Sklavia - Tholopotami: An Idyllic Part of Chios

''I always wanted to know my origins. I felt the need to trace my roots and learn about my forefathers. History was important to me and the history of my family was something I always wanted very much to learn about and pass on to my children and grandchildren. In addition to my family tree, I wanted to link the various families that lived in the community of Sklavia in the period when I was growing up. As a result, besides my own family, I traced the family trees of the people that lived and worked in the fields and gardens of Sklavia and include them in this volume. Additionally, there are many imposing fortified towers (pyrgi) and castles (manor houses) with their individual houses of worship in Sklavia. Learning about their history can add to our understanding of the rich legacy of Chios. However, there is a lack of published historical accounts and documentation of these monuments not only in Sklavia and its surroundings but elsewhere. These ancient buildings, many now in ruins, hold a special meaning for me as if they hold a distant part of my past. I was born in Sklavia and played as a child in their mist. They had become a part of me. As I grew older and witnessed their steady deterioration with time, I became greatly upset. The ravages of time and the abuse received from indifference and neglect, sometimes from the designated safe keepers who were supposed to protect them, has caused the accelerated decline of these remarkable edifices seen in recent years. In this volume, we try to bring awareness of their beauty and importance by presenting their story. Each ruin tells a story, a page from the collective life of the Chiote people. I felt compelled to piece together these pages so that the younger generation who had no firsthand knowledge of these beautiful edifices will have a reference that they can consult. To the best of my knowledge, a systematic archaeological investigation of the ancient monuments of Sklavia has not been made. This is a vacuum that needs to be filled before time erases all traces of their physical existence''. (Part of the Prologue)