The dream we all dreamt about, the beauty we all imagined, the Grecian way of life, the timeless yet mysteriously alluring, these little islands of Greece, where we became fortunate enough to put our beings on these ancient islands.
Mykonos is a Greek island , part of the Cyclades , lying between Tinos,Syros, Paros and Naxos.
Mykonos’s nickname is “The Island of the Winds”due to the very strong winds that usually blow on the island.
A brief history : Herodotus mentions Carians as the original inhabitants of the island.There were many people living on the neighbouring island of Delos, only 2km away , which meant that Mykonos became an important places for supplies and transit.Mykonos came under the control of the Romans during the reign of the Roman Empire and then became part of the Byzantine Empire until the 12th century.Up until the end of the 18th century, Mykonos prospered as a trading centre, attracting many immigrants from nearby islands , in addition to regular pirate raids.In June 1794 the Battle of Mykonos was fought between British and French ships in the island’s main harbour.The Greek Revolution against the Ottoman Empire broke out in 1821 and Mykonos played an important role , led by the national heroine, Manto Mavrogenous.A statue of her sits in the middle of Manto Mavrogenous square in the main town. Tourism soon came to dominate the local economy owing a lot to the important of excavation. Mykonos became popular with international “jet set”tourists in 1960s.By the 2000s , Mykonos had became one Greece’s most expensive islands .
Mythology:In Greek mythology, Mykonos was named after its first ruler , Mykonos, the son or grandson of the god Apollo and a local hero.The island is also said to have been the location of the Gigantomachy , the great battle between Zeus and Giants and where Hercules killed the invincible giants having lured them from the protection of Mount Olympus.According to myth , the large rocks all over the island are said to be the petrified corpses of the giants.
The island is composed mostly of granite and the terrain is very rocky with many areas eroded by the strong winds.High quality clay and baryte which is a mineral used as a lubricant in oil drilling,were mined on the eastern side of Mykonos until the late 1900’s.It produces 4500 cubic metres of water daily , by reverse osmosis of sea water in order to help meet the needs its population and visitors.
The island has a population of nearly 12500 most of whom live in the main town of Chora.
- There are ten villages
- Agios loannis
- Agios Stefanos
- Ano Mera
- Ftelia
- Kalafati
- Mykonos or Chora
- Ornos
- Platys Gialos
- Psarrou
- Tourlos
Outdoor attractions
- Paradise Beach
- Paralia Kalo Livadi
- Paralia Agios Sostis
- Lia Beach
- Agios Stefanos Beach
- Psarou Beach
- Paralia Megali Ammos
- Paraga Beach
- Fokos Beach
- Agia Anna Beach
Museums to visit
- Archaeological museum of Mykonos
- The Aegean Sea has been navigated since ancient times and this museum covers its whole history.
- Mykonos Folklore Museum- Established in 1958 , this museum houses 19th century furniture, sculptures, model ships and more.
- Lena’s House Folk Museum-This museum featuring a traditional, historic Mykonian home with furnishings and objects.
Mykonos windmills- The Mykonos windmills are an iconic feature of the Greek island of the Mykonos.The windmills can be seen from every point of the village of Mykonos, the island’s principal village which is frequently called the Chora( which translates to “Country” in Greek, but refers to an islands “Town”) on Greek islands.The windmills are the first thing seen when coming into the harbour of Alefkandra, as they stand on a hill overlooking the area.Most windmills face towards the North where the island’s climate sources its strongest winds over the largest part of the year.There are currently 16 windmills on Mykonos of which seven are positioned on the landmark hill in Chora.Most of them were built by the Venetians in the 16th century.The architecture of each of them is similar,all have a round shape , white colour and a pointed roof and very small windows.They were primarily used to mill wheat.They were an important source of income for the inhabitants.Their use gradually declined until they ceased production in the middle of 20th century.Such windmills are found in almost all Cyclades islands.One of these windmills has been transformed into a museum.The whole village of Chora and part of the harbour are visible from this point.
Must try Greek Cuisine: Some of the local specialities are stated below.
- Kopanisti Mykonou( cheese) – It is a salty , spicy cheese with protected designation of origin produced in the Greek islands of Cyclades in the Aegean Sea such as Mykonos, Tinos ,Andros,Syros,Naxos etc; it has been processed in Mykonos for more than 300 years.
- Kremmydopita
- Louza ( similar to the Cypriot Lountza )
- Omelette
- Amygdalota
- Lazarakia – These are small sweet spice breads made on Greece and Cyprus by Orthodox Christians on Lazarus Saturday, the Saturday that begins Holy Week.They are eaten to celebrate the miracle of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead.They contain several sweet spices and are a fasting Lenten food, meaning that they do not contain any dairy products or eggs.For the reason , unlike the tsourekia , they are brushed with olive oil instead of egg or butter for a gloss finish.
- Melopita ( dessert)
- Ksinotira ( appetiser)
- Baklava ( dessert)
The island of Delos , near Mykonos , near the centre of the Cyclades archipelago, is one of the most important mythological, historical and archaeological sites in Greece.The excavations in the island are among the most extensive in the Mediterranean; ongoing work takes place under the direction of the Ephorate of Antiques of Cyclades, and many of the artefacts found are on display at the Archaeological Museum of Delos and the National Archeological Museum of Athens.
Delos had a position as a holy sanctuary for a millennium before Olympian Greek Mythology made it the birthplace of Apollo and Artemis.From its Sacred Harbour, the horizon shows the three conical mounds that have identified landscapes sacred to a goddess ( presumably Athena ) in other sites: one retaining its Pre -Greek name Mount Cynthus is crowned with a sanctuary of Zeus.
In 1990, UNESCO inscribed Delos on the World Heritage List , citing its exceptional archeological site which “ conveys the image of a great cosmopolitan Mediterranean port” , its influence on the development of Greek Architecture, and its sacred importance throughout Ancient Greece.
History- Investigation of ancient stone huts found on the island indicate that it has been inhabited since the third millennium BC.By the writing of the Odyssey, the island was already famous as the birthplace of the Twin Gods Apollo and Artemis.
Between 900 BC and 100 AD , Delos was a major cult centre, where the gods Dionysus and Leto , mother of the twin deities Apollo and Artemis, were revered.Eventually acquiring Panhellenic religious significance, Delos was initially a religious pilgrimage for the lonians.
A number of “ purification” were performed by the city – state of Athens in an attempt to render the island fit for the proper worship of gods. After the Persian Wars , the island became the natural meeting ground for the Delian League , founded in 478 BC , the congresses being held in the temple ( a separate quarter was reserved for foreigners and the sanctuaries of the foreign deities. During the Hellenistic period, a well established Phoenician colony on the island had extensive trade relations.
The island had no productive capacity for food , fibre or timber which which were all imported.Limited water was exploited with an extensive cistern and aqueduct system, wells ,and sanitary drains.Various regions operated agorae( markets).
At Roman Era Strabo that in 166 BC , the Romans converted Delos into a free port , which was partially motivated by seeking to damage the trade of Rhodes , at the time the target of Roman victory in the Third Macedonian War, the Roman Republic ceded the island of Delos to the Athenians , who expelled most of the original inhabitants.Despite the decline , Delos maintained some population in the early Roman Imperial period.Pausanias writing in the second century AD, states that Delos was uninhabited apart from a few custodians of the centuries.
Delos was eventually abandoned around the eighth century AD.
