47-680: The Mykonos Bienniale is held every odd year at the start of the summer on the Greek island of Mykonos , originally created by Lydia Venieri . For one week at the end of June or the beginning of July, the island of Mykonos, hosts an extensive range of artworks, projects, and a program of events. The biennial commissions leading and emerging artists to make and present permanent and temporary public artworks, as well as long-term community-based projects. Mykonos Mykonos ( / ˈ m ɪ k ə n ɒ s , - n oʊ s / , UK also / ˈ m iː k -/ ; Greek : Μύκονος [ˈmikonos] )
94-568: A population of nearly 12,500, most of whom live in the main town of Chora . According to the National Observatory of Athens , Mykonos has a hot semi-arid climate ( Köppen climate classification : BSh ) because of the low overall precipitation, although it has lots of Mediterranean climate ( Csa) characteristics and is highly influenced by the Aegean Sea . The rainy season lasts from October until March. Vegetation follows
141-539: A project under way. The Venetians also considered it in 1687 after their conquest of the Peloponnese but likewise did not initiate any work on the ground. The idea of a canal was revived after Greece gained formal independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1830. The Greek statesman Ioannis Kapodistrias asked a French engineer to assess the feasibility of the project but had to abandon it when its cost
188-433: A tenth of the total distance across the isthmus. A memorial of the attempt in the form of a relief of Hercules was left by Nero's workers and can still be seen in the canal cutting today. Other than this, as the modern canal follows the same course as Nero's, no remains have survived. The Greek philosopher and Roman senator Herodes Atticus is known to have considered digging a canal in the 2nd century AD, but did not get
235-536: A trading center, attracting many immigrants from nearby islands, in addition to regular pirate raids. In June 1794 the Battle of Mykonos was fought between British and French ships in the island's main harbor. The Greek Revolution against the Ottoman Empire broke out in 1821 and Mykonos played an important role, led by the national heroine, Manto Mavrogenous . Mavrogenous, a well-educated aristocrat guided by
282-494: Is a Greek island , part of the Cyclades , lying between Tinos , Syros , Paros and Naxos . The island has an area of 85.5 square kilometres (33.0 sq mi) and rises to an elevation of 341 metres (1,119 feet) at its highest point. At the 2021 census, there were 10,704 inhabitants, most of whom lived in the largest town, Mykonos, which is on the west coast. The town is also known as Chora (i.e. 'Town' in Greek, following
329-524: Is a separate regional unit of the South Aegean region, and the sole municipality in the regional unit. As a part of the 2011 Kallikratis government reform , the regional unit Mykonos was created out of part of the former Cyclades Prefecture . The municipality, unchanged at the Kallikratis reform, also includes the islands of Delos , Rineia and several uninhabited islets. The total area of
376-448: Is composed mostly of granite and the terrain is very rocky with many areas eroded by the strong winds. High quality clay and baryte , which is a mineral used as a lubricant in oil drilling, were mined on the eastern side of Mykonos until the late 1900s. It produces 4,500 cubic metres (160,000 cu ft) of water daily, by reverse osmosis of sea water in order to help meet the needs of its population and visitors. The island has
423-452: Is currently of little economic importance and is mainly a tourist attraction. The Corinth canal concept originated with Periander of Corinth in the 7th century BC. Daunted by its enormity, he chose to implement the Diolkos , a land trackway for transporting ships, instead. Construction of a canal finally began under Roman Emperor Nero in 67 AD, using Jewish prisoners captured during
470-484: Is located 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) southeast of the town of Mykonos and it is served by international flights during summer. The flight from Athens to Mykonos takes 25 minutes. Mykonos is also accessible by boat and ferries. High speed vessels visit daily from the surrounding islands and from Athens. Taxis, buses or boats are available for transportation. There are three main bus depots in Mykonos. The northern depot
517-514: Is situated behind Remezzo Club above the old Port and provides regular service to Ano Mera, Elia and Kalafatis. A few hundred meters below, at the Old Port, lays another Depot focusing on the northern destinations of Tourlos (New Port) and Agios Stefanos. The southern Bus Depot is at the town "entrance", called Fabrika and it provides regular service to Ornos, Agios Yannis, Plati Gialos, Psarou, Paraga, and Paradise Beach. Small boats travel to and from
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#1732781055797564-507: The Axis occupation of Greece the Allies made several attempts to block the canal but without success. In October 1944, as German forces retreated from Greece , the canal was put out of action by German " scorched earth " operations. German forces used explosives to trigger landslides to block the canal, destroyed the bridges and dumped locomotives, bridge wreckage and other infrastructure into
