Chios Mastic Museum

The Museum of Chios Mastic is located in Mastichochoria (literally: mastic villages). It is a group of medieval villages in the southern part of the island of Chios.

What Is Chios Mastic Gum?

This island is the only place in the Mediterranean where a mastic tree Pistacia lentiscus var. Chia is cultivated. Its Greek name is also "skínos". This green shrub - a sapling of the variety of the Pistacia plant, from which mastic is obtained.

The Mastic Museum aims to show the history of the production of the mastic tree and the processing of its resin, which it integrates into the cultural landscape of Chios. Mastic was included in the UNESCO collection due to its traditional cultivation. It is thus one of the items on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Museum Exposition

The permanent exhibition focuses on Chios mastic as a unique natural product.

1. The first exhibition presents the traditional know-how of growing mastic.
2. The second exhibition focuses on how mastic is grown and produced. It also presents the history of the resin, the agricultural landscape and the settlements of southern Chios and Mastichochoria.
3. The third exhibition is dedicated to the use and processing of mastic in modern times, which is an important chapter in the history of the island of Chios.
4. The experience of the museum culminates in an outdoor exhibition, where the public comes into contact with the plant itself and the natural environment in which it is grown.

Tools to Better Understand Permanent Exhibition:

• Multimedia
• Documents
• Models
• Original machines for mastic processing - the devices are in working condition

The «Skínos» hall (multi-purpose hall) is used for temporary exhibitions, events and cultural events, while educational programs are held in the smaller hall «Kentitíri».

Where Is the Museum? Address of Chios Mastic Museum:

Pyrgi, Rachi site (Tepeki)
GR-821 02 Chios

Contact:

• Telephone: (+30) 22710 72212
• Fax: (+30) 22710 72215
• Link to website and also source of text: https://www.piop.gr
• Did you know that mastic gum (100% natural resin of the mastic tree) is processed into mastic gum powder, which is a dietary supplement for your digestive system?