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50-475: Mytilene is one of the two municipalities on the island of Lesbos , created in 2019; the other is West Lesbos . Mytilene is built on the southeast edge of the island. It is the seat of a metropolitan bishop of the Eastern Orthodox Church . As an ancient city, lying off the east coast, Mytilene was initially confined to a small island just offshore that later was joined to Lesbos, creating

100-411: A Basilica with a cross-like structure. It was built with pendentives resembling the churches of the middle Byzantine architecture. The cupola rests on pendentive like arches. Pendentives can be seen in churches such as Hagia Sophia . The Church Bell Tower may have been funded by a priest named Sotirous Lekatsas Papasotiriou . He served as a priest at the church from 1917–1921. The nave vaults of

150-499: A communal interest are being discussed. Municipalities are governed by a municipal council (δημοτικό συμβούλιο, dimotikó symvoúlio ) and municipal consultation committee (δημοτική επιτροπή διαβούλευσης, dimotikí epitropí diavoúlefsis ), led by a mayor (δήμαρχος, dímarchos ). Depending on the size of the municipality, municipal councils are made up of anywhere from 11 to 41 council members representing "municipal departments" (many of which were small communities that had been merged into

200-558: A few small fishing boats are moored. The city has two excellent archaeological museums, one by the south harbour in an old mansion and the other two hundred metres further north in a large new purpose built structure. The former contains the rich Bronze Age remains from Thermi, a site north of Mytilene dug by the British in the 1930s as well as extensive pottery and figurine displays; the former coach house accommodates ancient inscriptions, architectural pieces, and coins. The latter museum

250-462: A huge backyard. People from all over the island come and worship. Around Easter week the church is bulging with people. The Iconostasis (altar screen), the holy altar, the ciborium, the pontifical throne, the pulpit, mobile shrines adoring the left and the right of the church entrance and the canopy epitaph are now in the Byzantine museum of the church for safe keeping, these artifacts belonged to

300-463: A huge church was on the site that predates the building of 1885. Three saints are venerated by the church; Saint Simeon Stylites of Syria, Saint Symeon Stylites of Lesbos and Simeon (Gospel of Luke) The church has a circular dome with an icon venerating Jesus Christ. The outer portion consists of a biblical historical timeline with Hebrew stories from the Old Testament. The church is

350-465: A land area of 107.46 square kilometres (41.49 sq mi) and a population of 41,379 inhabitants (2021). With a population density of 390/km it is by far the most densely populated municipal unit in Lesbos. The next largest towns in the municipal unit are Loutrá (pop. 1,339), Pámfila (1,264), and Mória (1,237). The Greek National Road 36 connects Mytilene with Kalloni . Farmlands surround Mytilene,

400-725: A million people arrived in Lesbos. The number of individuals coming through Lesbos has dwindled since the signing of the EU-Turkey deal which restricted the number of refugees that could legally resettle in Europe. As of July 2017, seventy to eighty refugees were still arriving in Greece daily despite the deal and "many of them on Lesbos", according to Daniel Esdras, the chief of the International Organization for Migration . A regional television station operates from

450-601: A multiperiod site with remains extending from a late Ottoman cemetery (including a "vampire" burial, a middle aged man with 20 cm (8 in) spikes through his neck, middle and ankles) to a substantial Roman building constructed around a colonnaded courtyard (probably a tavern/brothel in its final phase in the mid-4th century AD) to remains of Hellenistic structures and debris from different Hellenistic manufacturing processes (pottery, figurines, cloth making and dyeing, bronze and iron working) to archaic and classical levels with rich collections of Aeolic grey wares. A section of

500-467: A north and south harbor. The early harbors of Mytilene were linked during ancient times by a channel 700 m long and 30 m wide. The Roman writer Longus speaks of white stone bridges linking the two sides. The Greek word εὔριπος eúripos is a commonly-used term when referring to a strait. The strait allowed ancient warships called triremes , with three tiers of rowers or more. The boats that passed were ca. 6 m wide plus oars and had depth of 2 m. The areas of

550-460: A wide range of possible partnerships. Each year communities and municipalities formulate their budgets in terms of expected revenues and expenses. Financial management and auditing is then based on this plan. Church of St. Symeon, Mytilene The Church of Saint Symeon in Mytilene ( Greek : Άγιος Συμεών Μυτιλήνης ) is a church on the island of Lesvos in the city of Mytilene close to

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600-647: Is derived from the State budget, property revenues, and established taxes and fees. By law, the State funds first level governments on the basis of a fixed formula: 20% of legal persons’ income tax, 50% of traffic duties and 3% of property transfer duties. For smaller populated communities and municipalities, the State has also allocated additional revenue based on other expenses (e.g. the cost of supplying water, maintaining road networks, and climate). Local governments are required to direct any property or resource fees to related expenses (e.g. drinking water fees must go towards

