The Church of Panagía Paraportianí is a Greek Orthodox church in the Mykonos town on the island of Mykonos in Greece.
It consists of a two-storey complex of five churches, with the four forming its base and the fifth sitting like a dome. The church represents white Cycladic architecture. It is close to the seafront and the port of Mykonos Town. The name of the church indicates that it was originally close to the gate of the city’s Venetian-era castle (Kástro),It is located on the west side of the Castle of Mykonos Town. It was originally its rectangular central tower and tops part of one of the exits of the medieval fortress to the rocky shore.
The church actually consists of several small churches that have been built over time into a cluster and two floors on top of each other. In the middle is the Church of St. Eustathius. It is surrounded by the churches of the Holy Healers (Ágioi Anárgyroi), St. Sozon and St. Anastasia. On top of these four churches is a dome-like church dedicated to the Virgin Mary, from which the whole takes its name.
The oldest of the churches is the Church of the Holy Paid Healers, built in the late 14th century. Other churches were built in the 16th and 17th centuries. The church complex was restored in the 1920s. At the eastern end of the church is a small arch that acts as a bell tower.
The Church of Panagía Paraportianí is the most famous and oldest church in the city and one of the most photographed churches in the world.
Access : Coordinates: 37.4471, 25.3257 / The church is close to the seafront and the port of the city of Mýkonos.
Highlights :
- The white picturesque churches are one of the most popular features of the island. In the city of Mykonos alone there are more than 60 old churches.
- The ecclesiastical complex is essentially the evolution of one of the towers of the medieval castle and it is a complex of five churches.
- Inside it is housed the miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary, which, according to tradition, was brought by a sailor from Samos and taken to the church.
Activities : sightseeing / Photography, Architecture Photography / snapping selfies.
Go next : Lighthouse of Mykonos / Super Paradise beach : The famous beach of Plintri owes its fame to the Super Paradise that launched the concept of beach-party in 1971.
