The settlement of Polichnitos is located in the southwestern part of the island and is 45 kilometers from the city of Mytilini. It has been declared a traditional settlement since 1979 due to its architectural features and is one of the largest towns on the island. Polichnitos is built on small heights of the deep valley and is surrounded by the heights of Kardavas, Rahta, Plakoura, Plakes and Prophet Ilias.
The name of the settlement comes according to one version from the word “Polichni” which means small town and according to another version from the combination of the words many traces. Indeed, according to tradition, many small villages were scattered in the area and their inhabitants were forced by the pirates to move to the current location, which is far from the sea, surrounded by heights and is not visible either from the Gulf of Kalloni or from the Aegean Sea .
Its architecture still highlights it as one of the most remarkable settlements on the island. The dominant structural element of all the buildings is the characteristic red-brown volcanic rock “ignimbrite” which is easily carved and has great durability. All the traditional houses built before 1950 are built from this local stone, which was quarried from the area and processed by local artisans.
A characteristic building of the settlement is the stone-built primary school classroom with a double entrance on its facade as well as the holy church of Agios Georgios with its impressive bell tower which is considered one of the most beautiful on the island. Among the other buildings of the preserved settlement stand out the olive press in the village square with its characteristic chimney with the stork’s nest which has been converted into a cultural space, the building of the Peace Court, the old cafe and the mosque, which today houses the local branch of the Greek Orthodox Church .TA.
The houses of the protected settlement of Polichnitos have impressive facades with imposing gables, balconies with iron and stone sub columns, capitals, carved capitals, various reliefs, amazing frames, doors and lintels with carved representations, and often recesses with traces of old painting. In particular, the settlement presents three types of traditional houses. To the first type of “old mansion” belong the most impressive houses, square in shape, measuring about 8 by 8 meters, consisting of two floors with four rooms in total and a basement.
The second type of the “classic houses of Polichnitos” include the typical rectangular buildings of the settlement with dimensions of approximately 8m. by 5m which, however, do not have a basement. These houses have two rooms on the ground floor, one of which was traditionally the storage area for oil, grain, etc. and the second was used as a reception room.
The third type includes the houses built from 1922 onwards, when the refugees from North Asia settled. and they are single-story houses, with a low basement.
Polichnitos is also known for its thermal baths, which look like swimming pools and date from the time of the Turkish occupation, as well as its salt pans, from which salt is still extracted. The harbor of Polichnitou, Skala Polichnitou, is 4.2 km away in the bay of Kalloni, where there is a large fishing sanctuary.