611-406: The Battle of Greece between defending Allied troops and the invading forces of Nazi Germany , German parachutists and glider troops attempted to capture the main bridge over the canal. The bridge was defended by British and Anzac forces and had been wired for demolition. The Germans surprised the defenders with a glider-borne assault in the early morning of 26 April and captured the bridge, but
658-509: The Diolkos still exist next to the modern canal. The Diadoch Demetrius Poliorcetes (336–283 BC) planned to construct a canal as a means to improve his communication lines, but dropped the plan after his surveyors, miscalculating the levels of the adjacent seas, feared heavy floods. The philosopher Apollonius of Tyana prophesied that anyone who proposed to dig a Corinthian canal would be met with illness. Three Roman rulers considered
705-559: The First Jewish–Roman War . However, the project ceased shortly after his death. In subsequent centuries, the idea intrigued figures like Herodes Atticus in the second century and, following their conquest of the Peloponnese in 1687, the Venetians . Despite their interest, neither of them undertook the construction. Construction finally recommenced in 1881 but was hampered by geological and financial problems that bankrupted
752-700: The Ionian Sea with the Saronic Gulf in the Aegean Sea . It cuts through the narrow Isthmus of Corinth and separates the Peloponnese from the Greek mainland, making the peninsula an island . The canal was dug through the Isthmus at sea level and has no locks . It is 6.4 kilometres (4 miles) in length and only 24.6 metres (80.7 feet) wide at sea level, making it impassable for many modern ships. It
799-553: The Panama Canal , French banks refused to lend money, and the company went bankrupt as well. A fresh concession was granted to the Société Internationale du Canal Maritime de Corinthe in 1881, which was commissioned to construct the canal and operate it for the next 99 years. Construction was formally inaugurated on 23 April 1882 in the presence of King George I of Greece . The company's initial capital
846-405: The Saronic Gulf . As a result, they concluded, if a canal were dug the island of Aegina would be inundated. Caligula's interest in the idea got no further as he too was assassinated before making any progress. The emperor Nero was the first to attempt to construct the canal, personally breaking the ground with a pickaxe and removing the first basket-load of soil in 67 AD, but the project
893-528: The sedimentary rock , in an active seismic zone , through which the canal is cut. The canal's high limestone walls have been persistently unstable from the start. Although it was formally opened in July 1893 it was not opened to navigation until the following November, due to landslides. It was soon found that the wake from ships passing through the canal undermined the walls, causing further landslides. This required further expense in building retaining walls along
940-477: The 1980s. By the 2000s, Mykonos had become one of Greece's most expensive islands. In Greek mythology , Mykonos was named after its first ruler, Mykonos (Μύκονος), the son or grandson of the god Apollo and a local hero. The island is also said to have been the location of the Gigantomachy , the great battle between Zeus and Giants and where Heracles killed the invincible giants having lured them from
987-646: The British set off the charges and destroyed the structure. Other authors maintain that German pioneers cut the detonation wires, and a lucky hit by British artillery triggered the explosion, or that they were set off by a rifle shot from one of the British sappers. The bridge was replaced by a combined rail/road bridge built in 25 days by the IV Ferrovieri Battalion of the Royal Italian Army 's Ferrovieri Engineer Regiment . Following
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#17327810557971034-589: The admiral of Suleiman the Magnificent and an Ottoman fleet established itself on the island. The Ottomans, under the leadership of Kapudan Pasha , imposed a system of self-governance comprising a governor and an appointed council of syndics . When the castle of Tinos fell to the Ottomans in 1718, the last of the Venetians withdrew from the region. Up until the end of the 18th century, Mykonos prospered as
1081-447: The bottom. The rock walls, which rise 90 metres (300 ft) above sea level, are at a near-vertical 80° angle. The canal is crossed by a railway line, a road and a motorway at a height of about 45 metres (148 ft). In 1988, submersible bridges were installed at sea level at each end of the canal, by the eastern harbour of Isthmia and the western harbour of Poseidonia, providing two additional crossings for road traffic. Although
