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| 1925 Mykonos - Kato Mili in Chora |
Posted on 29.09.2015, 12.10.2016
Nicknamed The Island of the Winds, Mykonos is one of the Cyclades islands, which neighbour Delos in the Aegean Sea. It rises to an elevation of 341m, and has about 10,000 inhabitants, most of whom live in the largest town, Mykonos, also known as Chora (i.e. the Town in Greek). There are two seasonal winds in Mykonos. The one in winter, the Sirocco, a famous southern wind, which carries sands from the deserts that border the Mediterranean. In the summer a cooling wind comes from the north, the Meltemi. As a result, the windmills are a defining feature of the Mykonian landscape.
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| 2815 Mykonos - Panagia Paraportiani in Chora |
There are many windmills around the island, but most are concentrated in Chora. The famous "Kato Mili" (Greek for lower mills), stand in a row on a hill overlooking the sea to harness the strong northern winds. With a round shape, white colour and 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.
Panagia Paraportiani, a church situated also in Chora, is one of the most famous architectural structures in Greece. It received its name Paraportiani, which means "standing next to the entrance", because it was located next to the entrance of an medieval castle (kastro door) - in those days a castle was a strong fortification surrounding a settlement - constructed in 1207 by the Gisi 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. Construction of this church started in 1425 and was not completed until the 17th century. This whitewashed church actually consists of five separate churches which are joined: the four churches (dedicated to Saint Eustathios, Saint Sozon, Saints Anargyroi and Saint Anastasia) are at ground level and constitute the base of the fifth church that has been built above them.
About the stamps
On the postcard 1925
The first stamp is part of the series Centenary Journalists Union, issued on January 21, 2015.
• P. Palaeologos / D. Psathas (0,01 EUR) - It's on the postcard 1977
• I.I. Meyer / V. Gavrielides (0,20 EUR)
• M. Rezan / N. Karantinos (0,50 EUR) - It's on the postcard 1925
• E. Hourmouzios / M. Ploritis (0,72 EUR)
• Centenary Emblem (2,62 EUR)
The second is part of the series Months in Folk Art, designed by Eleni Apostolou and issued on April 24, 2014.
• April (0.02 EUR)
• July (0.20 EUR) - It's on the postcard 1925
• December (0.40 EUR)
• January (0.50 EUR)
• March (0.72 EUR)
• August (0.80 EUR)
• June (0.85 EUR)
• November (0.90 EUR)
• September (1.00 EUR)
• May (2.62 EUR)
• February (3.00 EUR)
• October (3.10 EUR)
On the postcard 2815
The stamp is part of the series Tourism, designed by Anthoula Lygka, and issued on August 8, 2014:
• Visit Santorini - It's on the postcard 2815
• Visit Greece
• Visit Rhodes
References
Mykonos - Wikipedia
Mykonos windmills - Wikipedia
Sender 1925: Ilia (direct swap)
Sent from Athens (Attica / Greece), on 21.09.2015
Sender 2815: Milda Kriukaite (direct swap)
Sent from Mykonos (South Aegean / Greece), on 28.09.2016
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