A village of some 1300 inhabitants, established in 20 BC by the Karousses, refugees from the Pontian region of the Black Sea. During the Byzantine period it was a command post with a well-developed economy. In 1453, the Theotokis family settled in the village, a great and historic family which played a leading role in the economic and political life of the island. Their grand family mansion, built in 1500, still exists.