1128-427: The canal saves the 700-kilometre (430 mi) journey around the Peloponnese , it is too narrow for modern ocean freighters , as it can accommodate ships only of a width up to 17.6 metres (58 ft) and draft up to 7.3 metres (24 ft). In October 2019, with over 900 passengers on board, a 22.5 metres (74 ft) wide and 195 metres (640 ft) long Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines cruise ship successfully traversed
1175-472: The canal to hinder repairs. The United States Army Corps of Engineers began to clear the canal in November 1947 and reopened it for shallow-draft traffic by 7 July 1948, and for all traffic by that September. Because the canal is difficult to navigate for large vessels, it is mostly used by smaller recreational boats. A notable exception occurred on 9 October 2019, when the cruise ship MS Braemar became
1222-403: The canal, and traffic was far below predictions. Annual traffic of just under 4 million net tons had been anticipated, but by 1906 traffic had reached only half a million net tons annually. By 1913, the total had risen to 1.5 million net tons, but the disruption caused by World War I resulted in a major decline in traffic. Another persistent problem was the heavily faulted nature of
1269-540: The common practice in Greece when the name of the island itself is the same as the name of the principal town). Mykonos's nickname is "The Island of the Winds", due to the very strong winds that usually blow on the island. Tourism is a major industry and Mykonos is known for its vibrant nightlife. Herodotus mentions Carians as the original inhabitants of the island. Ionians from Athens seem to have followed next in
1316-468: The early 11th century BC. There were many people living on the neighboring island of Delos , only 2 km (1.2 miles) away, which meant that Mykonos became an important place for supplies and transit. It was, however, during ancient times a rather poor island with limited agricultural resources. Its inhabitants were polytheists and worshiped many gods. Mykonos came under the control of the Romans during
1363-518: The idea but all suffered violent deaths; the historians Plutarch and Suetonius both wrote that the Roman dictator Julius Caesar considered digging a canal through the isthmus but was assassinated before he could begin the project. Caligula , the third Roman Emperor , commissioned a study in 40 AD from Egyptian experts who claimed incorrectly that the Corinthian Gulf was higher than
1410-498: The ideas of the Enlightenment , sacrificed her family's fortune for the Greek cause. Greece became an independent state in 1830. A statue of her sits in the middle of Manto Mavrogenous square in the main town. At the end of February 1884, the British travellers Theodore and Mabel Bent visited the island, ostensibly to witness the traditional funeral lamentations (‘mœrologia’). As a result of sailing and merchant activity,
1457-528: The important excavations carried out by the French School of Archaeology, which began work in Delos in 1873. Mykonos became popular with international " jet set " tourists in the 1960s. In the 1970s, it was popular spot for Americans to treat as a nude beach, which Americans imagined to be a feature of those natural "far out" Greeks, and then flourished further to become a popular gay tourist destination in
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1504-591: The island's economy quickly picked up but declined again during the late 19th century and especially after the opening of the Corinth Canal in 1904 and the First World War at the beginning of the 20th century. Many Mykonians left the island to find work in mainland Greece and many foreign countries, especially the United States. Tourism soon came to dominate the local economy, owing a lot to
1551-573: The many beaches. Tour boats go regularly to the nearby island of Delos . In 2013 the Mykonos Biennale was inaugurated offering theatrical, cultural, cinematic, artistic, and musical productions. Corinth Canal The Corinth Canal ( Greek : Διώρυγα της Κορίνθου , romanized : Dioryga tis Korinthou ) is an artificial canal in Greece that connects the Gulf of Corinth in
1598-431: The municipality is 105.183 km (40.611 sq mi). The mayors of Mykonos have been: As a Greek island, the economy of Mykonos is closely linked with the sea. However, with the rise of tourism, it plays a minor role during summer. The original Neoclassical building underwent refurbishments and expansions in the 1930s and 1960s and the large eastern room was added in 1972. The museum contains artefacts from
1645-587: The neighbouring island Rhenia, including 9th- to 8th-century BC ceramic pottery from the Cyclades and 7th- to 6th-century BC works from other areas in the Aegean. Its most famous item is the large vase produced in Tinos, showing scenes from the fall of Troy. There is an abundance of churches because, for many years, the islanders were required to build a church on their land before building a house. Mykonos Airport
1692-430: The original builders. It was completed in 1893, but, due to the canal's narrowness, navigational problems, and periodic closures to repair landslides from its steep walls, it failed to attract the level of traffic expected by its operators. Several rulers of antiquity dreamed of digging a cutting through the isthmus. The first to propose such an undertaking was the tyrant Periander in the 7th century BC. The project
