Mykonos

Mykonos (/ˈmɪkəˌnɒs/, /ˈmɪkəˌnoʊs/;[1]

Greek: Μύκονος [ˈmikonos]) is a Greek
island, part of the Cyclades, lying
between Tinos, Syros, Paros and Naxos.
The island spans an area of 85.5 square
kilometres (33.0 sq mi) and rises to an
elevation of 341 metres (1,119 feet) at its
highest point. There are 10,134
inhabitants (2011 census), most of
whom live in the largest town, Mykonos,
which lies on the west coast. The town is
also known as Chora (i.e. the Town in
Greek, following the common practice in
Greece when the name of the island itself
is the same as the name of the principal
town).
 Mykonos
Μύκονος
Island and Municipality

Mykonos town

Flag

Nickname(s): Νησί των ανέμων (Island of the

winds)

Mykonos within the South Aegean

 Coordinates: 37°27′N 25°21′E
Country  Greece

Region South Aegean

Capital Mykonos (town)

Area

 • Total 105.2 km2 (40.6 sq mi)

Population (2011)

 • Total 10,134

 • Density 96/km2 (250/sq mi)

Time zone UTC+2 (EET)

 • Summer (DST) UTC+3 (EEST)

Postal codes 846 00

Area codes 22890

Car plates EM

Website www.mykonos.gr
Mykonos's nickname is "The Island of the
Winds".[2][3] Tourism is a major industry
and Mykonos is known for its vibrant
nightlife and has many establishments
catering to the LGBT community.[4][5][6]

History
Herodotus mentions Carians as the
original inhabitants of the island.[7]
Ionians from Athens seem to have
followed next in the early 11th century
BC. There were many people living on the
neighbouring island of Delos, only 2 km
(1.2 miles) away, which meant that
Mykonos became an important place for
supplies and transit. It was, however,
during ancient times a rather poor island
with limited agricultural resources. Its
inhabitants were polytheists and
worshipped many gods.[8]

Mykonos town (Chora)

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.
In 1204, with the fall of Constantinople in
the Fourth Crusade, Mykonos was
occupied by Andrea Ghisi, a relative of
the Doge of Venice. The island was
ravaged by the Catalans at the end of the
13th century and finally given over to
direct Venetian rule in 1390.

In 1537, while the Venetians still reigned,

Mykonos was attacked by Hayreddin
Barbarossa, the admiral of Suleiman the
Magnificent and an Ottoman fleet
established itself on the island. The
Ottomans, under the leadership of
Kapudan Pasha, imposed a system of
self-governance comprising a governor
and an appointed council of syndics.
When the castle of Tinos fell to the
Ottomans in 1718, the last of the
Venetians withdrew from the region.

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.

Portrait of Manto Mavrogenous at the Aegean

Maritime Museum in Mykonos
The Greek Revolution against the
Ottoman Empire broke out in 1821 and
Mykonos played an important role, led by
the national heroine, Manto
Mavrogenous. Mavrogenous, a well-
educated aristocrat guided by the ideas
of the Enlightenment, sacrificed her
family's fortune for the Greek cause.
Greece became an independent state in
1830. A statue of her sits in the middle of
Mando Mavrogenous square in the main
town.

As a result of sailing and merchant

activity, the island's economy quickly
picked up but declined again during the
late 19th century and especially after the
opening of the Corinth Canal in 1904 and
the First World War at the beginning of
the 20th century. Many Mykonians left
the island to find work in mainland
Greece and many foreign countries,
especially the United States.[9]

Tourism soon came to dominate the

local economy, owing a lot to the
important excavations carried out by the
French School of Archaeology, which
began work in Delos in 1873.

