Point of interest
Ano Mera & Kloster Panagia Tourliani / Monastery
in Mykonos, Greece
Mykonos's second traditional village, inland, built around a 1542 monastery with an intricately carved icon screen.
Where it is
Ano Mera is the largest inland village of Mykonos, about seven kilometres east of Chora; the Panagia Tourliani monastery stands on its central square.
Address: Platys Gialos
What it is
The whitewashed monastery, with its striking marble bell tower, preserves a miracle-working icon of the Virgin, carved altars and ecclesiastical treasures, and is a calm contrast to the bustle of the coast. The surrounding village of Ano Mera, with its square and tavernas, offers a more traditional picture of island life.
History
The Panagia Tourliani monastery was founded in 1542, by tradition by monks who took refuge on Mykonos, on the site of an older church of the Virgin. It is dedicated to the island's principal patron saint; its gilded Baroque wood-carved altarpiece was made in 1775 by Florentine craftsmen.