Delos island on the map of Greece. Interesting life

Delos Island is an absolutely unique place not only in all of Greece, but also in the world. Here you will not find the usual hotels, taverns, beaches and shops. This place is one of the largest museums in the world under open sky.

According to the myths of ancient Greece, the floating island appeared as a result of the fact that Poseidon captured a lump of earth from the seabed. Here, the beloved of Zeus himself, Leto, found her refuge, who gave birth to Apollo and Artemis on the island.
The island was a kind of treasury of Athens, the city grew and developed, all kinds of celebrations were held here and a rich cultural life was conducted. Later, the island becomes the center of the Delian League, which opposed the Persians in the war. However, in the first century AD, the island was subjected to numerous attacks and was eventually ravaged and devastated. Since then, the island has been abandoned.

Today, Delos is a popular destination among the many tourists who holiday on the island of Mykonos. The distance between Delos and Mykonos is only about 20 miles, and the travel time in pleasure boats is about 25 minutes.
These boats make crossings from the old port of Mykonos from 9 am to 1 pm daily, except Monday

The last boat leaves Delos at 15:00.
The hotel offered us to take a tour, costing about 60 euros per person. But we took a guide and bought a boat ticket on our own, for 15 euros per person, which we did not regret at all.
So, we go on an exciting excursion, leaving old port Mykonos is behind

After 20 minutes we already see the island and the ancient city, lying in ruins

Despite the unbearable heat in the summer months and people being warned to be careful, we were lucky with the weather, and even supplies of drinking water were not needed.
The island is uninhabited, apart from about 15 caretakers, museum staff and researchers.
The entrance is paid, so from the pier itself, we get to the ticket offices.
In 1990, the museum island was included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

After passing the ticket turnstiles, people disperse around the island, some with excursions, and some on their own. Despite the complete lack of modern infrastructure, maps of the island's attractions are also available here.

Terrace of lions - was a monumental passage to the gates of the city. The lions were dedicated to Apollo and were carved by the finest sculptors of Naxos over two thousand years ago. To date, only seven of these marble lions have survived, and copies of them are installed on the island.

At almost every step, on every ruin there is an information plate - these are perhaps the only elements modern civilization throughout the island. Very informative and interesting, illustrations allow you to expand the vision of these places

Small elements of ancient buildings have been preserved and still stand under the scorching sun of the island.

Delos is the only place I have visited where ruins and ruins ancient city truly come to life, here, as nowhere else, life is felt in every stone, in every column, an inexpressible feeling. On Delos, you can feel like a real archaeologist who got into a lost ancient city.

A statue once stood on this pedestal

And this ancient stone carries rich history Ancient Greece

The island is certainly not entirely uninhabited. Found here great amount lizards, and many of them are so huge that I wild nature I've never seen them before, they're real dinosaurs! This is for them real paradise, on a hot day, the stones heat up so much that you can lie on them for hours, and in the afternoon, even annoying tourists do not prevent these lizards from feeling like full-fledged owners of the island. For some half an hour, I was so carried away by "hunting" these lizards that I completely forgot about the ancient ruins

One of the most noticeable objects on the map of Delos was the ancient theater, but when we got there, it turned out that there was very little left of it.

The remains of the Temple are located on a small hill, some elements have been perfectly preserved to this day.

This swamp was once a great sacred lake

Here, not far away, an ancient aquaduct has also been preserved. The smell is not very pleasant

In the once center of the island there was a wealthy quarter, with luxurious houses and a large market square. Judging by the chronicles, in its prime, about 25 thousand people lived on Delos! Today, mostly chic mosaics remain from rich dwellings.
House of Dionysus

It is hard to believe that these mosaics are several thousand years old. They still look expensive and modern.

In principle, in a few hours you can explore the island well enough. When a boat signal is heard on the pier, it means that the return departure will be soon. We decided to return to Mykonos, where we also had a busy program. Goodbye Delos!

Thanks for attention. To be continued...

There is a small island in Greece called Delos. There are no hotels, no shops, no beaches, no restaurants on this island. And all because this island is an open-air museum.

Its area is only five square kilometers and at the same time thousands of tourists from all over the world strive to get here. And the thing is that the island has quite interesting story shrouded in legends and myths.

If anyone reading these lines has ever heard of Apollo and Artemis, then I hasten to notice right away that these are the mythological illegitimate offspring of the main god Olympus. And it was on the island of Delos that they were born.

