Áno Merá: Monastery History and Archaeological Traces

Áno Merá combines religious history with archaeological themes in the village and its immediate surroundings. Cultural points of interest include the church museum and reliquary repository of the Monastery of Panagia Tourliani, finds from the site of an ancient city, and Ghizi Castle. There is also a foot procession in the village, held on the first Saturday of Lent. These themes offer different ways to focus your trip planning: a monastery and its religious history, archaeological evidence from different periods, or a religious occasion tied to a specific date.

The Church Museum of Panagia Tourliani

The church museum and reliquary repository of the Monastery of Panagia Tourliani were inaugurated by Bishop Dorotheos II on August 23, 2007. This date marks a specific point in the monastery’s recent history and is distinct from the ancient and medieval references in the surrounding area. For travelers interested in religious history, the museum offers a different perspective: the focus here is on the church and relics, not ancient urban structures or the medieval fortification. The monastery’s history can thus be viewed as a distinct part of Áno Merá’s cultural history.

Archaeological Traces and Historical Layers

In the area around Áno Merá, building foundations and remains of cremation burials were discovered at the site of the island’s second ancient city, after Chora. The finds are associated with the archaeological context of Palaikastro. Foundations and burial remains raise different questions: one concerns building structures, the other the treatment of the dead. Exploring the ancient traces lets you consider settlement and burial as two separate aspects.

Another archaeological context involves parts of an ancient city wall uncovered beneath the medieval fortified Venetian residence, Ghizi Castle. The emphasis here is on the relationship between two building contexts: an ancient wall and a medieval fortification. Unlike the building foundations and cremation burials, the focus here is neither settlement nor burial, but the superimposition of different building phases. If you would like to visit these archaeological sites, check the respective visitor access arrangements in advance.

A Lenten Foot Procession

On the first Saturday of Lent, a foot procession with the miraculous icon of Panagia Tourliani sets out from the village of Áno Merá on Mykonos. Its timing is tied to Lent, making it a different planning factor from the date of the museum’s inauguration or the ancient and medieval sites in the surrounding area. If you would like to plan your stay specifically around the procession, confirm the exact event date before booking.

Hotels for Your Trip to Áno Merá

If the procession is the occasion for your trip, confirm its date before booking. For the historical themes, you can decide whether you are more interested in the monastery, the ancient finds, or the medieval fortification.

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