MYTILENE

Mytilene (37 890 population),  is called the princess of the Aegean, capital of the island of Lesvos, commercial center, intellectual center, seat of the Prefecture of Lesbos and the district of the same name.

The city owes its name, according to mythology, to Mytilene, daughter of King Makara, son of the god of the sun, the first settler on the island. Mytilene is built amphitheatrically on seven hills, around the harbor and over the ruins of the old city. It is historically established that Mytilene was one of the oldest cities in ancient times .

The symbol of the city is the castle over the harbor, which was built in the northern part in the middle of a spruce forest in the time when Ioustinianos ruled. Today the castle looks very impressive from the expanse due to its medieval colors, while the bronze statue of liberty, imitation of New York statue dominates at the edge of the harbor.

Everywhere in the city you will find historical monuments, such as the ancient theater, was the base on which the ancient theater of Rome was built in later times (55 BC). It is considered one of the biggest theaters in the ancient years.

One can also see the city’s magnificent churches, such as Agios Therapontas, whose architecture, renaissance style with a magnificent baroque dome dominates the harbor, the large icons of the church fascinate the visitor.

The museums will not leave you indifferent, the city has an archeological museum, where you can admire, among other things, mosaics of Menander, a Byzantine museum and a museum of traditional art, such as the museum of the painter Theophilos in Varea.

Walking through the city, visitors can see the neoclassical buildings, magnificent specimens of the city’s rich cultural past. These buildings have many Western European architectural features including neoclassical, baroque, neo-Gothic, the Belle Epoque, Renaissance. These features, often mixed together, give a beautiful, strange architectural picture of the city.

Wikipedia