "zuffore". It is an old village, even older than that of Agios Georgios, as there exists written testimonies that the village Agios Georgios was built by the citizens of Zifia. At the border of the two villages the Monastery of Agios Georgios Sikousis was built, which was then called "old Monastery".
  There the three Agioi Pateres (=Holly Fathers) who led a hermit's life lived. Later they built the monastery of Agioi Pateres that has their name, and with the financial help of the Byzantine Emperor Konstantinos Monomachos they built the famous monastery of Nea Moni, which is a very important religious monument of Christians. Walking through the narrow paths of Zifia, the way that the houses are built so close to each other is very impressing. They are houses built in bad times, when the island suffered from conquerors and the citizens had to jump from roof to roof many times, to escape. Still, on every old house that remains, you can read the date of its construction, as it is written on plaques of marble, usually on the wall above the main entrance. A typical one is found above the wooden door of the old municipal school (1869).

This text is cited Feb 2002 from the Municipality of Kambochora URL that have been removed.