Aghio Galas Tourist Information

Aghio Galas is a little village of small houses and narrow streets located 70 km northwest of the town of Chios. The main occupation of the local population is agriculture, and the socio-cultural meeting point of the local population is the charming little square in the center of the village. The village's name came after "the milky water" (gala=milk) dropping from the stalactites of the cave.

One of the most interesting features of this village is that there is prove of its existence since the 6th century B.C, hence being one of the eldest Neolithic places in the Aegean area. Archaeologists have discovered numerous vase fragments, tools, bones, and worshipping objects dating from this period and, even if not all the caves discovered have been thoroughly examined, they still represent one of the highlights of Agio Galas. Moreover, the remains of the middle age such as the fortress, the unique house designs and the popular architecture (with one of the most primitive town structure for permanent residence), together with the preservation of local linguistic idioms, are also of great importance for researchers of different areas.

The largest churches in the village are two churches dedicated to Aghia Paraskevi and to Aghia Varvara, although there are also two Byzantine churches that are more interesting. The first one is dedicated to Panaghia Aghiogaloussena (Virgin Aghiogaloussena). It was built at the base of the cliff where the village stands and it is an example of subsequent architectural developments of the octagonal type exhibited in Nea Moni. At the beginning, it used to be the main church (catholikon) of an old monastery, but the interior was extended, thereby becoming useful as a narthex. Throughout a spiral tunnel that leaves from the church, one can enter a chapel similar to the central church honoring the name of Aghia Anna, and to the south of the chapel you can get to the entrance of the impressive stalactite cave of Panaghia Aghiogalousena. There are two more caves, one larger than the other. In the third cave there are some stalactites. It is a very big cave and has many different rooms. You can visit it partly, around 200 m. inside it.

The second Byzantine church is dedicated to Aghios Thalaleos. It is a small basilica built from local stone coming from ancient buildings and covered with tiles of the Byzantine period. The significance of this church lies in its housing of the eldest wood carved iconostasis on the island, which date from 1711 but are still conserved in an excellent condition. Inside, there are also well maintained illustrations and frescoes that date back to the 17th century.

Next not far, in a top of a mountain you can find the destroyed village of Agio Giannis. From here you have a great view. You can see the blue of the Aegean Sea. There is a walking path, connecting the villages.

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