Friday, August 26, 2011

Delos, Cyclades Islands

In brief
Delos, in ancient Greek, means Brought to light.  The beautiful myth states that, Delos, the island of sun, appeared from Amid waves when Leto, who was being pursued by Hera, took refuge there and brought Apollo and Artemis into the world. The birth of Apollo, the god of sun, on this island, is undoubtedly related to the morphology of Delos.

General Information
The sacred island of Delos was, in the myths, the birthplace of Apollo and Artemis. Today the island is uninhabited: it is a vast archaeological site whose superb monuments draw thousands of visitors in pilgrimage to what was, for a thousand years or so after the ninth century BC, the political and religious center of the Aegean.

The archaeological site covers almost the entire island, starting on the west side, where the sacred harbour was.
From the harbour, a majestic sacred way led to the Sanctuary of Apollo, where there were temples, altars, votive offerings and other buildings. There are ruins of four temples to Apollo, one of them known as the Temple of the Athenians.
To the east is the Sanctuary of the Bulls, an oblong building, and to the north are the treasuries and the long, narrow Stoa of Antigonus. In the north-west corner is the much smaller Sanctuary of Artemis, with an Ionic temple to the goddess, and the Tomb of the Two Hyperborean Maidens. Still further north is the region of the sacred lake, with the Terrace of the Lions, the Letoon, the Agora of the Italians and the Institution of the Poseidoniasts of Berytos.
A little further along are some fine examples of houses and a palaestra. To the north-east of the lake are the Stadium and the Gymnasium. Some of the houses yielded superb mosaic floors with representations of Dionysus, a dolphin and a trident.

Sightseeing
The entire island is an archeological site and can be divided in monumental groups; Ieros Naos (Temple) Apollon, Lake Sinikia (Neighborhood) and monuments to the northern side. Theater Sinikia (Neighborhood) and Kinthos mountain area with many ancient temples are located to the southern side. In the ancient monuments tour, find also Artemisio, Dionysus and Dimitra Temples, Lito’s sacred monument and the 12 Gods Temple. Visit the Italian Agora (Market), the Lions Street, the sacred lake where Apollon’s swans lived, Poseidon Temple, the Theater Sinikia with the byzantine, roman and Hellenistic decorated houses and the archeological museum. Artemis junction, Apollon statue and mosaic floor are exceptional artworks!   
A narrow channel separates Delos from Rhenia, where there is an important burial ground.
The Museum of Delos has sculptures of the Archaic, Classical, Hellenistic and Roman periods, together with a collection of vases from various periods.




Useful Information
How to get there
By sea from Mykonos
Mykonos Port Authority: +30 22890 22218

Useful telephone numbers
(Area: 5 sq. km. Distance from Mykonos: 6 nautical miles)
Area Code: +30 22890
Delos Archaelogical site & Museum: 22259

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/530

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