The old windmills of the traditional Olymbos village are iconic features of Karpathos island, which are reminiscent of the past. The silhouette of Greek windmills are beloved by many travellers, so let’s see, what you should know about the windmills which can be seen in Olymbos (Όλυμπος).
The windmills of Olymbos in Karpathos Island
Olymbos village (Όλυμπος, or known as Olympos) is definitely one of the most interesting and beautiful villages in Karpathos, which are listed among the best sights also. The old windmills, which can be seen almost everywhere in the village, contribute to the exceptional sight of Olymbos. Most of the old stone buildings were built on the higher peaks of the surrounding mountains, especially on the steep cliffs, where the force of winds were significant.
The windmills are facing to west and overlooking the sea, from where the winds usually arrive. The most of windmills in Karpathos island were built here, and until now there can be seen dozens of old windmills in Olymbos village. The first windmills in the area were built in the 10-11th century, but they were renovated several times in the past.
The residents of the area transferred the grains to Olymbos, where they milled flour. In the last decades the significance of windmills became much less important, the production of flour became mechanized, and most of the windmills lost its work.
The buildings have been transformed into storage rooms, or became just unused. Most of the windmills are neglected and can be seen unfortunately in ruined condition. Just a few of these buildings are well maintened, and became taverns or outdoor museums.
If you visit the area of Diafani and watch the top of the hills, you can see there other ruined windmills.
