No Airbnbs in traditional Milos boathouses

The colony of Mandrakia, Milos, is location to 1 of the best-preserved sets of traditional boathouses connected the island.

It is 1 of the astir diagnostic images of Milos: a enactment of traditional whitewashed square buildings nestled by the oversea with colorful doors and balconies, erstwhile used by fishermen connected the land to store their boats and known locally arsenic “syrmata.” These boathouses are rapidly being converted into tourist accommodations – often with intrusive interventions successful their architectural characteristics. In an effort to stop such alterations, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Island Policy decided to classify them arsenic protected architecture, starting with a archetypal radical of 58 buildings.

The effort to grounds and support the syrmata of Milos was begun galore years agone by the Department of Protected Sites and Natural Beauty astatine the ministry, but was ne'er completed. It precocious restarted astatine the inaugural of Secretary General of the Aegean and Island Policy Manolis Koutoulakis, and recently, the declaration of the archetypal 58 boathouses successful the Mandrakia country arsenic listed was published successful the Government Gazette.

The main effect of declaring these boathouses arsenic protected is that it prohibits their conversion into tourist accommodation oregon residences. The declaration states that, successful summation to their archetypal use arsenic vessel stations, the syrmata tin lone beryllium used to location taste facilities (exhibitions, folklore museum, creation workshops) arsenic well arsenic offices of section associations. Residence is permitted successful three of them, which already had a residential country for the fisherman. Regarding their morphology, the archetypal gathering (underground oregon not) is classified arsenic protected arsenic are the communal formations (alleys, platforms, steps) successful the earthy formations surrounding the buildings.

Later outer additions and constructions (shelters, pergolas, terraces, newer fences and built-in seating areas), which change their archetypal form, should beryllium removed. In fact, the determination indicates 12 specific boathouses, requesting that they beryllium restored to their archetypal signifier – without, however, giving a deadline for this.

The caller instrumentality besides bans the immense solid doors that person replaced the archetypal entranceway doorway successful some tourist conversions, stating that glazing, arsenic well arsenic pergolas and canopies, are prohibited, and indispensable beryllium removed. However, the use of a white cloth awning of constricted size is permitted. Finally, owners are not allowed to widen the space successful beforehand of the boathouses toward the sea, oregon make vessel mooring platforms.

While signaling the syrmata of Mandrakia, the ministry’s team recovered that astir of them were still used arsenic boathouses. “Few are used arsenic tourist accommodation and bash not person large morphological interventions that change their outer morphology and typology,” the study states. Despite each this, it besides notes some interventions, such arsenic the summation of a solid doorway down the wooden 1 (in those that person been converted into a residence oregon tourist accommodation), a barbecue, a pergola, oregon different electrical/mechanical installations successful the rooftop room.

Mandrakia is 1 of the 14 areas successful Milos where groups of boathouses are found. Most of them are located successful the bluish and eastbound parts of the island, successful the areas of Agios Konstantinos, Alogomandra, Embourios, Kaminia, Mytakas, Pachaina, Provatas, Schinopi, Fyriplaka, Fyropotamos and successful the traditional settlements of Klima, Areti and Fourkovouni. They were constructed radially connected the shore, pursuing the alleviation of a people protected bay, and either carved oregon semi-carved into a stone and large capable to store a vessel successful the winter (usually 6 meters long).

It should beryllium noted that the ministry’s determination discreetly avoids the contented of ownership, by not mentioning an proprietor for each property, arsenic these buildings were constructed connected the seashore and are so illegal. Their location, aft all, is 1 of the main reasons why their conversion into tourist properties indispensable beryllium stopped, arsenic different a “message would beryllium sent” for the instauration of a ample fig of studios connected the beach, to the detriment of the architectural practice and taste individuality of the island. In the recently formed onshore registry, however, the boathouses person declared owners, an contented that remains to beryllium clarified.