In the northeastern part of Chios island, Greece, there is a very small village called Aghio Galas. Its name comes from the byzantine church (13th – 14th century) dedicated to Virgin Mary Aghiogalousaina (of Aghio Galas).

The church is built at the entrance of a cave and although the walls were decorated with frescoes there is only one left today, of Virgin Mary and Christ.

The iconostasis is made of carved wood and it is one of the oldest that still exists on Chios.

There are many votives below the icon of Virgin Mary Aghiogalousaina. Besides the votives that we can buy today, people are offering whatever is precious to them, as they have always done.

Deeper into the cave there is another much smaller church, in memory of Aghia (Saint) Anna. There were cells here for ascetic monks.

The cave with the churches is connected with another bigger one, then with an even bigger third one. In this third one there are “rooms” with impressive stalactites. These natural caves have not been fully explored but during a small scale archaeological excavation neolithic pieces from broken ceramic vessels were discovered, evidence that there were people living in this area since the Neolithic times.

The village is built on a plateau above the caves.

The area used to have a lot of water. Now it still does but much less. It is a lot though, compared to southern Chios where I live.