Mythology
In Greek mythology, Mykonos was named
after its first ruler, Mykonos
(Μύκονος),[10] the son or grandson of the
god Apollo and a local hero. The island is
also said to have been the location of a
great battle between Zeus and Titans
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 testicles (or, in
bowdlerized versions, the entire corpses)
of the giants.[11]
Panoramic view of Chora port

Geography

Village of Ano Mera

Houses of Chora
An example of tourism driven Cycladic architecture

The island spans an area of 85.5 square

kilometres (33.0 sq mi) and rises to an
elevation of 341 metres (1,119 feet) at its
highest point. It is situated 150
kilometres (93 miles) east of Athens in
the Aegean Sea. The island features no
rivers, but numerous seasonal streams
two of which have been converted into
reservoirs.
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 1900s.

It produces 4,500 cubic metres

(160,000 cu ft) of water daily, by reverse
osmosis of sea water in order to help
meet the needs of its population and
visitors.[12]

The island has a population of nearly

12,500, most of whom live in the main
town of Chora.[13]
Climate

Mykonos has a typical Mediterranean

climate. The sun shines for up to 300
days a year. The rainy season lasts from
October until March. Vegetation follows
the typical pattern for the region and
grows around mid-autumn and ends in
the beginning of the summer.[14]

Although temperatures can rise as high

as 40 °C (104 °F) in the summer months,
average high temperature is around 28 °C
(82 °F) and because of the seasonal cool
"meltemi" wind, summer days are dry,
sunny and pleasant. In the winter,
average high temperature is around 15 °C
(59 °F). The winters in general are mild
and wet, with many sunny days still even
in mid-winter. Snow is infrequent and
doesn't stay long on the ground when it
falls.

Villages

There are ten villages:

Agios Ioannis
Agios Stefanos
Ano Mera
Ftelia
Kalafati
Mykonos or Chora
 Ornos
Platys Gialos
Psarrou
Tourlos

Cuisine

Greek salad

Local specialities:

Kopanisti Mykonou (cheese)

Kremmydopita
 Louza (similar to the Cypriot lountza)
Omeletta
Amygdalota (dessert)
Lazarakia (dessert)
Melopita (dessert)

Government

The town hall annex (Town Hall is to its left)

The municipality of Mykonos (officially:

Greek: Δήμος Μυκόνου) is a separate
regional unit of the South Aegean region,
and the sole municipality in the regional
unit.[15] As a part of the 2011 Kallikratis
government reform, the regional unit
Mykonos was created out of part of the
former Cyclades Prefecture. The
municipality, unchanged at the Kallikratis
reform, also includes the islands Delos,
Rineia and several uninhabited islets. The
total area of the municipality is
105.183 km2 (40.611 sq mi).[16]

In the 2012 elections, the centre right

New Democracy obtained the highest
vote on Mykonos followed by the
Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA).[17]

Demographics
There are 10,134 inhabitants (2011)
most of whom live in the largest town,
Mykonos, also known as Chora (i.e. the
Town in Greek, a common denomination
in Greece when the name of the island
itself is the same as the name of the
principal town).

Year Municipality population

1971 3,863

1981 5,530

1991 6,179

2001 9,320

2011 10,134

Economy
Being a Greek island, the economy of
Mykonos has close relationship with the
sea. However, with the rise of tourism, it
plays a minor role during summer.[18]
Landmarks

Chora or lower windmills

Municipal Library - an 18th-century

mansion housing over 8,000 volumes
and a vast collection of 18th- and 19th-
century photographs, documents and
Cycladic coins and old seals as well as
sketches and books from the personal
library of American artist John Ratekin.
The Municipal Library is located on
Ayia Kyriaki Square in the main town of
Chora.[19]
Petros the Pelican - an old celebrity of
the town's waterfront, "Petros" has
been the official mascot of Mykonos
for over 60 years. He took up
permanent residence on the island
after a storm in 1954 and after his
death the islanders elected a
successor to carry on his legacy until
today.[20]
Mykonos windmills - The windmills are
a defining feature of the Mykonian
landscape. There are many dotted
around the island, but most are
concentrated in the main town of
Chora. The famous "Kato Mili" in Chora
(Greek for lower mills), stand in a row
on a hill overlooking the sea to harness
 the strong northern winds.[21] Capped
with wood and straw, the windmills
were built by the Venetians in the 16th
century to mill flour and remained in
use until the early 20th century. Many
have been refurbished and restored to
serve as homes to locals and vaults to
numerous Mykonian heritage
documents.[22]

