The Best Historical and Archeological Sites on Mykonos
Submitted by Andy_B on Monday, 09 March 2020 Page Views: 3193
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Out of the numerous beachside hotels many consider the Adorno Suites Hotel to be the best Mykonos Hotel, and there are many reasons to visit this amazing island. Here are some of the top destinations for history and culture to visit around Mykonos.
The Panagia Paraportiana Church
Undoubtedly the most recognizable landmark on Mykonos, the Panagia Paraportiana Church (pictured right) is located in Mykonos Town in the Kastro Region. The all-white church is skillfully built with a five chapels included in its asymmetrical shape. Spanning two stories, the chapel reflects the building style on the island during the 1600s. There are two floors and the church is open to visitors during the week and for services on the weekend.
Delos Island
Delos (pictured top left) is an island close to Mykonos that is widely recognized as one of the most important Greek historical sites. You can take a sightseeing tour that starts with a short boat ride to the island and visit of all of the amazing places on this island. Really the whole of Delos is like an open-air museum because of its historical significance and amazing artefacts.Delos is, according to Greek folklore, the birthplace of two of its most prominent Gods, Apollo and Artemis. There are temples here to each of them and although time has certainly worn away the lustre of their temples you can certainly still see the grandeur and beauty they once boasted. There is also a large temple dedicated to the God Isis.
The island was once a religious centre in this part of the world, attracting visitors from Europe, Africa and Asia Minor. When you visit Delos you will find a plethora of outstanding ancient monuments that have been cared for throughout the millennia. At the Archaeological Museum on Delos, you can view a magnificent collection of jewellery, statues, figurines, pottery, friezes, mosaics, and other artefacts discovered on the island. The majority of these date back thousands of years to when Greece was a world centre.
The Mykonos Ancient Settlement of Ftelia
Many people attribute the totality of Greece’s culture to the period when the Ancient Greek culture was thriving. However Mykonos was inhabited long before classical Greece as demonstrated by the finds at the Ancient Settlement of Ftelia. These date from the Neolithic Period, or the 5th and 4th millennium BC. In the Cyclades area of Mykonos, right on Ftelia’s Beach, archeologists have discovered rectangular buildings that were constructed on rocks. Some have small storage rooms and all have thick walls. There are also arrowheads and fragments of ceramic vessels in many different shapes. You can view these important discoveries when you visit. For more sites in the area please see our scrollable and zoomable map of the prehistory of the Greek Islands.
With many thanks to Adorno Suites, Björn, Edward Weston and L'Orso Sul Monociclo for their kind support and assistance with this article, including Creative Commons photos.
