Chapels Chapels Everywhere in Mykonos, Greece

The major religion in Greece is Greek Orthodox Christianity. Mykonos is no exception. In Mykonos, Roman Catholic Christians are a small community. It is said that there is no Protestant church building in the island at all. 

Whenever our tour bus traversed along roadways in Mykonos, a conspicuous structure that keep flashing among cluster of buildings and settlements - small and tiny churches and chapels. Mykonos is famous for its abundance of tiny and small chapels and churches. There are said to be more than 800 scattered across the island. That's a huge number considering that the population of Mykonos is just around 11,000.

The typical size of a chapel ranges from 5 to 10 square meters (or 50 to 110 square feet). These miniature chapels are usually designed to be just large enough for a small altar, a few religious icons, candles or an oil lamp and in some cases, a few seats. They are typically meant for individual or family prayer rather than large gatherings.

Many of these chapels were built by the families professing Greek Orthodox Christianity as acts of gratitude or "vows" by families or individuals who survived storms, escaped illness, or simply wanted to show their devotion. Building a chapel was seen as a way to thank God or the saints for protection and blessings.

In this island, it's common for families to have private chapels on their property, often dedicated to a patron saint. These small chapels serve as family shrines where relatives can gather to celebrate religious festivals, wedding or baptisms.

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As the bus moved along the winding roadway, the tour guide drew our attention to a super small chapel built on a boulder within a hip of boulders and rubbish. It's just a couple of inches tall! Whether it's built for real or for fun, that was not revealed!

Enlarged view of the mini chapel built on a boulder.

Typically, most of these small chapels are whitewashed with simple architectural features, such as a single arched door and a small domed roof, often with a cross on top.