CHIOS MASTIC MUSEUM

The history of Chios mastic is revealed in a modern building with large glass windows, built on a large plot of land, 5,000 square meters of which are covered with mastic trees. The museum aims to present the traditions and culture related to mastic harvesting, which was inscribed by UNESCO on the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2014.

This beautiful museum, well integrated among the pistachio trees, is a must visit to discover what has made Chios rich for centuries and the specificity of life in the villages of Mastichochoria. Opened since 2016, it presents the traditional techniques of mastic cultivation and the history of the villages of Mastichochoria through the different occupations, until the integration into the Greek state and the creation of a Chios cooperative.

Here, the visitor will understand the consequences of its production on the social organization of the region, while a section of the museum, managed by the cooperative of mastic producers, explains its uses and its exports around the world. This very special resin is currently used as "chewing gum" or flavoring in pastry and distillery, as well as in the manufacture of varnishes for furniture and musical instruments, and in perfumery, orthodontics and medicine. Multimedia animations (audio recordings, videos, interactive screens) will interest the youngest visitors. The café and the store make the experience really enjoyable.