Cape Mesta

Off the southwestern coast of Chios lies the shore of Mesta, one of the island's mastic villages. Inland, its narrow streets and fortified perimeter offered protection from raiders; the defenses were strengthened under Genoese rule between 1346 and 1566. The fragrant resin produced in southern Chios was valuable to successive rulers. During the violence of 1822 many people of Mesta were killed or captured, though some were released because of the importance of the mastic harvest.