Page 127 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Greek Islands

Must See

THE MASSACRE AT CHÍOS
After 250 years of Ottoman occupation, the
Chians joined the War of Independence uprising in
March 1822. Enraged, the Sultan sent an expedi­
tion that massacred 30,000 Chians, enslaved
almost twice that number and brutally sacked
most of the monasteries and houses. Many Chians
fled to Néa Moní for safety, but they and most of
the 600 monks were also killed. Just inside the
main gate of the monastery stands a chapel
containing the bones of those who died here
(right). There are axe­wounds visible on many
skulls, including those of children.

The dome was
repaired after the
1881 earthquake.
In this mosaic, Christ Standing beneath the
rescues Adam and Eve Crucifixion mosaic, the
from Hell before Armenian-made
ascending to Heaven. Byzantine Clock came
from Smyrna in 1922.
The narthex has The main apse has a
the most complex mosaic of the Virgin
mosaics with 28 above the walls. The
saints depicted. dome depicts Christ.

The floor is richly
covered with
marble segments.

Cross­section of
Néa Moní, revealing
The Betrayal in the
Garden mosaic depicts its decorative interior
the treachery of Judas.

Ornate marble inlays
In this mosaic,
Christ washes the were highly prized in
the Byzantine Empire.
feet of Peter.
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