Mantamados
Lesbos, a diverse, colorful and sunny island, a place that gives birth to new, revolutionary ideas and finds its power in the crystal waters of the Aegean Sea.  Thousands of years have passed and for us, the people of Mytilene, this island is the most beautiful part of the world. A part of land where its people live, dream and create. An island carved with the spirit of Asia and Europe. And we get a strange feeling each time we encounter a rock or a river that divides these two worlds, as for example the coast of old little villages of Mandamados, like Palios or Aghios Stefanos.  Silver and golden beaches, olive groves that grow deep in the earth and high in the sky. The surroundings make you lose track of time, the people with their large beards and their gentle eyes look as if they’ve come from ancient times, their hands calloused from their hard work on the land. They stayed there for a very long time until the time has come for people and civilizations to start struggling for their lives. Warmongers brought death and destruction and locals lost all their belongings and were obliged to leave their houses and find more peaceful places to live. And that is how they came to Mandamados.  As time went by, this new place built its own wonderful history, especially around the worship of Taxiarchis. And one day in 1922, the people from the other side of the sea were also forced to leave their houses. Many of them found peace and protection with the help of Archangel Taxiarchis who comforts all people at all times and offers his kind blessing.   |
