The true reason buildings in Greece are blue and white is that Dictator Metaxas, Greece's dictator at the time, imposed a legislation requiring all residences in the Cyclades to be whitewashed in order to prevent its spread. The dazzling white tint reflected sunlight and helped to decrease the inside temperatures. This law was soon applied to other parts of Greece as well.
After his death, the regime's successor abolished this requirement. However, many houses in the mainland Greece continue to be white because they were built before this rule came into effect. Also, some houses in the islands have remained white since their construction.
There are several reasons why buildings in Egypt remain black. First of all, Egyptian buildings use very dark brown colors which are almost identical to those used in Africa. Secondly, the British occupation after 1882 forced Egyptians to use dark colors to avoid being seen by soldiers on patrol. Finally, President Nasser ordered that all public buildings be painted black to make them seem less important. He also wanted to show the world that Egypt was now a first-class country capable of building such facilities.
In India, it is common for old buildings to be painted red or yellow when they are renovated or rebuilt. These colors help to identify them easily among other similar structures. In addition, it is not unusual for new buildings to be painted with these same colors simply because they are easy to apply and cheap to buy in large quantities.
The true reason buildings in Greece are blue and white is because the substance used for whitewashing was limestone, which was considered a potent disinfectant at the time because chlorine was not widely utilized. At the same time, the command to paint everything white was consistent with military dictatorship doctrine. The Greek government has officially recognized this fact.
Limestone is also the main ingredient of plaster. So by painting buildings with this material, they were in fact saying that they wanted to protect themselves against infection-bearing walls and ceilings.
Additionally, the color blue was used to identify police forces during World War II when Greece was ruled by the Nazi occupation. It was also the official color of the Greek army until 1960 when it became red due to widespread infections caused by an inadequate handling of blood donations. Finally, white was used as a symbol of purity since ancient times. In conclusion, Greece colored its buildings blue and white to honor the victims of infection and war.
Houses on the majority of the Cycladic islands were painted white to reflect the intense summer light. So it began for "bioclimatic" or "ecological" reasons, to make dwellings a little more heat resistant given the information available at the time. Instead, asbestos was employed to achieve an almost white hue.
In recent years, some Mykonian families have been able to afford painting their homes in other colors. These new trends seem rather random. Some owners choose red, blue, yellow, or green. Others go for classic white with black shutters. There is no apparent connection between the color chosen and its price. A house can be any color you like as long as it is not black.
The typical Cycladic house has a tiled roof and walls made of concrete or stone. It has one floor without any internal walls. The ground floor is used for storage while the first floor serves as living space. The location of the door and windows varies from island to island but usually reflects the culture and history of each community. For example, Cypriot houses have many windows while those on Syros have only one large window on the front wall.
Most houses on the Cyclades have been rebuilt several times over time. Sometimes this means adding on to an existing structure, while at other times buildings all around are coming down so that new ones can be erected.
So, after a few decades, the blue and white combination, together with the pre-existing colors of the Greek flag and other islands' pre-existing colors, became the greatest "trademark" of the Greek Cycladic islands, including Santorini. Since 1974, all new homes have been required to be painted white. Old buildings can still be found colored with red or black, but these colors are not as popular anymore.
The reason given by local authorities for this requirement is that it makes the islands more visible from far away, which is good because most islands are very small. Also, it prevents people from moving into old houses and not maintaining them, since any damage to the paint job would have to be done again before it can be used with other colors.
There are other explanations too. Some say that during the time when the islands were under Turkish rule (from 1822 to 1922), people didn't paint their houses because they didn't have access to proper painting materials. Others say that the white color was chosen to distinguish them from other islands where building practices are different.
Finally, some claim that the reason is simply because everyone else is doing it!
Whatever the causes, white remained the dominating hue and hallmark of Santorini and the Cyclades, creating an unforgettable spectacle. Because the island emits a dazzling light, visitors are overcome with a sensation of optimism, brightness, and tranquillity. Today, some islands have painted their homes in other colors, but even so, they remain quintessential white buildings.
The choice of color is mainly due to its capacity for reflection, which makes it suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. It is also considered a clean color, which is important in countries like Greece where there is a strong presence of dust particles in the air.
There are several types of paint used on Santorini homes, but the two main ones are limestone and marble. Limestone comes in different hues from pale yellow to red while marble tends to be bluish or grayish. Both materials are extremely durable and can easily withstand the effects of time, weather, and pollution.
Limestone was originally used as a protective coating on walls and roofs before anyone knew anything about insulation. This is why these properties are still found on many older buildings in the city. Limestone is also easy to work with and doesn't cost that much.
Marble, on the other hand, is more expensive than limestone and requires special handling because it's very porous.
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