The Turkish Occupation
The Sultan broke his treaty. Instead of letting Gattelusi go free, he throw him into prison, together with his brother, after they had renounced Christianity, they were hanged. The sword of the conqueror divided the history of the island with a line of blood. All economic and cultural life on the island came to a halt. The church struggles from the very first days of enslavement to gather up whatever Turkish violence and fanaticism had left. This work was carried on in the monasteries. The monasteries and the churches became intellectual centres and luminous oases amid the darkness of ignorance and barbarity. The ???secret schools?? operated there and preparations were made for the coming struggle for liberation. During the Turkish occupation, Lesvos was used as a place of exile for patriarchs and leading Turks who had fallen into disfavour of the Sultan. In 1677 Eby Bakir repaired the castle of Mitilini and in 1757 the Turks built the castle of Sigri to protect the area from raiders. Throughout the Turkish occupation there were many attacks on the island. During the Russo-Turkish war (1768-1774), the castle was bombarded. In reprisal the Turks slaughtered the Christians and abused the Patriarch Meletios who was in exile on the island. On the signing of the Treaty of Kuchuk-Kainarji, which put an end to the war, a period of increased prosperity began for Lesvos, after a hiatus of nearly 2000 years.