650-603: Is especially rich in mosaics and sculpture , including the famous late Roman mosaic floor from the "House of Menander" with scenes from plays by that Athenian 4th-century BC playwright. There are also mosaics and finds from other Roman mansions excavated by the Greek Archaeological Service under the direction of the archeologist Aglaia Archontidou-Argyri. There are 15 primary schools in Mytilene, along with seven lyceums , and eight gymnasiums . There are six university schools with 3671 undergraduates,

700-489: Is solely at the discretion of the community or municipal leadership. The Municipal and Communal Code (art. 24) states that municipalities and communities have responsibility for the administration of their local jurisdiction as it pertains to the social, financial, cultural and spiritual interests of its citizens. More specifically, communities and municipalities have responsibility for the following: Revenues come from both ordinary and extraordinary sources. Ordinary revenue

750-633: The Castle of Mytilene by the University of British Columbia and directed by Caroline and Hector Williams revealed a previously unknown sanctuary of Demeter and Kore of late classical/Hellenistic date and the burial chapel of the Gattelusi , the medieval Genoese family that ruled the northern Aegean from the mid-14th to mid-15th centuries of our era. The Demeter sanctuary included five altars for sacrifices to Demeter and Kore and later also to Cybele,

800-539: The pre-Kallikratis municipalities. These were further subdivided into municipal communities (δημοτικές κοινότητες, dimotikés koinótites ) and local communities (τοπικές κοινότητες, topikés koinótites ) according to population, but are simply named communities (κοινότητες, koinótites ) since the entry into force of the Kleisthenis I Programme on 1 September 2019. Article 102 of the Greek constitution outlines

850-414: The 186 nautical miles (344 km) in less than a day and brought the decision to cancel the general massacre, but a thousand citizens were executed for taking part in the rebellion. Aristotle lived on Mytilene for two years, 337–335 BC, with his friend and successor, Theophrastus (a native of the island), after being the tutor to Alexander , son of King Philip II of Macedon . The Romans, among whom

900-649: The Bay of Kalloni , olive oil , ladotyri cheese and woodwork . The town of Mytilene has a large number of neoclassical buildings, public and private houses. Some of them are the building of the Lesbos Prefecture, the old City Hall, the Experimental Lyceum and various mansions and hotels all over the town. The Baroque church of Saint Therapon dominates at the port with its impressive style. Archaeological investigations at Mytilene began in

950-645: The Genoese nobleman Domenico Cattaneo . In 1355, emperor John V Palaiologos gave it to the Genoese adventurer Francesco Gattilusio , who married the emperor's sister, Maria. They renovated the fortress in 1373, and it remained in Genoese hands until 1462, when it was besieged and captured by the Ottoman sultan Mehmed the Conqueror . As part of the wider Great Turkish War , the Battle of Mytilene took place off

1000-467: The church resemble romanesque architecture used throughout Europe during the time of the Byzantine empire on gothic cathedrals. Examples include the interior of Speyer Cathedral , Speyer Germany around 1030. The columns also resemble the Byzantine style of architecture. The use of columns of this nature could be seen in the interior of Santa Costanza Rome Italy ca. 337–351. The entire church resembles an artistic work of art. The stone used to construct

1050-453: The church was brought from Sarmusak, a quarry in Turkey, located near the entrance to the bay of Ayvalik. The interior church design is stamped with crosses and iconographic areas which were created by the local artist P Polichroni of the previous century. The church has all the documentation which verifies the building from its inception. The church is located in a small neighborhood with

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1100-649: The city have revealed sites going back to the Early Bronze Age although most have been much later (Hellenistic and Roman). Particularly significant is a large stoa over a hundred metres long recently dug on the North Harbour of the city. It is clear from various remains in different parts of the city that Mytilene was indeed laid out on a grid plan as the Roman architect Vitruvius had written. Archaeological excavations carried out between 1984 and 1994 in

1150-457: The city in 1462 resulted in the destruction of many graves, some remained. The great earthquake of February 1867 damaged the building beyond repair and it was demolished; the Ottomans built a new mosque over the ruins to replace it later in the 19th century. Other excavations done jointly with the 20th Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities near the North Harbour of the city uncovered

1200-560: The city of Mytilene; Aeolos TV. The main printed newspapers of the city are Empros , Ta Nea tis Lesvou , and Dimokratis . Online newspapers include Aeolos , Stonisi , Emprosnet , Lesvosnews , Lesvospost , and Kalloninews . Mytilene is twinned with: In the past the city hosted consulates from different European countries. Currently hosts consulates from the following countries: Municipalities and communities of Greece The municipalities of Greece ( Greek : δήμοι , romanized :  dímoi [ˈðimi] ) are

