Home » About Molyvos » A look at history of Molyvos

A look at history of Molyvos

Molyvos view from the harbor

Molyvos view from the harbor

Human presence at Mithymna goes back to prehistoric times. The name of the ancient city is pre-Greek, and in the writings of ancient authors, on ancient coins and in inscriptions it appears in the Aeolic form of ‘Mathymna’ and the Attic ‘Methymna’ or ‘Methymne’. In antiquity the city was an important military, commercial and manufacturing centre, with links with Thrace, the Hellespont, and Asia Minor, where, after 770 BC, it founded colonies. In the Byzantine period (312-1355), it was the target of frequent pirate raids, or served as a refuge for warring rivals. From Byzantine times down to the present, Moiyvos has remained and developed in the same geographical position. In the Middle Ages, in order to deal with raids from the sea, and because of a considerable reduction in its population, the town was gradually concentrated in a part only of its initial site and of necessity clustered in the castle area. From the eleventh century, trade in the Aegean came into the hands of the Genoese and the Venetians. For the former, after the Gateluzzi (1355 -1462) had established, by peaceful means, their rule in Lesvos, Mithymna was an important commercial port. Having safeguarded their control by building fortifications, they encouraged the cultivation of the olive and the development of the trade in olive oil. It was in this period that the town be-came known as Moiyvos.

From the house of Fine Arts at Molyvos

From the house of Fine Arts at Molyvos

Under Ottoman rule (1462-1912), after local resistance had been neutralised and after the looting, slaughter and destruction brought about by the conquest of the island, many Turks settled in Molyvos, and the town became the administrative and military centre of northern Lesvos. For the Ottomans the Moiyvos area was a rich province which had to supply the Sublime Porte with important resources. Thus, landed property was confi-scated, taxes were imposed and the exploitation of the olive oil now became the monopoly of the Pasha of Mytilene. Many of the inhabitants of Moiyvos were forced to emigrate to the urban centres of Asia Minor. In the eighteenth century, the local commerce began to pass gradually into the hands of the Greeks. The conditions of life began to change for the enslaved population, and with the rise of the Greek bourgeois class in the nineteenth century the terms on which economic life operated were incon-testably reversed. The influence of the Molyviots extended to the shores of Asia Minor opposite, where major landowners cultivated farmland. From the mid nineteenth century, social and economic liberation had already preceded its official confirmation, which finally took place in 1912. In the early twentieth century, Moiyvos was a important commercial and manufacturing centre, its economy being based largely on the uses made of the olive. The Asia Minor Disaster of 1922 naturally dealt a serious blow to the whole development of the area, since Moiyvos lost significant areas of arable land, as well as the major centres of consumption for its commercial and craft industry products —together with the sources of supply of the raw materials for its craft industries. The last Turks left Mo-iyvos in 1923, under the Treaty of Lausanne on the exchange of populations and property between Greece and Turkey. The economic and social reco-very with the establishment in Moiyvos of large numbers of Greek refugees from Asia Minor was only temporary and never compensated for the losses caused by the Asia Minor Disaster. From the beginning of the 1960s, the tourist trade has been a decisive factor for the whole life and development of Molyvos.

Source: Mithymna (Molyvos, Lesvos), edited by the Municipality of Molyvos, @2001

Leave a Reply

March 2024
M T W T F S S
 123
45678910
11121314151617
18192021222324
25262728293031

Recent Comments

    RSS Mithymna – Lesvos News

    • Local bus – Anaxos to Eftalou June 15, 2023
      Saturday 23 September 2023 The bus did not arrive this morning, so it looks like it has stopped running. The timetable below was taken from the KTEL Lesvos website on 19 July 2023. The fare remains at €1.80 per journey. … Continue reading → The post Local bus – Anaxos to Eftalou appeared first on […]
      Robin
    • The Agave May 16, 2022
      For those of you that have walked past our house and been amazed by the agarve, here are the updates we promised you. We will post new pictures of the Agave flower spike here. The post The Agave appeared first on Lesvos.
      Robin
    • COVID-19 UPDATE October 6, 2021
      As from 10 July, EODY is no longer posting daily updates. The weekly report does not contain the number of new cases. As a result, we will not be able to update this page. 10 July EODY report 100 new … Continue reading → The post COVID-19 UPDATE appeared first on Lesvos.
      Site Admin
    • British Passport Requirements August 18, 2021
      Since leaving the EU, British Passport Requirements for visits to Europe have changed. If you are travelling on a British passport, on the day you travel, you’ll need your passport to both:   Have at least 6 months left. Be … Continue reading → The post British Passport Requirements appeared first on Lesvos.
      Robin
    • Weather August 6, 2021
      Current Conditions The post Weather appeared first on Lesvos.
      Robin

    RSS Molyvos News

    • CHRISTMAS IN MORIA CAMP ON LESVOS January 3, 2018
        On the 29th of December there was a celebration in Moria for the festive season. The celebration took place in the protected inner area and Starfish was invited to attend and help with the festivities. There are three sections in the protected area. Section A – Families and a few unaccompanied minors (over 270) Section B – Unaccompanied minors […]
      molyvosevents
    • You Need A Holiday! December 31, 2017
      New year's resolution
      molyvosevents
    • Michaelis. Farewell! June 26, 2017
      Yamas, Michaelis I am sure they have ouzo in heaven although I am not sure if there are donkeys or any horses grazing above the clouds You embraced life as a free man loving donkeys, horses and women You were always full of crazy stories to celebrate life and friendship while your Greek heart could […]
      molyvosevents
    • Greek Christmas Traditions December 26, 2016
      Greece has many lovely and unique Christmas traditions, and the holiday here is not yet quite as commercialized as you will see elsewhere. During the day on Christmas Eve, children go from house to house singing kalanda (Greek carols) and playing the trigono (triangle), for which they are rewarded with sweets and pocket money. Families […]
      molyvosevents
    • Liz Stolls February 16, 2015
      Liz Stolls moved to this idyllic Greek island of Lesvos to marry a Greek farmer. Some say I was brave, some say foolhardy. We started a successful horse and donkey trekking business, built a house, had two daughters – but split up after 12 years. I’m still living here and in Berlin, writing and teaching English. […]
      molyvosevents
    • OUR FATHER, GIORGOS……. February 8, 2015
      A unique individual with a kind soul who was much loved by many. Born in 1946 and raised in a traditional Greek household on Lesvos in the small village of Molyvos.  In his early years, Giorgos was significantly influenced by his Communist uncle (Gianni), who operated within the Greek resistance movement. Uncle Gianni was a […]
      molyvosevents