This might sound strange today, but the whitewash used to paint the houses contained limestone. Limestone is a powerful disinfectant, and not many others were in common use at the time. Greek citizens thus whitewashed their homes to help sanitize them and reduce the spread of cholera.
Why are Greece houses white and blue?
People used a cleaning agent called loulaki (blue-coloured powder) to prepare the blue colour, which was easily available in every house. They would mix the powder with the limestone plaster and paint the house. Blue and white colours became permanent when a military government came in power in the year 1967.
Why are most buildings white in Greece?
In the 1930s, it was mandated that all buildings be painted with white lime as it was thought to have antibacterial properties. During the military dictatorship of 1967, it became a legal requirement for Greek houses to be painted blue and white. Visit INSIDER’s homepage for more stories.
How do the houses in Greece stay white?
Since the white-washing was established, the islanders kept using limestone to paint their houses. The bright white colour helped reflect the sunlight and cool down the indoors temperatures.
Why are Santorini buildings white?
The inhabitants, in order to confine the heat in the interior to a significant extent, had to construct their houses accordingly. The white color reflects the biggest part of the dazzling light, preventing the houses from getting warm and that was a basic goal of the traditional architecture.
Why are houses painted white in hot countries?
White colour reflects the heat that falls on the wall or we can say white colour absorbs less amount of heat, therefore in place of the hot climate, it is advised that the outer wall of houses be painted white.
Why do Greeks have blue roofs?
Later during the years of 1967 – 1974, a military government established their power in Greece. They set a political agenda of displaying uniformity across the landscapes. Therefore, stating a rule of re-painting all the houses in blue and white. Thereby, the towns started reflecting the colours of their flag.
Why do churches in Greece have blue roofs?
The island of Santorini was built up by layers of lava. Major volcanic eruptions formed overlapping calderas (collapsed magma chambers). In the town of Oia, the two most famous blue-domed churches are built on the steep slope of the caldera. That shimming sea in the background is The Aegean Sea.
What city in Greece is all white?
Santorini is the poster child for whitewashed architecture; its clifftop caldera villages are famous around the world. The architecture on Santorini is unique thanks to its use of the volcanic materials on the island.
What are the white houses in Greece called?
This convention was started for practical reasons many centuries ago. In most of the Cycladic islands, houses were painted white to reflect the harsh summer sun. So, it started for let’s say “bioclimatic” or “ecological” reasons, to make houses a little more heat resistant, with the knowledge people had at the time.
Why is Mediterranean so blue?
However, the water exchange from the two seas to the Mediterranean is extremely slow, greatly limiting the flow of nutrients to the bigger sea. The lack of nutrients leads to the great inhibition of algae growth, making the Mediterranean clear and better able to absorb/scatter sunlight to appear a vibrant blue.
Why are trees painted white in Crete?
Trees in Crete have many white trunk varieties. Tree trunks must be painted white to avoid bacteria and vermin getting into them. Decoration plays a large part in this process, but the primary reason is that Greeks believe that white colors ensure trees’ protection from bacteria and vermin.
Which Greek island is Mamma Mia set on?
island of Skopelos
In the original “Mamma Mia,” the Greek island of Skopelos played the fictional island of Kalokairi. But to shoot “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again,” filmmakers turned to the island of Vis, off the coast of Croatia.
Can you drink Santorini tap water?
Although you technically can drink tap water in Santorini, it is not advised in most cases. The island health authorities recommend that you always purchase bottled water and avoid drinking from the tap where possible. The reason behind this is that the island of Santorini has no natural sources of water.
Do white houses stay cooler?
For exterior paint to keep your house cool, white is a popular choice. It brightens the look of your home and reflects light, and therefore heat, from the sun. If you have excessive cooling costs during warmer seasons, a white house may be the solution.
Why are so many houses painted white?
White houses were a sign of cleanliness and purity, according to This Old House. And so, whitewashing became known as a cheap and easy way to make a house look attractive. In fact, it became such a common home-improvement solution that the word “whitewash” began to reflect that.
Why are houses in Spain white?
To protect the houses from the sun during summer. White houses are cooler during the hot summer than houses with other colors. This bit of wisdom comes from the Moors. The white color reflects the sunlight and does not absorb it, keeping the house cool.
What is name day in Greek culture?
Name Days in Greece are celebrated even more than birthdays, opposite to all other countries. On someone’s name day, there is an open house held and a feast is laid on for everyone who wants to come. Neighbors and friends or relatives usually call and can visit the house, without waiting for an official invitation.
What are Santorini houses made of?
The main building materials are, of course, volcanic which are abundant thanks to the well-known volcano; volcanic dust, black igneous rock, red rock and pumice stone. Two basic architectural characteristics of the island are the domes and the cave houses, whose construction is easy and inexpensive.
What are Greece houses made of?
In fact, the homes in Greece appear to be made of stone, and although there might be some slight regional differences in how they look, their methods of construction are similar to one another. One of the most striking features about these homes is that they seem to blend in well with the landscape.
What does Oia mean in Greek?
User Submitted Meanings
A user from Switzerland says the name Oia is of Greek origin and means “: ‘Blue Fairy Queen‘. Oia (Santorini) is an Island which looks like a Fairy Queen”.
