Page 52 - MYCONIAN COLLECTION 2022

discover|history

The Myconian

diachrony

ACCORDING TO HESYCHIOS, Mykonos derives from the word with the beginning of the First World War, Mykonos’ well-devel-
Mykon, meaning heap and themonia; heap of stones on account of the oped economy started to decline and, consequently, many locals left
impressive granite boulders that seem to have been heaped by some to find work in mainland Greece or abroad – especially in the Unit-
supernatural hand. Ancient Greeks had created the myth that under ed States.Yet, it wasn’t long before tourism rose as the answer to the
the island’s rocks were buried the giants killed by Hercules, who came problems of the local economy, starting with significant archaeolog-
to the aid of his father Zeus during the Gigantomachy. ical excavations taking place in Delos in 1873, which brought fasci-
Archaeological finds on Mykonos indicate the existence of a signif- nating Ancient Greek artefacts and structures to light. As a result,
icant civilisation on the island, dating back to to the Late Neolithic lovers of Greek history and mythology began taking an interest in the
period (5th & 4th millennium BC). Later, Ionians settle on Mykonos, region and, along with the ancient ruins, started to explore the island
colonising it after expelling its previous inhabitants. of Mykonos and partake in the celebrated Greek hospitality. In the
Later on, when Delos was highly populated, Mykonos became very 1930s, Mykonos started to become a popular destination for famous
important as a significant port for supplies and transit. It was also an artists, politicians and wealthy Europeans, who had already noticed
important cultural and religious centre, and many travelled frequent- the island. Those were the first days of Mykonos as a hotspot for the
ly between the two islands. During the time of the Roman occupation international jet-set. After the dark years of World War II, Mykonos
and the Middle Ages, Mykonos was part of the Roman Empire and came back to life to blossom into the stunning cosmopolitan destination
then the Byzantine Empire. The Byzantines defended it against the of the rich and famous – and not only – that we know it as today.
Arabs in the 7th century and maintained control until the 13th centu-
ry, when it came under the control of the Ghizzi dynasty in 1207 and
was eventually handed to the Venetians in 1390. In 1537, still under
the Venetians, Mykonos was attacked by Hayreddin Barbarossa, a “Mykonos was not an island in
legendary admiral of Suleiman the Magnificent. The Ottomans took the shadow of Delos. It was a
over, imposing a system of self-governance which consisted of a gov-
ernor and an appointed council of syndics. remarkable center since prehistory,
After centuries of foreign rule, the Mykonians took over a leading role
in the Greek Revolution of 1821 against the Ottomans, spearheaded with trade links with the other
PHOTO: BARBAVIAJERA part of the free Greek State since the first day of its independence in Maria Konioti- archaeologist
Aegean islands and mainland
by acclaimed national heroine Mando Mavrogenous. Mykonos was
Greece.”
1830. Sailors and merchants quickly revived the island’s economy,
consolidating trade relations with South Russia, Moldavia and Wal-
lachia. However, after the opening of the Corinth Canal in 1904 and

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