1250-491: The city that were densely populated connected the two bodies of land with marble bridges. They usually followed a curved line. The strait begins at the old market called Apano Skala. It was also close to Metropolis Street and ended at the Southern Harbor. One could argue that the channel transversed what is now called Ermou Street. Over time the strait began to collect silt and earth. There was also human intervention for

1300-667: The coast of Mytilene in 1690 when Venetian sailing ships attacked Ottoman and Barbary flagships. Resulting in a victory for the Venetians. Mytilene along with the rest of Lesbos remained under Ottoman control until the First Balkan War in 1912, when in November it was captured by the Kingdom of Greece . Mytilene is located in the southeastern part of the island, north and east of the Bay of Gera. Its municipal unit has

1350-420: The current church there is an icon of Saint Simeon Stylites . In 1975 it was sent for cleaning to the official Byzantine Ancient Artifacts Division, under the existing painting was found another painting of Byzantine Art. An experienced researcher established that the painting originated during the time of Palaiologos . The original painting that is at the church today is art of the 17th century, it belonged to

1400-418: The current municipal units Mytilene, Agiasos , Evergetoulas , Gera , Loutropoli Thermis , Mantamados and Polichnitos . It was abolished in 2006. Mytilene has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate ( Köppen : Csa ) with hot, dry summers and cool, rainy winters. Mytilene has a port with ferries to the nearby islands of Lemnos and Chios and Ayvalık and at times Dikili in Turkey. The port also serves

1450-408: The elections held every four years. Beyond national referendums that may be called for critical issues, citizens cannot request local referendums. The only other possibility for direct input by citizens is if the local municipality establishes district councils or if the community president calls a people's assembly to discuss issues of concern. The organization of these public opportunities, however,

1500-468: The great mother goddess of Anatolia. Among the discoveries were thousands of oil lamps, terracotta figurines, loom weights and other dedications to the goddesses. Numerous animal bones, especially of piglets, also appeared. The Chapel of St. John served as the church of the castle and as a burial place for the Gattelusi family and its dependents. Although conversion to a mosque after the Ottoman capture of

1550-770: The island. In the Middle Ages, it was part of the Byzantine Empire and was occupied for some time by the Seljuqs under Tzachas in 1085. In 1198, the Republic of Venice obtained the right to commerce from the city's port. In the 13th century, it was captured by the Emperor of Nicaea , Theodore I Laskaris . In 1335, the Byzantines, with the help of Ottoman forces, reconquered the island, then property of

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1600-794: The largest in the University of the Aegean . Here also is the Headquarters, the Central Library and the Research Committee of Aegean University. The University of Aegean is housed in privately owned buildings, in rented buildings located in the city centre and in modern buildings on the University Hill. By 2015, the city of Mytilene had become a primary entry point for refugees and migrants who seek to pass through Greece to resettle elsewhere in Europe. In 2015, over half

1650-474: The late 19th century when Robert Koldewey (later excavator of Babylon ) and a group of German colleagues spent many months on the island preparing plans of the visible remains at various ancient sites like Mytilene. Significant excavations, however, do not seem to have started until after the First World War when in the mid-1920s Evangelides uncovered much of the famous theatre (according to Plutarch it

1700-410: The late classical city wall runs across the site which was close to the channel that divided the mainland from the off shore island part of the city. Considerable remains of the two moles that protected the large North Harbour of the city are still visible just below or just breaking the surface of the sea; it functioned as the commercial harbour of the ancient city although today it is a quiet place where

1750-535: The lowest level of government within the organizational structure of the state. As of 2021, there are 332 municipalities , further divided into 1036 municipal units and 6136 communities. Thirteen administrative regions form the second-level unit of government. The regions consist of 74 regional units , which mostly correspond to the old prefectures . Regional units are then divided into municipalities. The new municipalities may be subdivided into municipal units (δημοτικές ενότητες, dimotikés enótites ), consisting of

1800-533: The mainland cities of Piraeus , Athens and Thessaloniki . One ship, named during the 2001 IAAF games in Edmonton Aeolus Kenteris , after Kostas Kenteris , used to serve this city (his hometown) with 6-hour routes from Athens and Thessaloniki. The main port serving Mytilene on the Greek mainland is Piraeus . The city produces ouzo . There are more than 15 commercial producers on the island. The city exports also sardines harvested from

1850-423: The maintenance and improvement of the water system). Other forms of taxation or fines (e.g. parking fees) can be used wherever the government deems necessary. Extraordinary revenue originates from sources like loans, inheritances, auctions, rents and fines. Income generation is not limited to traditional service sources. Local governments can also initiate or participate in entrepreneurial activities that include

