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Mykonos (, ; el, Μύκονος ) is a
Greek island Greece has many islands, with estimates ranging from somewhere around 1,200 to 6,000, depending on the minimum size to take into account. The number of inhabited islands is variously cited as between 166 and 227. The largest Greek island by a ...
, part of the Cyclades, lying between Tinos, Syros, Paros and Naxos. The island has an area of and rises to an elevation of at its highest point. There are 10,134 inhabitants according to the 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. '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's nickname is "The Island of the Winds", due to the very strong winds that usually blow on the island. Tourism is a major industry and Mykonos is known for its vibrant nightlife and for being a
gay-friendly Gay-friendly or LGBT-friendly places, policies, people, or institutions are those that are open and welcoming to gay or LGBT people. They typically aim to create an environment that is supportive, respectful, and non-judgmental towards the LGBT ...
destination with many establishments catering for the
LGBT community The LGBT community (also known as the LGBTQ+ community, GLBT community, gay community, or queer community) is a loosely defined grouping of lesbian, gay men, gay, bisexuality, bisexual, transgender, and other queer individuals united by a comm ...
.


History

Herodotus mentions Carians as the original inhabitants of the island. Ionians from Athens seem to have followed next in the early 11th century BC. There were many people living on the neighboring island of
Delos The island of Delos (; el, Δήλος ; Attic: , Doric: ), 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 ...
, only 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 worshiped many gods. 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 The Fourth Crusade (1202–1204) was a Latin Christian armed expedition called by Pope Innocent III. The stated intent of the expedition was to recapture the Muslim-controlled city of Jerusalem, by first defeating the powerful Egyptian Ayyubid S ...
, Mykonos was occupied by Andrea Ghisi. 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 center, 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 harbor. 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 Enlightenment or enlighten may refer to: Age of Enlightenment * Age of Enlightenment, period in Western intellectual history from the late 17th to late 18th century, centered in France but also encompassing (alphabetically by country or culture): ...
, 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 Manto 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. 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. Mykonos became popular with international " jet set" tourists in the 1960s. In the 70s it was popular spot for Americans to treat as a nude beach, which Americans imagined to be a feature of those natural "far out" Greeks, and then flourished further to become a popular gay tourist destination in the 1980s. By the 2000s, Mykonos had become one of Greece's most expensive islands.


Mythology

In Greek mythology, Mykonos was named after its first ruler, Mykonos (Μύκονος), 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.


Geography

The island has an area of and rises to an elevation of at its highest point. It is situated 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 Baryte, barite or barytes ( or ) is a mineral consisting of barium sulfate ( Ba S O4). Baryte is generally white or colorless, and is the main source of the element barium. The ''baryte group'' consists of baryte, celestine (strontium sulfate), ...
, 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 of water daily, by
reverse osmosis Reverse osmosis (RO) is a water purification process that uses a partially permeable membrane to separate ions, unwanted molecules and larger particles from drinking water. In reverse osmosis, an applied pressure is used to overcome osmotic pre ...
of sea water in order to help meet the needs of its population and visitors. The island has a population of nearly 12,500, most of whom live in the main town of
Chora Chora may refer to: Places Greece ''Chora'' (meaning "Town" in Greek), is often used as the name of the main town on an island, following the common practice in Greece when the name of the island itself is the same as the name of the principal ...
.


Climate

Mykonos has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen;BSH) because of the low overall rainfall, although it has lots of Mediterranean characteristics and it is highly influenced by the Mediterranean Sea. 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. The average daily temperature in the Winter is around , while it is in the summer. The average night temperature is in the winter and in the summer. Because of the seasonal cool "
meltemi The etesians ( or ; grc, ἐτησίαι, etēsiai, periodic winds; sometimes found in the Latin form etesiae), ''meltemia'' ( el, ετησίες,μελτέμια; pl. of meltemi), or meltem (Turkish) are the strong, dry north winds of the Aegean ...
" wind (similar to the other Cyclades islands) and the moderating sea, summer days are relatively cool, dry, sunny and pleasant. The reason for the low overall rainfall is the rain shadow of the Pindus Mountains, which dry out the westerly winds. Winters in general are mild and wet, with many sunny days even in mid-winter. Snow is infrequent and doesn't stay long on the ground when it falls.


