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About Mykonos
We at the Myconian Collection are very proud of our island of Mykonos, and are happy to share some useful information with you. Mykonos is one of the most cosmopolitan islands in the world, more famous than Capri, more fashionable than Hawaii. Mykonos is an island with very little vegetation, it has an area of 85 sq. km., a shoreline of 80 km and a population of 5,500.
The sunlight in Mykonos is unlike any other. From crystal-clear blue skies, to fiery-red sunsets, our proudest feature of Mykonos is its breathtaking natural beauty.
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THINGS YOU SHOULDN'T MISS
Delos: chosen by the ancients as their religious centre, the small island gradually became covered with temples, mansions, markets, stadiums and shops;
Paraportiani : the most photographed monument on the island (and one of the most photographed churches in the world). It is an inspired architectural complex of five churches.
Venetia: The image that unfolds before you is like nowhere else in Greece. It is one of the pretiest corners of the island, the neighbourhood with its houses right in the sea, the famous "Venice" (Venetia) of Mykonos.
Windmills : constitute one of the symbols of the island. From wherever you are, you can see their silhouette, either on the heights above Chora or on the level area near Alevkantra.
Petros the Pelican: an inseparable part of life on the harbour is the pelican, the island's mascot. It wanders through all the neighbourhoods but prefers the harbour and Alevkantra.
TRANSPORTATION AND ACCESS
The island can be reached by air from Athens (daily service from Athens airport and more than ten flights a day during peak periods), Rhodes, Santorini and Herakleion (Crete) or by ferry from Piraeus (94 nautical miles), Rafina (71 nautical miles).
The trip by ferry from Piraeus takes about 6 hours. In summer there is 'flying doplhin' service from Piraeus or Rafina and it takes 2-3 hours.
THE BEACHES
Platis Yialos beach is the first stop: At about 4 km from the center of Mykonos town, a very popular beach on the south side of the islandThis beach has restaurants, beach bars, and water sports facilities. Taxi boats can take you to all the other beaches like Paranga, Paradise and Elia beach. Elia beach has been awarded from the National Beach Association and from the Blue Flag Association as one of the cleanest beaches in Greece. On Elia beach, our hotel offers free of charge sun beds and umbrellas for the exclusive use of our hotel guests. Service on the beach provided.
DELOS MUSEUM
From the entrance lobby, where there is a fascinating maquette of ancient Delos the visitor enters the rooms where sculptures, Kouroi and Korai, the statue of Artemis, Horsemen and horses, aquatic birds, mythical creatures the head of Medussa, a series of statues of Muses, the statue and torso of Nymphes. Among them are the Lions were originally placed symmetrically along the avenue like true custodians of the Sanctuary. The theme of one of the rooms is of everyday life with items such as tools, vessels, marble objects, weights, scales, and objects of purely amorous character and erotic symbols. Also remains from the interior decoration of houses with wall paintings and mosaic floors. There are also an interesting series of vases, amphorae and pottery in general.
CHORA (MYKONOS TOWN)
Distinctive of Chora are the countless humble picturesque churches, remains of an age in which devotion and local custom combined to raise minor masterpieces. The visitor who is so inclined can explore the village to seek them out and enjoy them, as well as other features seemingly unspoiled by the scourge of tourism; narrow alleys with typical stone stairways, delightful little squares like glades in a wood.
The most famous and photographed church in the Cyclades is Panagia Paraportiani (the little gate) because it is situated next to a small gate towards the sea. It includes in essence four churches on the ground floor and one, the main one, on the first floor. The monument is considered the model of indigenous architecture of the islands. The principal characteristics of the landscape of Chora are the windmills with their solid cylindrical form and light sails. The oldest one was at the castle, on the rocks in the northwest corner of the Kastro. Its ruins were still visible in the early 20th century. The earliest mention of its existence is in a 15th century manuscript in Venice. With interesting parts of their machinery preserved, their familiar silhouettes enhance to the utmost the picturesque aspect of Mykonos.
ANO MERA VILLAGE
The second most important center on Mykonos is in its interior. The most interesting feature of the region is Palaiokastro . The remains belong to a Byzantine castle. Underneath are remains of the ancient fort of the site while on the hillsides remains of graves of the Geometric period. On the hillsides rests the lovelyPalaiokastro Convent totally in Cycladic architecture, the nuns are dependant on the Monasteri of Tourliani (18th century) the island's main monastery a typical example of Aegean monastic architecture. It is named after the large dome (troulos=tourlos in Mykonian dialect) that crowns the church and it was founded in 1542 by two monks as the inscription on the miraculous contemporary icon indicates. The marble and the water spigot impress the visitor as well as the interior with the byzantine icons.
THE MYKONOS ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM
The Archaeological Museum was built in the early years of the 20th century, on the knoll overlooking the harbor. Of Neoclassical aspect, it originally had a tiled roof, it acquired its present "Cycladic" aspect, with flat roof and internal courtyards as a result of repairs and additions made in 1935 and 1966-70. The museum was intended to house the findings from the excavations conducted on Rhenia in the late19th century. The excavations brought to light the famous "Bothros of Purification of Delos", this is the enormous pit in which the grave, items and bones exhumed by the Athenians in 426/5 BC and removed from Delos, in accordance with the oracle, were deposited. In addition to the numerous finds from the Purification the museum contains sculptures and funerary objects from Rhenia as well as important finds from Mykonos.
