Mykonos Windmills
Mykonos Windmills
It has been said that no trip to Greece is complete without visiting
the Mykonos windmills .
I absolutely agree to this belief, because
they look superb from any angle. Moreover, like the other attractions
of the island, the windmills are the symbols of the island and represent
an impressive sight.
Sixteen at number, they have been used for grinding
the agricultural products. All painted in white, circular, having a conical
roof made of wood, their silhouette can be seen on the heights above
Chora or near Alefkantra on Mykonos.
They function and are brought to
life by the wind that blows 200 and 300 days a year. The Upper Mills of Chora and the windmills that operated
at Ano Meria served the residents of the local area and the country side.
The Lower Mills of Chora were traditionally involved in the grinding
process of products that came outside the island.
Building near the windmills was forbidden. A building
would have caused unbalanced and unequal pressure of the wind on certain
one-piece sails which in turn would have destroyed the whole rotating
mechanism.
Today Mykonos windmills aren’t used for
grinding. They are still important for the historical heritage they carry.
Some of them have been restored and now are museum (i.e. Bonis mill)
while others have been restored and used and dwellings.
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