Church of Panagia Paraportiani
Παναγία Παραπορτιανή
A pure white church made of five small chapels stacked together in an irregular form, often regarded as a sculptural masterpiece of Cycladic architecture.
Panagia Paraportiani is located in the Kastro district of Chora, near Little Venice. Its name means "Our Lady of the Side Gate," referring to its original position beside a side gate of a medieval castle. The church is made up of five small chapels built between the 15th and 17th centuries: four on the ground level and one on the upper level. Its exterior walls have been coated with lime wash many times, giving them rounded, soft contours with no sharp lines or corners, so from a distance it looks like a white sculpture. It is one of the most photographed churches in Greece and a model for architects studying the Cycladic style. The interior is generally not open to visitors, so most people come to take photos of the exterior. Sea views surround the church, and it can be combined with Little Venice and the windmills for a walking route at sunset.
Opening hours
Exterior open all day; interior usually closed to visitors
Nearby sights
- Kastro (Gyzi Castle)
- Folklore Museum of Mykonos
- Little Venice
- Kato Mili Windmills
- Matoyianni Street
- Mykonos Town (Chora)
- Aegean Maritime Museum
- Old Port of Mykonos