MYKONOS FOLCLORE MUSEUM
Professor B. Kyriazopoulos founded the Mykonos Folclore Museum, which is situated at the stone-built house of Captain Malouchos inside the Kastro area, a few metres from the Paraportiani church. There are six main exhibition halls, which house collections of objects from Venice and from every corner of the Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea. Mykonos involvement with the sea is impressively presented in the large basement room with ships and boats, fishing equipment. Other collections such as Byzantine icons, folkloric ceramics, historical commemorative plates, as well as decorative prints and engravings, model boats, hand-woven fabrics, locks, keys, weights, measures and historical artifacts. There are also important archives of manuscripts and printed matter, photographs, maps, a significant library and in the basement rests the water-well of the last pirate Mermelecha.
THE AGRICULTURAL MUSEUM
Boni Windmill and Lena's Hous e are divisions of the Mykonos Folklore Museum.
The first is located on the top of a hill. The windmill dates from the 16th century, with its outbuildings and installations such as a village style oven, a wine press, a water-well, a stone water tank, a dovecote, a pigsty and a miller's house. Lena's House was donated by G. and I. Drakopoulos, at Tria Pigadia is a typical 19th century bourgeois home consisting of two bedrooms, a spacious drawing room and two courtyards with a dovecot. Of particular interest are the rich furnishings, splendid prints, tapestries, woodcarvings, old mirrors and chattels.
THE MARITIME MUSEUM
At Tria Pigadia where the island's devout relationship with the sea, from antiquity to the present day, is presented in an exemplary manner.
THE TOWN HALL
The Town Hall built as the residence of the Russian Count Ivan Voinovich during the Russo-Turkish war of 1770-1774.
LIBRARIES
There are six libraries. The main one, the Public Library houses approximately 10000 volumes (the majority were donated by Alex. Meletopoulos) also a large collection of photographs, various documents of the 18th and 19th century, engravings etc.
CULTURE AND ENTERTAIMENT
During the year many interesting events, concerts, theatrical performances, art exhibitions, etc are organized. Could you please write something about a festivity or a bank holiday/ national day.
HISTORY OF MYKONOS
Its name derives from the name of the hero Mykonos son of the mythical King of Delos, Anios, son of Apollo and the nymph Rhoio descendant of Dionysos. Ionians from Athens settled here at the end of the second millennium BC, overthrowing the Karians and Phoenicians the first inhabitants. Very little is known about Mykonos in historical times. The island's protector was Dionysos who was worshipped as Baccheus and Leneus and is represented on its coinage.
Many Mykonians collaborated with the sanctuary of Delos, supplying it with products and building materials whilst benefiting the flourishing economy. The destruction of Delos drew Mykonos into oblivion in its wake; it is only mentioned sporadically in inscriptions of the Roman period and Byzantine texts. After the capture of Constantinople by the Crusaders in 1204 Mykonos was given over to the Ghisi Brothers of Venice. In 1292 the Catalans plundered the island while in 1390 the last representative of the Ghisi dynasty ceded it to Venice.
In 1537 Hayriddin Barbarossa admiral of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificient, destroyed Mykonos and its inhabitants were sold as slaves or escaped to nearby Tinos. During the Ottoman Occupation the island was subject to Capudan Pasha, however Turks never lived there. During the Veneto-Turkish wars (1645-1669 and 1684-1699) Mykonos belonged for a while to Venice, while in the Russo-Turkish Wars of 1770-1774 the islanders actively supported the fellow Orthodox nation of Russia with Catherine the Great. The Mykonians were involved with shipping in those years while the rich booties from piracy, which was rife throughout the Aegean and attracted the bold and adventurous. Mykonos, like Delos became a haven for pirates who actually brought families to the island. This situation lasted until the early 19th century. The last pirate, Mermelechas died of cholera in 1854 not as a pirate but as a baker.
In the early 18th century Mykonos had 100 small and 40-50 large ships that sailed the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. In 1821 during the War of Independence Mykonos contributed with ships to keep the Turkish navy at bay when it attempted to land on the island in 1822. By the end of the 19th century, life on the island was in decline due to the development of steam shipping, in which Mykonos took little part, gradually outnumbering sailing ships, leading many Mykonians to emigrate. The situation changed radically after the Second World War with the growth of tourism.
DELOS
Chased by the jealous goddess Hera, Leto wandered from place to place looking for some corner of the earth in which to give birth to her son, fruit of the union with Zeus. Every city and island refused to receive her and only a bare rock in the middle of the sea dared to refuse to obey. There she gave birth to Apollo and the island glowed like burnished gold and became Delos (the visible one).
From the 17th century an increasing number of European travellers visited Delos, sketching its ruins and recording precious information. In 1873 the French Archaeological School at Athens began the excavations that continue to this day, uncovering a large sector of the once large and affluent city with sanctuaries, harbors, market places and residential quarters. Its imposing houses with courts and atria adorned with mosaics and mural decorations are impressive for anyone even the more traveled. The visitor who strolls along the streets and through the squares of this unique ancient city has the sense that it is still alive and that its residents left just a short while ago, leaving behind in the ruins their possessions hopes and dreams.