Villages

There are ten villages:


Cuisine

Local specialities:


Government

The municipality of Mykonos (officially: el, Δήμος Μυκόνου) is a separate
regional unit The 74 regional units of Greece ( el, περιφερειακές ενότητες, ; sing. , ) are the country's Seventy-four second-level administrative units. They are divisions of the country's 13 regions, and are further divided into municipa ...
of the South Aegean region, and the sole municipality in the regional unit. As a part of the 2011 Kallikratis government reform, the regional unit Mykonos was created out of part of the former
Cyclades Prefecture The Cyclades (; el, Κυκλάδες, ) are an island group in the Aegean Sea, southeast of mainland Greece and a former administrative prefecture of Greece. They are one of the island groups which constitute the Aegean archipelago. The nam ...
. The municipality, unchanged at the Kallikratis reform, also includes the islands
Delos The island of Delos (; el, Δήλος ; Attic: , Doric: ), 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 ...
, Rineia and several uninhabited islets. The total area of the municipality is . The mayors of Mykonos have been: * 1975-1978 Φραγκίσκος Νάζος (Fragiskos Nazos) * 1979-1990 Ματθαίος Αποστόλου (Matthaios Apostolou) * 1991-2010 Χρήστος Βερώνης (Christos Veronis) * 2011-2014 Αθανάσιος Κουσαθάνας-Μέγας (Athnanasios Kousathanas-Megas) * 2014- Κωνσταντίνος Κουκάς (Konstantinos Koukas)


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).


Economy

It being a Greek island, the economy of Mykonos is closely linked with the sea. However, with the rise of tourism, it plays a minor role during summer.


Landmarks

* 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 John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second ...
. The Municipal Library is located on Ayia Kyriaki Square in the main town of Chora. * 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. *
Mykonos windmills The Mykonos windmills are an iconic feature of the Greek island of the Mykonos. The island is one of the Cyclades islands, which neighbour Delos in the Aegean Sea. The windmills can be seen from every point of the village of Mykonos, the island ...
– 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. 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. *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. * Armenistis Lighthouse – is a testimony to Mykonos' maritime history, as well as a fully functioning
lighthouse A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid, for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways. Lighthouses mar ...
. It is located in Fanari, which means lantern in Greek, from Chora. *
Tria Pigadia Tria or TRIA may refer to: Places *Tria (river), a tributary of the river Barcău in Romania * Tria, a village in Derna, Bihor, Romania Other uses * Tria (''The Land Before Time''), a character on ''The Land Before Time'' * TRIA Rink, an ice hoc ...
– 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. *
Archaeological Museum of Mykonos The Archaeological Museum of Mykonos is a museum, in Mykonos, in Greece. 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 ...
– was built in 1905 to house the findings from the Purification 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. *
Aegean Maritime Museum The Aegean Maritime Museum is a maritime museum in Mykonos, Greece. The founder and chairman of the museum, George M. Drakopoulos, received the Athens Academy Award and the World Ship Trust's Award for Individual Achievement for the foundation o ...
– 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 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. * 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 The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution or the Greek Revolution of 1821, was a successful war of independence by Greek revolutionaries against the Ottoman Empire between 1821 and 1829. The Greeks were later assisted by ...
. * 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. *Agricultural Museum (also known as the Bonis Mill) – old tools and machinery are displayed in one of Mykonos' windmills and, located above the main town of Chora in Ano Myloi (meaning Upper Windmills), it offers views of the area. *Paradise Beach – The most famous area to party in Mykonos.


Churches

There is an abundance of churches because, for many years, the islanders were required to build a church on their land before building a house. *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 Ghisi 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. * 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 Saint Dominic ( es, Santo Domingo; 8 August 1170 – 6 August 1221), also known as Dominic de Guzmán (), was a Castilian Catholic priest, mystic, the founder of the Dominican Order and is the patron saint of astronomers and natural scientis ...
and Saint Catherine of Siena was transported to Mykonos from
Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400  ...
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.


Transportation

Mykonos Airport is located southeast of the town of Mykonos and it is served by international flights during summer. The flight from Athens to Mykonos takes 25 minutes.Mykonos Airport Info Center
Mykonos Airport - Welcome
/ref> Mykonos is also accessible by boat and ferries. High speed vessels visit daily from the surrounding islands and from Athens. 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, an
Paradise Beach
Small boats travel to and from the many beaches. Tour boats go regularly to the nearby island of
Delos The island of Delos (; el, Δήλος ; Attic: , Doric: ), 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 ...
.


Culture

In 2013 the
Mykonos Biennale The Mykonos Bienniale is held every odd year at the start of the summer on the Greek island of Mykonos, originally created by Lydia Venieri. For one week at the end of June or the beginning of July, the island of Mykonos, hosts an extensive ra ...
was inaugurated offering theatrical, cultural, cinematic, artistic, and musical productions.


