ΙΣΤΟΡΙΑ ΜΕΣΑΝΑΓΡΟΥ(Emily Kosmas Cossis-Μετάφραση στα Αγγλικά))
Στα 20 χρόνια που ασχολούμαι με την ιστορία του Μεσαναγρού κατάφερα όχι μόνο οι ξενιτεμένοι Μεσαναγρενοί ,αλλά και άνθρωποι από όλο τον κόσμο να μάθουν για τον Μεσαναγρό. ΟΙ επισκέψεις στο blog 640.000, στο facebook,Tuiter, Ιστορίες μου,instagram ξεπερνούν το 1.000.000. Η συγκίνησή μου είναι μεγαλύτερη, όταν ξενιτεμένοι Μεσαναγρενοί επικοινωνούν μαζί μου και ζητούν κάθε πληροφορία για το χωριό.
Η κυρία Emily Cosmas Cossis που βρίσκεται στην Αμερική, διαβάζοντας το τελευταίο άρθρο μου για τον Μεσαναγρό ,το μετάφρασε στα Αγγλικά ,για να μπορούν και οι νέοι ΄Ελληνες που μιλούν Αγγλικά , να μαθουν για το χωριό των προγόνων τους. Χίλια ευχαριστώ .
THE
HISTORY OF MESANAGROS..? In the South-Western part of the island of
Rhodes, at a distance of 83 km [from Rhodes town] and at an altitude
of 300 meters, lies the village of Mesanagros. Its name comes from
the etymological derivation: Agros – Katagros – Mesa Anagros –
Mesanagros [meaning "inner field"]. The first settlers of
the village were the local kings Pangoulos, Alexandros, and Assalos,
and it served as their summer residence. Later, the inhabitants of
the surrounding settlements of Kiaoula, Evgales, and others—which
were destroyed by raids and looting—settled here. It was founded in
pre-Christian times. It is a historic, privileged village. The proof
is that only this village survived the raids, while the surrounding
villages are now heaps of ruins. It is situated between two hills and
mountains. From the many forests that used to exist, branches
(kladia) gave rise to the residents' nickname, "Kladites."
As mentioned in Kosta Skandalidis' book "The Gennadi of Rhodes,"
the Municipality of Lindos after 326 BC consisted of 12
Municipalities divided into three groups: • GROUP A: Argeioi,
Pagioi, Lindopolitai, Voulidai • GROUP B: Klasioi, Nettidai,
Ladarmioi, Kamyndioi • GROUP C: Pedieis, Vrasioi, Kattaboi, Dryitai
The village of Mesanagros was located in Group C (Dryitai). Around
the village, there are many ruins (kateleimata / katelymata) that
testify to the existence of older settlements. Additionally, many
monasteries were built on the ruins of ancient temples, for example,
Saint Nicholas, Saint George, Saint Thomas, and the Skiadi Monastery,
which was built on the ruins of the temple of the Goddess Artemis. In
the area of Mesanagros, there are caves, and during excavations,
various objects were found that bear witness to the art and culture
of the inhabitants. Inside the settlement stands the Church of the
Dormition of the Virgin Mary, which was built on the site of two
older churches and dates back to the 13th century. The patron saint
of the village is the Archangel Michael (Taxiarchis Michael), whose
feast day is celebrated on November 8th. This is the village with the
highest number of monasteries and churches on the entire island. The
Skiadi Monastery is also located in Mesanagros and celebrates its
feast day on September 8th. In Evgales, an area of about 4 km from
the village, there used to be an old medieval village. The entire
area is scattered with stones and ruins (kateleimata) resulting from
the destruction of that settlement. The inhabitants later took many
of these stones when they wanted to build their houses in the
village. Ruins and many tombs also exist around the village in the
areas of Louria, Erintos, and Perena. Unfortunately, many tombs have
been plundered by people looking for gold. Since the old days, the
residents of Mesanagros participated in public affairs and
contributed to public works. The permanent residents now number 25.
This number increases during the winter months, holidays, summer
vacations, and on weekends. Quite a few inhabitants live in the city
of Rhodes, in Australia, and in America. The residents are farmers
and livestock breeders. The Primary School has closed; this has also
happened in the surrounding villages. Today, the surrounding hills
are green with shrubs like wild greens (chinopodia), thyme, oregano,
strawberry trees, mastic shrubs (schina), and a few forests, because
many were burned in recent years. The highest mountain is Skiadi, and
around the village are the peaks of Koufos, Chionias, Kafkala, and
Chrousonia. There are a few plains that the hardworking residents
cultivate to produce various goods. The Kampos plain, located between
Kattavia and Apolakkia, is highly fertile and produces the most
delicious watermelons and melons on the island. Other plains include
Erintos and Stavris. The village's olive groves are located in the
Evgales area. Today, approximately 5,000 stremmata [approx. 1,235
acres] are cultivated. The village has two associations: the Cultural
Association and the Sports Association. The houses are single-story.
The roofs consist of a wooden ceiling covered by a layer of local
clay called patelia. Most houses feature an interior stone arch
(kamara) and several have a mesia [a central structural beam or arch
partition]. The houses are built tightly together, and the streets
are narrow and whitewashed with lime. The village has preserved its
traditional character and remained a true "village." Today,
it fights to survive and defeat time. From 1950 onward, several
residents abandoned the village for economic reasons. The first wave
of immigrants left for Australia and America. We can say that in
Australia especially, the people of Mesanagros alone make up an
entire village of their own, counting over 500 residents. The second
major exodus was toward the city of Rhodes. The reasons were twofold:
Educational and Economic/Tourism. From 1960 onward, many children
wanted to continue their education in high school (Gymnasium). At
that time, the closest high school was in Gennadi. For
incomprehensible reasons or reasons of political expediency, that
high school closed, and any children who wanted to continue studying
had to go to Archangelos or to the city of Rhodes. Thus, a
twelve-year-old child had to leave the village alone to attend high
school in Rhodes. I had the good fortune of being the first child to
attend during that era. We stayed as boarders in the homes of
acquaintances in the city. Things became incredibly difficult when a
second child in a family wanted to go to high school. At that point,
the mother would also leave the village and move to the city to be
with the children. The father would remain alone in the village,
splitting the family. During the same period, tourism began to
develop in the city of Rhodes, creating a massive demand for labor.
Consequently, many parents and entire families left the village and
moved to the city. Thus, little by little, the village emptied out.
Few residents remained, and the village only fills up now during the
winter holidays and celebrations. In the past, the Cultural
Association, in cooperation with the Municipality of South Rhodes,
organized events both in the village and in the city of Rhodes. Now,
the dream of the people of Mesanagros has become a reality, thanks to
the Minister, Mr. Aristotelis Pavlidis, and the Mayor of South
Rhodes, Mr. Manolis Savvis. At the entrance of the village, the
Museum of South Rhodes has been built, bringing life back to the
area. The building itself is finished, the internal infrastructure is
completely ready, and the exhibition pieces are about to be
installed. ……..Article translated from the Greek about
Mesanagros, written by Yiannis Karagiannis, Historian of the village.
This translation is to help many of the Mesanagrenoi living abroad,
who may not read Greek, to understand their roots better. Thanks, to
Yianni….who continues to write and record about Mesanagros. His
writings help keep our History alive, not only in those of us who
left the village, but also in the hearts and minds of our children
and grandchildren.