Mikri Venetia (Little Venice)

Little Venice - rows of fishing houses

line the waterfront with their balconies
hanging over the sea. The first of these
was constructed in the mid-18th
century. They originally belonged to
rich merchants or captains and the
little basement doors that provided
direct access to the sea and
underground storage areas led people
to believe that the owners were
secretly pirates. Some of the houses
have now been converted into bars
and cafes and little shops and
galleries. Little Venice is considered
one of the most romantic spots on the
island and many people gather there to
watch the sunset. The area attracts
many artists who come to paint the
picturesque coastline.[23]
Elia Beach

Armenistis Lighthouse - is a testimony

to Mykonos' maritime history, as well
as a fully functioning lighthouse. It is
located in Fanari, which means lantern
in Greek, 6.5 km (4.0 miles) from
Chora.[24]
Tria Pigadia - are three identical wells
standing in a row in the middle of the
main town, Chora. They were built in
1722 to provide the town with water.
Unlike most modern wells which are
over 30 metres deep, the Tria Pigadia
are only 5–6 metres deep as they were
dug into sand where water was more
easily accessible.[25]
Archaeological Museum of Mykonos -
was built in 1905 to house the findings
from the Putrefaction Pit of 425/426
BC, discovered in 1898 on the islet of
Rheneia by D. Stavropoulos. It is one of
the oldest museums in Greece and
was designed by Alexandros Lykakis
and funded by the Ministry of
Education and the Archaeological
Society of Athens. The land as donated
by the Municipality of Mykonos.
The original Neoclassical building
underwent refurbishments and
expansions in the 1930s and 1960s and
the large eastern room was added in
1972. The museum contains artefacts
from the neighbouring island Rhenia,
including 9th- to 8th-century BC ceramic
pottery from the Cyclades and 7th- to
6th-century BC works from other areas in
the Aegean. Its most famous item is the
large vase produced in Tinos, showing
scenes from the fall of Troy.[26]
Aegean Maritime Museum exhibit

Aegean Maritime Museum - was

founded in 1983 by the Mykonian
George M. Drakopoulos and it opened
in 1985 with the goal of preserving and
promoting the study of Greek maritime
history and tradition, in particular the
evolution and activities of the
merchant ship in the Aegean Sea.
Drakopoulos has been awarded with
the Athens Academy Award and with
the World Ship Trust’s award for
Individual Achievement for his work
with the museum. The museum was
the first in Greece that rescued and
restored living historical exhibits to
operate as they were originally
designed and built. In addition to
original pieces, there are also replicas
of famous historical ships and
collections of coins with nautical
scenes from the 5th century BC to the
4th century AD and a variety of
elaborate shipping instruments.[27]
Folklore Museum - the oldest house on
the island houses a collection of 19th-
century furniture, jewellery, ceramics
embroideries, marble sculptures,
tombstones and a variety of other
trinkets. The museum also pays tribute
to Mykonos' traditional nautical roots
with models of 19th-century Mykonian
ships, maps and an anchor and canons
used during the Greek War of
Independence.[28]
Lena's House - this 19th-century
traditional Mykonian residence
belonged to a wealthy shipping family
and the original furniture is still
preserved. The house now operates as
a museum.[29]
Agricultural Museum (also known as
the Bonis Mill) - old tools and
machinery are displayed in one of
Mykonos’ famous windmills and,
located above the main town of Chora
in Ano Myloi (meaning Upper
Windmills), it offers a spectacular
view.[30]
Churches

Church of Paraportiani

The reason for the abundance of

churches is that for a number of years to
build a house, the islanders were required
to build a church on their land first.