Notable people

* Manto Mavrogenous *
Mary Paraskeva Mary Paraskeva ( el, Μαίρη Παρασκευά; née Gripari (Γρυπάρη), 1882–1951) was a Greek amateur photographer; her photographic legacy from the beginning of the 20th century is probably the earliest known by a Greek woman. Biogra ...
, early amateur photographer * Nicholas Pettas, professional martial artist, kickboxer, and actor *
Ioannis Svoronos Ioannis N. Svoronos ( el, Ιωάννης Ν. Σβορώνος; Mykonos, 15 April 1863 – Athens, 25 August 1922) was a Greece, Greek archaeologist and numismatist. Life Ioannis Svoronos was born in 1863 on the island of Mykonos. After completin ...
, archaeologist and numismatist *
Ioannis Toumbas Ioannis Toumbas ( el, Ιωάννης Τούμπας, 24 February 1901 – 7 May 1995) was a Greek naval officer and politician, best known for his command of the destroyer ''Adrias'' during World War II. He also served in several ministerial posi ...
, naval officer


In popular culture

*Mykonos is among several Greek islands mentioned in Kenneth Koch's poem "Sleeping with Women". *The official music video of '' Stereo Love'' (2009), by Edward Maya & Vika Jigulina was shot entirely in Mykonos and its surrounding areas. *Scenes of Mykonos are featured in the 2003 Indian movie '' Chalte Chalte''. * " Mykonos" is a song on the American folk-rock band
Fleet Foxes Fleet Foxes is an American indie folk band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 2006. The band consists of Robin Pecknold (vocals, guitar), Skyler Skjelset (guitar, mandolin, backing vocals), Casey Wescott (keyboards, mandolin, backing vocals), Ch ...
' EP ''
Sun Giant ''Sun Giant'' is the second EP by American band Fleet Foxes, released on April 8, 2008, by Sub Pop and Bella Union. While the EP was released prior to their debut album, ''Fleet Foxes'', ''Sun Giant'' was recorded after the LP. ''Sun Giant'' was ...
''. * The film ''
Island of Death ''Island of Death'' (Greek: ''Τα Παιδιά Του Διαβόλου'', ''Ta pediá tou Diavólou'', ), also known as ''Devils in Mykonos'' and ''A Craving For Lust'', is a 1976 Greek exploitation film directed by Nico Mastorakis. It tells ...
'' (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. * The final scene of the 2002 film '' The Bourne Identity'' plays out on Mykonos. * Red Alert 3's Soviet campaign has a mission in Mykonos. The island is the location of a top-secret Allied weapons research laboratory that must be captured and defended from Allied attempts to retake the facility. * The television show ''
American Dad ''American Dad!'' is an American animated sitcom created by Seth MacFarlane, Mike Barker and Matt Weitzman for the Fox Broadcasting Company. Since 2014, the series has been airing new episodes on TBS. ''American Dad!'' is the first television ...
'' frequently references Mykonos, most notably Roger Smith in the episode "Bar Mitzvah Hustle." * The game Assassin's Creed Odyssey features Mykonos during the
Peloponnesian War The Peloponnesian War (431–404 BC) was an ancient Greek war fought between Athens and Sparta and their respective allies for the hegemony of the Greek world. The war remained undecided for a long time until the decisive intervention of th ...
. * One of the stages of the video game Street Fighter Alpha 3 is set in Mykonos.


See also

* Communities of the Cyclades *
Mykonos vase The Mykonos vase, a pithos, is one of the earliest dated objects ( Archaic period, c. 675 BC) to depict the Trojan Horse from Homer's telling of the Trojan war in the ''Iliad''. It was made by a civilization born out of Mitanni and Hittite king ...
*
List of traditional Greek place names This is a list of Greek place names as they exist in the Greek language. *Places involved in the history of Greek culture, including: **Historic Greek regions, including: ***Ancient Greece, including colonies and contacted peoples ***Hellenistic ...
{{cite web, url=http://www.mykonos-web.com/mykonos/about_mykonos.htm, title=Mykonos Web - About Mykonos - Gr, access-date=20 February 2015 *
Mykonos Biennale The Mykonos Bienniale is held every odd year at the start of the summer on the Greek island of Mykonos, originally created by Lydia Venieri. For one week at the end of June or the beginning of July, the island of Mykonos, hosts an extensive ra ...


References

{{Reflist, colwidth=30em


External links

{{Commons category, Mykonos {{wikivoyage, Mykonos
Official website of the Municipality of Mykonos

Visit Mykonos information on Mykonos by Myconian community and Visitors
{{Aegean Sea {{The Cyclades {{Kallikratis-South Aegean {{Mykonos div {{Stato da Mar {{Authority control Populated places in Mykonos Municipalities of the South Aegean Mediterranean port cities and towns in Greece Port cities of the Aegean Sea Stato da Màr Islands of Greece Landforms of Mykonos Islands of the South Aegean Members of the Delian League Greek city-states Populated places in the ancient Aegean islands