White⚪ and Blue🔵: The Symbol of Greece🇬🇷
One common thing seen in the vacation photos of anyone who takes a trip to the Greek most famous islands of Santorini and Mykonos is the bright, whitewashed homes with blue windows or church domes.
Although it is cliché to associate this color pattern with the blue and white of the Greek flag or the white buildings set against the blue Mediterranean Sea, there are practical reasons behind this choice of colors.
In the Aegean islands, energy efficiency has always been crucial for the survival of inhabitants. Originally, homes were constructed using dark stone, as wood was scarce in the rocky terrain. However, the dark stone absorbed heat, making the interiors unbearably hot during Greece's warm summers.
To combat this, residents began painting their homes white, as the color was cheap, easy to produce, and effective at reflecting most of the sun's heat. This helped cool the interiors and made the intense summer temperatures more bearable.
Historically, another factor that necessitated this color scheme was cholera outbreak in 1938. During the pandemic, the governor of Greece at the time ordered homes to be sanitized by whitewashing to prevent the disease’s spread.
The whitewash used contained limestone which was believed to be a disinfectant. A military junta in 1967 and the passage of a law in 1974 saw the further enforcement of this practice as a sign of patriotism and Greek nationalism.
As for the blue color, it became a trend due to its cost. Fishermen and seafaring men would paint their windows and shutters with leftover paints from their boats. Blue was a popular choice because it was cheap and easy to make. The blue Greek homes used were made from a mix of limestone and a commonly accessible blue talcum powder called ‘loulaki’.
Greece is beautiful and as you wander through the sunlit streets of Santorini and Mykonos, surrounded by their signature blue and white hues, pause to ponder: beyond their aesthetic appeal, what do these colors represent to you? Are they a testament to innovation in combating climate challenges, or symbols of resilience through historical adversity?
#GreekArchitecture #CulturalColors #Santorini #Mykonos #TravelGreece #ArchitecturalHistory
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