Panagia Paraportiani - (the Church of

Our Lady) one of the most famous
architectural structures in Greece. The
church received its name Paraportiani,
which means "standing next to the
entrance / door", because it was
located next to the entrance of the
ancient castle, or kastro door. The
neighbourhood of Kastro, where it is
situated, used to be the site of a
medieval castle – in those days a
castle was a strong fortification
surrounding a settlement –
constructed in 1207 by the Gisi family,
who controlled the island at the time.
The castle was destroyed in the 16th
century and its remnants covered up
by new buildings when Chora began to
expand in the 18th century. It took
around 200 years to build the church.
Construction began in the 15th century
and was not completed until the 17th
 century. Its architectural quirkiness
makes it one of the most
photographed places in the world.[31]
Catholic Church - the only Catholic
church on the island was constructed
in 1668 and renovated in 1677 by
Bishop Leandros Zanthakis. The icon
of the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus
between Saint Dominic and Saint
Catherine of Siena was transported to
Mykonos from Venice in 1715. A fire
on 1 May 1991 damaged part of the
church. By October 1997 the church
was restored and re-opened to the
public.[32]

Transportation
Blue Star Ferry

Mykonos Airport is located 4 kilometres

(2.5 mi) southeast of the town of
Mykonos and it is served by international
flights during summer. The flight from
Athens to Mykonos takes 25 minutes.[33]

Mykonos is also accessible by boat and

ferries. High speed vessels visit daily
from the surrounding islands and from
Athens.[34]
Taxis, buses or boats are available for
transportation. There are three main bus
depots in Mykonos. The northern depot
is situated behind Remezzo Club above
the old Port and provides regular service
to Ano Mera, Elia and Kalafatis. A few
hundred meters below, at the Old Port,
lays another Depot focusing on the
northern destinations of Tourlos (New
Port) and Agios Stefanos. The southern
Bus Depot is at the town "entrance",
called Fabrika and it provides regular
service to Ornos, Agios Yannis, Plati
Gialos, Psarou, Paraga, and Paradise
Beach. Small boats travel to and from the
many beaches.[35] Tour boats go
regularly to the nearby island of Delos.[36]
Culture
In 2013 the Mykonos Biennale was
inaugurated offering theatrical, cultural,
cinematic, artistic, and musical
productions.[37]

Notable people
This article's list of residents may not follow
Wikipedia's verifiability or notability policies.
Learn more

Manto Mavrogenous
Ioannis Svoronos, archaeologist and
numismatist
Mary Paraskeva, early amateur
photographer
Ioannis Toumbas, naval officer
 Nicholas Pettas, professional martial
artist, kickboxer, and actor
Karolina, painter of Mykonos of US
origin[38]

In popular culture
Mykonos is among several Greek
islands mentioned in Kenneth Koch's
poem "Sleeping with Women".[39]
Scenes of Mykonos are featured in the
2003 Indian movie Chalte Chalte.
"Mykonos" is a song on the American
folk-rock band Fleet Foxes' EP Sun
Giant.
The film Island of Death (1975),
directed by Nico Mastorakis, was shot
 on the island of Mykonos. In 2015,
Mastorakis returned to the island to
revisit the locations.
Apotos, the first stage of the video
game Sonic Unleashed is heavily
based upon the region.

