All You Need to Know About Mykonos

Mykonos is an attractive island in Greece and is a popular tourist destination. It is known for its beautiful white-painted houses, buildings, and blue-domed churches. Mykonos follows strict color codes for its buildings. All the doors and windows in Mykonos must be painted either blue, green, or red. Though this is strange, this very feature adds beauty and uniqueness to the island. Read along to know some unknown facts about Mykonos island and Mykonos history.

Mykonos History

Greek mythology is one of the most known and fascinating sets of stories that every one of us enjoyed listening to. The Gigantomachy, a period of intense conflict between the Olympian gods and the Giants over who would control the universe, was a pivotal one in Greek mythology. As the strongest of all mortals and the son of Zeus, Hercules engaged the Giants in battle.  Hercules was successful in removing them from Mount Olympus’s fortress during the conflict. He took them to Mykonos, where he slaughtered them and buried them behind the massive island cliffs. It’s believed that the enormous rocks strewn over Mykonos are the Giants’ petrified remains. 

Interesting facts about Mykonos island

• Mykonos got its name from the first ruler who is typically the grandson of the Greek god of light and music, Apollo.
• The 19-meter-tall Armenistis lighthouse is one of the most beautiful sights in Mykonos which was built in 1891.
• A location on Mykonos named Alefkandra is known as “Little Venice” because of its similarities to the Italian city.

Why is everything in Mykonos painted red blue and green?

Greece then experienced a wood shortage, thus houses were constructed out of volcanic rocks that absorbed a lot of heat and cast a very black shadow. Greeks began painting it white to make it heat-resistant since white reflects heat. When compared to green and red, blue is more prevalent. This is due to the fact that a powder called loulaki, which is relatively inexpensive, is used to create the color blue. A decree requiring all homes to be painted in white and blue was introduced in 1967 by the military dictatorship that ruled Greece at the time. This law supported their political objective. This kind of painting quickly acquired popularity and drew many tourists.