Mantamados

Mantamados is built in the northern part of the island on an altitude 146 m, 37 km from Mytilini. Its name comes from the Turkish word “mandas” (meaning “ox”). The island’s first community olive press was built here in 1909. Mantamados is famous for its Taxiarchai Monastery, its ceramic art tradition and its dairy products. At the entrance of the village one may see the Aghios Vasileios Church with its wood-carved altarpiece, crafted in 1750. Like most Lesvian villages, Mantamados too is built in a land depression, at a safe distance, undetectable from the open sea, being a result of an agglomeration of a number of smaller coastal villages that emigrated inland to find protection from medieval pirate raids. Thus, they had to switch from fishing to livestock and ceramics by settling around the miracle-working pilgrimage place of Taxiarchis at the location Paliou A’strat’gous (Old Army Commander). There one can see ruins of the original small-sized church. Its traditional architecture, the quaint alleyways and cobblestone streets make this settlement a pleasure to behold.