Gallery
Monastery in Ano Mera

School in Mykonos
Monument to Manto Mavrogenous

Church at the port

 Another church

Pelicans, mascot of the island

A street of Chora

Windmills
Mykonos church

Mykonos church
 Mykonos church

Private Mykonos church

See also
Communities of the Cyclades
Mykonos vase
 List of traditional Greek place
names[40]
Mykonos Biennale

References
1. Dictionary Reference: Mykonos
2. "Mykonos – The Island of the
Winds" . Travel Wide World. 2014-02-
11. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
3. "The island of the winds and blue
seas" . World News. Retrieved
20 February 2015.
4. Duncan Garwood, Mediterranean
Europe, 2009
5. Lloyd E. Hudman, Richard H.
Jackson, Geography of travel and
 tourism, 2003
6. Harry Coccossis, Alexandra Mexa,
The challenge of tourism carrying
capacity assessment: theory and
practice, 2004
7. Herodotus' Histories .
8. Christopher Street . That New
Magazine, Incorporated. 1995. p. 19.
Retrieved 12 May 2012.
9. Tsakos, Konstantinos (1998). Delos-
Mykonos: A Guide to the History and
Archaeology . Delos Island:
Hesperos. ISBN 9789608623712.
10. Stephanus of Byzantium, s. vv.
Andros, Mykonos
11. Freely, John (4 June 2006). The
Cyclades: Discovering the Greek
Islands of the Aegean . I.B.Tauris.
p. 111. ISBN 978-1-84511-160-1.
Retrieved 12 May 2012.
12. Xenarios, George; Papadopoulos,
Panagiotis; Tzen, Eftihia (January
2013). "Wind desalination for the
Island of Mykonos in Greece: a case
study". Desalination and Water
Treatment. 51 (4–6): 1219–1228.
doi:10.1080/19443994.2012.71460
3.
13. "Mykonos Island Geography" .
Retrieved 19 November 2013.
14. "Mykonos Weather" . Retrieved
19 November 2013.
15. "Kallikratis reform law text" (PDF).
16. "Population & housing census 2001
(incl. area and average elevation)"
(PDF) (in Greek). National Statistical
Service of Greece.
17. Simon Rogers (2012-05-06). "Greece
election results mapped. Infographic
| News" . guardian.co.uk. Retrieved
2013-03-26.
18. "Mykonos, often called as the Ibiza of
Greece - Greeka.com" . Greeka.
Retrieved 20 February 2015.
19. "Mykonos Municipal Library" .
Retrieved 19 November 2013.
20. "Petros the Pelican" . Retrieved
19 November 2013.
21. "Windmills of Mykonos" . Retrieved
19 November 2013.
22. "The Best The Windmills (Kato Mili)
Tours, Trips & Tickets - Mykonos -
Viator" .
23. "Little Venice" . In My Kyonos.
24. "Armenistis Lighthouse" . Retrieved
19 November 2013.
25. "The Three Wells" .
26. "Archaeological Museum" . Retrieved
19 November 2013.
27. "The Aegean Maritime Museum" .
Retrieved 19 November 2013.
28. "Folklore Museum of Mykonos" .
29. "Lena's House" . Retrieved
19 November 2013.
30. "Agricultural Museum" . Retrieved
19 November 2013.
31. "Panagia Paraportiani" . Retrieved
19 November 2013.
32. "Catholic Church" . Retrieved
19 November 2013.
33. Mykonos Airport Info Center,
Mykonos Airport - Welcome
34. "Travel To Mykonos" .
35. "Getting Around Mykonos" .
Retrieved 19 November 2013.
36. "mykonos tours, excursions, day
trips, cruises, Delos" . Retrieved
20 February 2015.
37. "metamatic:taf" .
38. Islands in the sun, Aspire Magazine,
Travel Greece , Mike MacEacheran,
page 61, retrieved 5 Feb. 2012
«Carolina, the island’s famous
painter.
39. "Poetry Daily: Kenneth Koch,
"Sleeping with Women" " . Archived
from the original on December 3,
2010. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
40. "Mykonos Web - About Mykonos -
Gr" . Retrieved 20 February 2015.

External links
 Wikimedia Commons has media
related to Mykonos.

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for

Mykonos.

Official website of the Municipality of

Mykonos

Retrieved from
"https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?
title=Mykonos&oldid=902826889"

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