Point of interest
Panagia Paraportiani
in Mykonos, Greece
A dazzling white church formed from five merged chapels — one of the most photographed buildings in the Cyclades.
Where it is
The church stands in the Kastro quarter at the entrance to Chora's old town, right by the sea near Little Venice.
Address: Oikou Gkizi, Mykonos
What it is
The dazzling white Paraportiani is made up of five chapels fused together: four at ground level form the base for a fifth above. With its rounded, sculptural forms it is regarded as one of the finest examples of Cycladic architecture, listed as a national monument and one of the most photographed churches in the world.
History
Construction began around 1425 and continued into the 17th century. The name "Paraportiani" means "of the side gate," as the church stood at the secondary gate of the old Kastro. Restorations in the 1920s secured its unusual form.