Windmills at Tabakika

The Mills at Tabakika in Chios, in the town’s northern quarter, are characteristic examples of Mediterranean stone tower mills, about 10 meters high and two stories tall. They were originally tied to the area’s tanneries, grinding acorns, pine bark, and mastic leaves—materials essential for tanning hides. During the Occupation they served as grain mills. Of the nine mills that once stood, four on the north side were listed in 1962 and restored in the 1990s, though without preserving their original equipment and storage buildings. The five southern mills, listed in 1995, suffered serious damage, with three already collapsed. Today, only one mill has been restored and is used by the Inflatable Boats Club, standing as a living witness to Chios’s craft‑industrial history.