There are hundreds of churches on the island of Kos. A number of them can be found in the most picturesque locations of the island. Some date back to the Middle Ages, others were built on top of the remains of older churches or temples while plenty are very recent modern churches. They are dispersed all over the island, in the villages and in some of the most remote areas: deep in the mountains, in the bottom of gorges or even on the seashore. The bigger ones are usually in the villages and Kos Town where the growing parishes have contributed to the extension of the initial structures. The smaller ones are scattered all over, some built by clerics seeking seclusion, others as tributes to different saints or the Virgin Mary. Most of them are painted in white and in some cases they are whitewashed on a regular basis as tradition would dictate. Parts of the churches, like the doors and the shutters are painted in colour, mostly a deep blue although you will find other colours.