1900-402: The mandate of municipalities and communities and their relationship to the larger State: Communities are governed by a council (συμβούλιο, symvoúlio ) made up of 7 to 11 members and led by a president (πρόεδρος κοινότητας, próedros koinótitas ). A deputy chairperson from a communal quarter (if the community has been further divided) may also take part in council meetings when specific issues of

1950-457: The mountains cover the west and to the north. The airport is located a few kilometres south of town. The municipality, as created in 2019, consists of the following six subdivisions: Each municipal unit is subdivided into municipal communities. The communities of the municipal unit of Mytilene are: The province of Mytilene ( Greek : Επαρχία Μυτιλήνης ) was one of the provinces of the Lesbos Prefecture. Its territory corresponded with that of

2000-409: The municipality). In addition, the council elects 2 to 6 town hall committee members. In the case of mergers, local village or town councils (like communal quarters) may still exist to provide feedback and ideas to the larger governing body. Council members are elected via public election every four years on the basis of a party system. Three-fifths of all seats go to the party winning a plurality of

2050-515: The old market. In the archive of the Metropolitan Church of Mytilene documentation can be found regarding the church on page 30a and 38B beginning 1700. The specific church is mentioned and it may have been built around 1700. A church was built on the site around 1885-1891, it replaced the old church which was smaller and ready to be torn down. This may be attributed to an earthquake in 1867. There exist architectural plans that show

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2100-509: The original church from the 1700s. The woodcraft reassembled in the church are evidence of the early construction of the church. It is demonstrated in church archives. The wood has elaborate carvings and religious motifs. The Iconostasis (altar screen) and the holy altar are both wood carved and maybe over 300 years old. Details describing the Wood sculptures were made by the late Metropolitan Iakovos Kleomvrotou in his film Mytilene Sacra. In

2150-487: The protection of the Castle of Mytilene . The strait eventually filled with earth. Mytilene contested successfully with Mithymna in the north of the island for the leadership of the island in the seventh century BC and became the centre of the island's prosperous eastern hinterland. Her most famous citizens were the poets Sappho and Alcaeus and the statesman Pittacus (one of the Seven Sages of Greece ). The city

2200-448: The return trip of Paul's third missionary journey ( Acts 20:14 ), having sailed from Assos (about 50 km (31 mi) away). From Mytilene they continued towards Chios ( Acts 20:15 ). The novel Daphnis and Chloe by Longus , is set in the country around it and opens with a description of the city. Scholar and historian Zacharias Rhetor , also known as Zacharias of Mytilene was from Mytilene and lived from 465 to around 536. He

2250-573: The vote and the remaining two-fifths of the seats go to other parties based on their share of the vote on a proportional basis. The municipal council elects the town hall committee for a term of two years. The State ultimately oversees the actions of local governments, but the Municipal and Communal Code still provides communities and municipalities with legal control over the administration of their designated areas. Citizens have very few opportunities for direct participation in decision-making outside

2300-655: Was a young Julius Caesar , successfully defeated Mytilene in 81 BC at the Siege of Mytilene . Although Mytilene supported the losing side in most of the great wars of the first century BC, her statesmen succeeded in convincing Rome of her support of the new ruler of the Mediterranean and the city flourished in Roman times. In AD 56, Luke the Evangelist , Paul the Apostle and their companions stopped there briefly on

2350-468: Was exiled to Mytilene on the island of Lesbos by her second husband, Michael IV the Paphlagonian . The death of Michael IV and the overthrow of Michael V in 1042 led to Constantine being recalled from his place of exile and appointed as a judge in Greece. Lesbos and Mytilene had an established Jewish population since ancient times. In 1170, Benjamin of Tudela found ten small Jewish communities on

2400-482: Was famed for its great output of electrum coins struck from the late sixth through mid-fourth centuries BC. The Mytilenean revolt against Athens in 428 BC was overcome by an Athenian expeditionary force. The Athenian public assembly voted to massacre all the men of the city and to sell the women and children into slavery but the next day in the Mytilenian Debate changed its mind. A fast trireme sailed

2450-558: Was made Bishop of Mytilene and may have been a Chalcedonian Christian . He either died or was deposed between 536 and 553. The city of Mytilene was also home to 9th century Byzantine saints who were brothers, Archbishop George, Symeon Stylites , and David the Monk. The Church of St. Symeon, Mytilene venerates one of the three brothers. Catching the eye of the Empress Zoë Porphyrogenita , Constantine IX Monomachos

2500-578: Was the inspiration for Pompey's theatre in Rome in 55 BC, the first permanent stone theatre in Rome) on the hill on the western side of town. Subsequent work in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s by various members of the Archaeological Service revealed more of the theatre, including a Roman conversion to a gladiatorial arena. Salvage excavations carried out by the Archaeological Service in many areas of

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