Mytilini, the capital. It is one of the oldest cities in Greece, perhaps in the whole world, inhabited on the same soil for thousands of years.
Its establishment initially on the islet, where the Castle is located, is placed by the pseudo-Herodotus in the work “Life of Homer” 130 years after the fall of Troy, i.e. in 1053 BC, if the fall took place in 1183, as supported. Its great heyday occurred in the 7th-6th century with Pittacus, Alcaeus and Sappho.
It took its name from Mytilini, one of the daughters of Makaros, the first settler of Lesbos.
The current form of the Municipality came from the amalgamation of Mytilene with the picturesque communities of Loutra, Taxiarchon, Panayouda, Moria, Alyphanto, Afalona, Pamfilo and Agia Marina, overgrown with olive groves and with a wonderful view of the sea. It is 188 miles from Piraeus and has 25,000 inhabitants.
Mytilini is the seat of the Ministry of the Aegean, the Region of the North Aegean and the Rectorate of the University of the Aegean.
From the impressive preserved neoclassical buildings of Mytilene and its thermal baths, to the historical monuments and the world-unique mosaics of Menander’s house that are exhibited today in the New Archaeological Museum of Mytilene.
Today’s Municipality, a continuation of ancient Mytilene, “excavates” its historical identity and creates the infrastructure of a modern city for the 3rd millennium.
The Municipality of Mytilene aspires and plans to marry the historic city with its future needs.
The city is built on 7 hills, with the main areas being Kioski, the central complex of the old districts and the western districts which are constantly expanding.
Kioski, the old aristocratic quarter of Mytilene which now houses the new Archaeological Museum of Mytilene, is located a short distance from the Venetian castle, in the area that was in ancient times isolated by the Euripus channel, which had several bridges along it.
Epano Skala Mytilene
Epano Skala is the name of the area that encloses the northern port of Mytilene.
During the years of Turkish rule, the presence of the Muslim element in this area was strong and for this reason Muslim prayer places are still preserved today.
After the Asia Minor disaster Mytilini in general and Epano Skala in particular became the recipient of a large number of refugees. The refugees were housed in abandoned Turkish houses as well as shanties spread across the northern port and tried to integrate into the new homeland.
Thus, the area of Epano Skala is inevitably connected with the drama of the uprooted people who nevertheless managed to overcome difficulties and push forward.