Why Are Buildings in Greece Painted in White and Blue?
The reason and mystery behind the white walls and blue domes and windows
What comes to your mind when you imagine Greece? I guess it would be the white houses and the azure blue sea. The perfect combination for a beautiful traveling destination. Have you imagined what’s the real reason behind those white houses and blue domes and windows? The mystery and the shades which made Greece a major tourist attraction. Some believe it’s basically because of the Greek flag or the blue evil eye but that’s not true.
The real reason behind white and blue Greece houses
First and foremost, it’s important to know that the whitewashed and blue colored houses are a trademark of Cyclades. The Cyclades are a group of about 220 Greek islands with some of the most popular being Santorini, Mykonos, Paros, Crete, and Naxos.
The mystery of white color
The buildings in Greece are made up of stone, mud, and volcanic materials that have a darker color and are especially hot. During hot summer days, it was very difficult to be inside the buildings, since dark colors absorbed the sunlight, making them extremely hot.
This was the time when they decided to paint the houses white. However, they didn’t use white paint. Instead, they used whitewash which was easy to make and very cheap. You can make it by mixing lime (white dust), salt, and water in specific proportions.
As white color is a reflector of heat it makes an environment cool and comfortable to live in. This way, it preserves the freshness and coolness inside the Greek houses during hot summer days.
Another reason was that there was a Cholera disease outbreak in Greece in 1938. This happened during Ioannis Metaxas’s dictatorship. Because of the disease, he ordered to paint all the buildings with whitewash in order to stop the spread of the disease.
The limestone in whitewash has antibacterial properties. It was regarded as one of the most powerful disinfectants.
The mystery behind the blue color
The blue originated from a cleaning agent called Loulaki (blue powder). It is a sort of talcum powder. This blue powder was found across every home in Greece.
The mixture of Loulaki powder with lime produces the bright blue color that we see today. This blue color was easily available at every home and was very inexpensive. People could easily afford it and this is why they painted their houses blue.
The time when they passed a law to paint all houses with white and blue
There was a transition period when houses in Greece were painted with a variety of natural colors. This was when Metaxas died.
However, in 1967 during the military dictatorship, it became mandatory to paint all-island houses white and blue. This was when blue and white colors became permanent in Greece.
This order came about because the government thought that these two colors were a symbol of patriotism, unification, and would support the country’s political agenda.
Over time, these colors gained a lot of popularity and attracted world tourism. People became fascinated by Greek houses, beaches, and beauty. This way, Greece became an important spot for tourists.
Taking all these things into account, the government made a law in 1974 which stated that all houses in Greece must be painted in white and blue shades.
This is the reason why Greek houses are marked with these two colors, The same colors that now attract millions of people to visit Greece every year, wishing to enjoy the beautiful scenery.
