Greek Island: Mykonos

Mykonos is a Greek island, second in beauty to Santorini. Most of the inhabitants of Mykonos live in the largest town of Chora (below).

 

According to Greek mythology, Mykonos was the location of the battle between Zeus and the Titans. The island was named in honor of Mykons, son of Anios, who was son of Apollo (Zeus' son).

Tourism is a major industry. One of the landmarks of Mykonos is Little Venice (above). Here the buildings are right on the edge of sea with balconies overhanging the water.

 

 

One of the most recognized landmarks of Mykonos are the windmills (above) from the 16th century.

The Church of Paraportiani (above) is one of the most famous architectural structures in Greece. Its name means inner or secondary door. The door to the medieval stone walls, which encircled the area.

Petros the pelican has been the official mascot of Mykonos for over 50 years. In 1958 a wounded pelican was found off the coast of Mykonos shore by a local fisherman. The pelican was nursed to health. However, it was hit by a car in 1985 and failed to recover. Three new pelicans reside on the island. One of them is carrying on the name of Petros.

The beautiful colors of Greece, white and blue.

The charming streets of Chora.

                        One of many churches along the breath-taking streets.

Greek Island: Patmos and its legend

Patmos is a small Greek island in the Aegean Sea. It is a popular tourist destination due to the John's Revelation. At the cave of Apocalypse (below) John supposedly received his Revelation. He received a vision from Jesus, which he recorded in the Book of Revelation.

Several monasteries on the island are dedicated to Saint John. One of them is the Monastery of Saint John the Theologian (below). In 1088 Byzantine Emperor Alexios I Komnenos gave the island of Patmos to the soldier-priest John Christodoulos. The greater part of the monastery he completed in three years. He heavily fortified the exterior, because of the threats of piracy and Turks.

According to a legend from Greek mythology, the island's original name was Letois, after goddess Artemis. Mythology tells that the island of Patmos existed as an island at the bottom of the sea. Artemis frequently visited a shrine on Mount Latmos, which was located on the mainland across the shore from Patmos. There, she met with moon goddess Selene, who cast her light on the ocean, revealing the sunken island of Patmos. Selene tried to bring the sunken island to the surface with the help of Artemis. Artemis persuaded her brother, Apollo, to convince their father, Zeus, to allow the island to arise from the sea. Zeus agreed and the island emerged from the water. The Sun dried up the land and brought the life to it. Gradually, inhabitants from the surrounding areas, including Mount Latmos, settled on the island and named it Letois in honor of Artemis.

                                            Streets of Patmos

View of the bay

 

Windmills of Patmos

Greece: Meteora

The Meteora literary means "middle of the sky" or "suspended in the air" is one of the largest and most important complexes of Eastern Orthodox monasteries in Greece, second only to Mount Athos. The six monasteries are built on natural sandstone rock pillars in central Greece. The nearest town is Kalambaka.

The exact date of the establishment of the monasteries is unknown. By the 12th century a community had created in Meteora. In the 14th century some monks came to Meteora from Mount Athos. The remoteness of the area was perfect for the monks, without them having any influence of political upheavals. At the end of the 14th century, when Turkish empire was taking over the Greek lands, the monks found inaccessible rock pillars of Meteora to be an ideal refuge. More than 20 monasteries were built, beginning in the 14th century. Six remain today. Original access to the monasteries was deliberately difficult, requiring either long ladders or large nets to haul up both goods and people. Of the six remaining monasteries, four are inhabited by men and two by women. Each monastery has less than 10 inhabitants. The monasteries are tourist attraction now.

The Monastery of St. Stephen (above) was built in 1192 - a fact which is confirmed by historians and scholars. It was damaged by Nazis during the WWII. Nuns took it over and reconstructed it.

The Monastery of All Saints Varlaam (above) is the second largest monastery. The first to live on the rock was the monk Varlaam, who built some cells there with a church around the year 1350. Later some brothers rebuilt on the ruins of the older buildings in 1518. The most impressive building of the Varlaam monastery is the central church of Katholikon. A large building, it is dedicated to All Saints. Supposedly, it housed the finger of St. John and the shoulder blade of St. Andrew.

The Monastery of Rousanou (above) was founded in 1288, still pending historical sources to be confirmed. In the mid 16th century the monastery was restored.

Greece: Nauplia, Mystras

Nauplia is a seaport town that has expanded up the hillsides. The town was the capital of Greece between 1821-1834.
The Bourtzi Castle (below) is located in the middle of the harbor of Nauplia. The Venetians completed its fortification in 1473 to protect the city from pirates and invaders from the sea. The Greeks regained it from Turks on June 18, 1822.

The Palamidi Castle with fortress (below) is settled on a hill in Nauplia. It was built by the Venetians during their second occupation between 1686-1715. The fortress was captured by the Turks in 1715 and remained under their control until 1822, when it was captured by the Greeks.

Mystras (below) is a fortified town, situated on Mt. Taygetos, near ancient Sparta. From 1262, when the Byzantines became the rules of Mystras, a brilliant period began for this medieval fortress-state. The hill filled with houses, mansions, palaces, churches and fortified monasteries. Further, the densely-populated city was provided two enclosure walls. During the 14th and 15th centuries, Mystras experienced a period of prosperity and cultural flowering, closely connected with Constantinople. The site remained inhabited throughout the Ottoman period, when it was mistaken by Western travelers for ancient Sparta. It was abandoned in 1830s.

Pantanassa Monastery (below) was built by the Protostrator (high court official) in 1428. He built a masterful synthesis by copying the Hodegetria's architectural type and borrowing from Gothic art for its decoration.

 

The church of the Metropolis (below) was most probably built after Mystras was turned over to the Byzantines, 1262. Its important frescos are characterized by a variety of styles, owing to the different periods when they were painted, late 13th - early 14th centuries.