1739-557: The other Cyclades islands) and the moderating sea, summer days are relatively cool, dry, sunny and pleasant. The reason for the low overall rainfall is the rain shadow of the Pindus mountain range, which dry out the westerly winds. Winters in general are mild and wet, with many sunny days even in mid-winter. Snow is infrequent and doesn't stay long on the ground when it falls. There are ten villages: Local specialities: The municipality of Mykonos (officially: Greek : Δήμος Μυκόνου )
1786-449: The project was transferred to a Greek company, and was completed on 25 July 1893 after eleven years' work. The canal experienced financial and operational difficulties after completion. The narrowness of the canal makes navigation difficult. Its high walls funnel wind along its length, and the different times of the tides in the two gulfs cause strong tidal currents in the channel. For these reasons, many ship operators were unwilling to use
1833-553: The protection of Mount Olympus . According to myth, the large rocks all over the island are said to be the petrified corpses of the giants. The island has an area of 85.5 square kilometres (33.0 sq mi) and rises to an elevation of 341 metres (1,119 feet) at its highest point. It is situated 150 kilometres (93 miles) east of Athens in the Aegean Sea. The island features no rivers but has numerous seasonal streams, two of which have been converted into reservoirs. The island
1880-735: The reign of the Roman Empire and then became part of the Byzantine Empire until the 12th century. In 1204, with the fall of Constantinople in the Fourth Crusade , Mykonos was occupied by Andrea Ghisi . The island was ravaged by the Catalans at the end of the 13th century and finally given over to direct Venetian rule in 1390. In 1537, while the Venetians still reigned, Mykonos was attacked by Hayreddin Barbarossa ,
1927-424: The typical pattern for the region and grows around mid-autumn and ends in the beginning of the summer. The average daily temperature in the winter is around 15 °C (59 °F), while it is around 27.0 °C (80.6 °F) in the summer. The average nighttime temperature is 11 °C (52 °F) in the winter and 24 °C (75 °F) in the summer. Because of the seasonal cool " meltemi " wind (similar to
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1974-399: The water's edge for more than half of the length of the canal, using 165,000 cubic metres of masonry. Between 1893 and 1940, it was closed for a total of four years for maintenance to stabilise the walls. In 1923 alone, 41,000 cubic metres of material fell into the canal, which took two years to clear out. Serious damage was caused to the canal during World War II . On 26 April 1941, during
2021-531: The widest and longest ship to transit the canal. The canal closed at the beginning of 2021 after a landslide. It re-opened in June 2022 until October 2022. After further safety measures, the canal reopened on June 1, 2023. The canal consists of a single channel 8 metres (26 ft) deep, excavated at sea level (thus requiring no locks ), measuring 6,343 metres (20,810 ft) long by 24.6 metres (81 ft) wide at sea level and 21.3 metres (70 ft) wide at
2068-405: Was 30,000,000 francs (US$ 6.0 million in the money of the day), but after eight years of work, it ran out of money, and a bid to issue 60,000 bonds of 500 francs each flopped when less than half of the bonds were sold. The company's head, István Türr , went bankrupt, as did the company itself and a bank that had agreed to raise additional funds for the project. Construction resumed in 1890, when
2115-442: Was abandoned and Periander instead constructed a simpler and less costly overland portage road, named the Diolkos or stone carriageway, along which ships could be towed from one side of the isthmus to the other. Periander's change of heart is attributed variously to the great expense of the project, a lack of labour or a fear that a canal would have robbed Corinth of its dominant role as an entrepôt for goods. Remnants of
2162-464: Was abandoned when he died shortly afterwards. The Roman workforce, consisting of 6,000 Judean prisoners of war , started digging 40-to-50-metre-wide (130 to 160 ft) trenches from both sides, while a third group at the ridge drilled deep shafts for probing the quality of the rock (which were reused in 1881 for the same purpose). According to Suetonius, the canal was dug to a distance of four stades – approximately 700 metres (2,300 ft) – or about
2209-537: Was assessed at 40 million gold francs —far too expensive for the newly independent country. Fresh impetus was given by the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, and, the following year, the government of Prime Minister Thrasyvoulos Zaimis passed a law authorizing the construction of a Corinth canal. French entrepreneurs were put in charge but, following the bankruptcy of the French company that had attempted to dig
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