The Greek Isles

The territory of Greece contains over 6,000 islands and islets scattered throughout the Aegean and Ionian Sea. Of these 6,000 islands, only 227 of them are inhabited. The Greek Islands offer a vast array of breathtaking sights: countless beaches, sheltered bays and coves, golden stretches of sand with dunes, coastal caves with steep rocks, and black sand typical of volcanic soil. The remains of some of the most ancient of Greek civiliations- such as the Cycladic and Minoan- can be found on the Greek Islands. Pictured here are some of the islands we visited: Mykonos, Patmos, and Santorini.

	Mykonos Mykonos, one of the most famous and popular of all the Greek isles, has an enormously rich history. In myth, it was the island where Hercules and Poseidon had a hand in destroying the giants that were threatening Zeus (it is said that the island was later named after Apollo's son, Mykons). Archaeological evidence shows the site was inhabited as early as 3000 B.C., and later became an important Ionian supply island because of its proximitiy to Delos (a highly populated island), and during the time of Alexander the Great it developed into an important commerical center. The island flourished during Roman and Medieval times due to its location, and in 1822 the heroine of Mykonos Manto Mavroyenous led the people of Mykonos in the resistance of a Turkish onslaught. Tourism to the island began in earnest in the 1950s (the island was actually occupied by the Germans during World War II), and continues until this day. Pictured here is a Catholic church on the island of Mykonos, demonstrating the characteristic architecture of the island: white washed buildings, often with blue or red roof tops.
	The Windmills of Mykonos From as early as the 16th century one of the most recognized landmarks of Mykonos have been it's windmills. Due to it's geographic position, Mykonos was situated on major sea trade-route which at one time joined Venice, the gateway of Europe, to Asia. The need to refine grain and compact it for transport combined with an ample year round supply of wind made Mykonos the perfect location. Easy access to the harbor was necessary so most of the island's mills were positioned in or around the main port with the highest concentration covering the entire western portion of town. With the coming of industrialization the windmills importance began to decline as well as their numbers.
	Patmos Patmos is a small island in the Aegean seen- it has a population of roughly 3,000 and covers an area of about 13 square miles. Patmos is most notable for its mention in the Christian scriptural Book of Revelation. The book's introduction states that the author, John, has been exiled to Patmos, and that there he saw and recorded a vision from Jesus. Very early Christian tradition identifies this John as John the Apostle. Patmos is a destination for Christian pilgrimage. Visitors can visit the cave where John saw the Revelation.
	Santorini Santorini is a small, circular group of islands located in the Southern Aegean Sea. Santorini is essentially what is left of an enormous volcanic explosion which led to the creation of the caldera- a volcanic feature formed by the collapse of land following a volcanic eruption. One can see a giant central lagoon when standing atop Santorini, surrounded by cliffs on three sides.On the fourth side, the lagoon is separated from the Mediterranean by another much smaller island called Therasia (which can be seen in the photo here). Due to the destruction caused by the volcanic eruption, some have proposed that Santorini is the location of the lost city of Atlantis.

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