Mykonos windmills
Encyclopedia
The Mykonos windmills are iconic feature of the Greek
island of the Mykonos
. The island is one of the Cyclades
islands, which surround Delos
in the Agean Sea. The windmill
s can be seen from every point of the village of Mykonos, the island's principle village, which is sometimes called the Chora on Greek islands. The windmills are the first thing seen when coming into the harbour, as they stand on a hill overlooking the area. There are currently 16 windmills on Mykonos. Most of them were built by the Venetians
in the 16th century, but construction continued into the early 20th century. They were primarily used to mill
wheat
. They were an important source of income for the inhabitants. Their use gradually declined until they ceased production in the middle of the 20th century. Their architecture is similar. They all have a round shape, white colour and a pointed roof. Such windmills are found in almost all Cyclades
islands. One of these windmills has been transformed into a museum
. The whole village of Chora and the harbour are visible from this point.
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
island of the Mykonos
Mykonos
Mykonos is a Greek island, part of the Cyclades, lying between Tinos, Syros, Paros and Naxos. The island spans an area of and rises to an elevation of at its highest point. There are 9,320 inhabitants most of whom live in the largest town, Mykonos, which lies on the west coast. The town is also...
. The island is one of the Cyclades
Cyclades
The Cyclades is a Greek island group in the Aegean Sea, south-east of the mainland of Greece; and a former administrative prefecture of Greece. They are one of the island groups which constitute the Aegean archipelago. The name refers to the islands around the sacred island of Delos...
islands, which surround Delos
Delos
The island of Delos , isolated in the centre of the roughly circular ring of islands called the Cyclades, near Mykonos, is one of the most important mythological, historical and archaeological sites in Greece...
in the Agean Sea. The windmill
Windmill
A windmill is a machine which converts the energy of wind into rotational energy by means of vanes called sails or blades. Originally windmills were developed for milling grain for food production. In the course of history the windmill was adapted to many other industrial uses. An important...
s can be seen from every point of the village of Mykonos, the island's principle village, which is sometimes called the Chora on Greek islands. The windmills are the first thing seen when coming into the harbour, as they stand on a hill overlooking the area. There are currently 16 windmills on Mykonos. Most of them were built by the Venetians
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
in the 16th century, but construction continued into the early 20th century. They were primarily used to mill
Mill (grinding)
A grinding mill is a unit operation designed to break a solid material into smaller pieces. There are many different types of grinding mills and many types of materials processed in them. Historically mills were powered by hand , working animal , wind or water...
wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
. They were an important source of income for the inhabitants. Their use gradually declined until they ceased production in the middle of the 20th century. Their architecture is similar. They all have a round shape, white colour and a pointed roof. Such windmills are found in almost all Cyclades
Cyclades
The Cyclades is a Greek island group in the Aegean Sea, south-east of the mainland of Greece; and a former administrative prefecture of Greece. They are one of the island groups which constitute the Aegean archipelago. The name refers to the islands around the sacred island of Delos...
islands. One of these windmills has been transformed into a museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
. The whole village of Chora and the harbour are visible from this point.