Mykonos history spans ancient Ionian settlers beside sacred Delos, Venetian and Ottoman rule, the Venetian-built windmills and Little Venice, a seafaring and trading past, to its 20th-century rise as a glamorous international tourist island. This guide covers the timeline, the key historical sites and how the rich past shapes Mykonos today. Mykonos has a deep … Read more
Santorini history runs from the thriving Bronze Age town of Akrotiri, through the colossal Minoan eruption around 1600 BC that formed the caldera, to ancient Thera, Venetian rule and the modern age of tourism. This guide covers the prehistory, the eruption, the ancient and medieval island and Santorini today. The island’s dramatic past underpins the … Read more
The Santorini windmills, most famously the white round mills of Oia, were 18th and 19th-century grain mills powered by the island’s strong meltemi wind, now restored as iconic photo landmarks and unusual places to stay. This guide covers what they are, the history, where to see them and tips for visiting. The windmills are a … Read more
Parian marble is the fine-grained, semi-translucent white stone of Paros, prized above all others in antiquity for sculpture. Quarried at Marathi from the seventh century BC, it shaped masterpieces such as the Venus de Milo and made the island a great artistic centre. This guide covers what the marble is, its ancient quarries, the works … Read more
The cruiser Elli was a Greek warship torpedoed in Tinos harbour during the great August 15 pilgrimage, before Greece had entered the Second World War. The attack on a holy day, on a ship honouring the island’s feast, shocked the nation and became a symbol of unprovoked aggression. This guide tells the story of the … Read more
The history of Tinos spans an ancient sanctuary of Poseidon, the longest Venetian rule in the Aegean, a strong Catholic legacy, and the discovery of a holy icon that made the island Greece’s foremost place of pilgrimage. From its fortified medieval capital at Exomvourgo to its world-famous marble craft, the island carries layers of culture … Read more