A ruined byzantine tower next to the church of Panagia Sikelia on a hill west of the village Exo Didyma and north of Armolia and Kalamoti which was one of the most important medieval settlements of the Mastichochoria region of Chios.

The complex is referred to as a monastery but it is not certain it was ever a monastery. It has been primarily a mansion with a tower and a church which might have been used at some periods as a monastery.

The “Sikelia” means Sicilian and is quite unusual for a church or a location in Greece. The origin of the name is not known, but we can assume that is related to Sicily.

History

The history of the tower is not known. We know that in the middle of the 14th century belonged to Ioannis Zyvos who was the Byzantine ruler of Chios and the person who signed the surrender of the island to the Genoans, in 1346. In the document of the treaty with the Genoans it is mentioned that Zyvos will become a Genoan citizen and will retain all his possessions including Sikelia.

That means that the tower existed before the Genoan period. Moreover, it is reasonable to assume that the tower is, more or less, of the same period with the church which can be dated in the 13th or the 14th century.

The complex remained in use, as a venue of important events, during the Genoan and the Turkish occupations. It was in good condition until 1881, when it was destroyed in a big earthquake that devastated Chios.

Sources