Therefore, for most Greeks, the island is considered a sacred place. And one more thing: according to the same myths, the island was originally floating, and only in our time, having realized the laws of gravity and the absence of anti-gravity minerals, the island settled down and began to live its calm life today.

There was a time when the island was one of the main centers of Ancient Greece. Moreover, it was considered a very privileged place, at least a rich cultural life was conducted on the island and a large number of celebrations were held here.

There is also evidence that Delos was at one time the treasury of the glorious city of Athens. It was this fame of his treasures that played a cruel joke on the island in the form of numerous attempts to capture it by greedy armed men.

Today on the island, from the representatives of the human race, you can meet only caretakers and guards. And although a few archaeologists still come across in places, they are not considered the main attractions of Delos.

In terms of what to see, the main value on it is the destroyed monuments of glorious, bygone years. The main attractions of the island today are the ruins of temples and numerous statues.

YACHT RENTAL WORLDWIDE

How to get there. Mykonas.

You can get to this place known throughout Greece from Mykonos, located not far from it - an island from the same archipelago, but only much larger and more populated. From there, Delos can be reached by sea in 20 minutes, provided that the boat on which the navigation is carried out does not use exclusively rowing traction.

Swimming can be done as part of an excursion - 40 euros per person. You can also do it yourself by purchasing a 15 euro ferry ticket and paying for the 5 euro ticket when you arrive at Delos.

A bit of history. Mykonas.

In addition, the island of Mykonos is famous for its hotels and places to stay. And an excursion from here to the island of Delos is simply a mandatory component of any entertainment program.

And if you dig deeper into the history of Delos, you can find out that the island was originally inhabited by the Ionians, who appeared on it around the 10th century BC. With the increasing role of Athens in Ancient Greece, there was an occupation for Delos.

The Athenians created the Delos Union, which included all the islands of the Cyclades group and put it at the head of the island of Delos. After that, the island became a strategic center for the Athenian state and allowed the latter to engage in free trade and fishing in the Aegean.

And then, as they say, Delos did not work out with Athens, as in that saying: "Let the pig into the garden, she ...". And it all started from the moment when the priests of Athens decided to consecrate the island. The consecration went sideways for the inhabitants of Delos.

As a result of this religious act, they lost first their treasury, and then the right to give birth and die in " sacred place". For these purposes, the island of Rinia was used, located literally a stone's throw to the west. And on the island of Delos, the Greeks began to build temples that were dedicated to Latonia, Apollo and Artemis.

Unfortunately, the inhabitants of the island did not have the opportunity to get rid of the Greek lawlessness. But as they say: "And may God hear them and punish the bad Greeks." The punishment for the Athenians came in the form of the Macedonians, who captured all of Greece.

And under Sasha the Great, lafa began in general: the island received partial independence and a period of prosperity began here, which dragged on for almost two centuries.

But after a lot of good, there always comes a lot of bad. This is what happened to our island. In 88 BC, the city of Delos was completely destroyed during the Mithridatic War. Most of its inhabitants died, and the survivors were sold into slavery.

From that moment on, Delos became uninhabited. Moreover, for some time the island served as a parking lot for sea pirates, for whom there was a real expanse in these places, until they were hanged.

And only after the emergence of the specialty archaeologist, these places began to arouse increased interest. At the beginning of the 20th century, these trained guys finally turned their eyes to the island of Delos. And since there is no construction to dig, they quickly ran for shovels and immediately began excavations.

Delos Island - an absolutely unique place not only in all of Greece, but also in the world. Here you will not find the usual hotels, taverns, beaches and shops. This place is one of the largest open-air museums in the world.

The island was a kind of treasury of Athens, the city grew and developed, all kinds of celebrations were held here and a rich cultural life was conducted. Later, the island becomes the center of the Delian League, which opposed the Persians in the war. However, in the first century AD, the island was subjected to numerous attacks and was eventually ravaged and devastated. Since then, the island has been abandoned.

Today, Delos is a popular place to visit among the many tourists who vacation on the island of Mykonos. The distance between Delos and Mykonos is only about 20 miles, and the travel time in pleasure boats is about 25 minutes.

These boats make crossings from the old port of Mykonos from 9 am to 1 pm daily, except Monday

These boats make crossings from the old port of Mykonos from 9 am to 1 pm daily, except Monday

The last boat leaves Delos at 15:00. The hotel offered us to take a tour, costing about 60 euros per person. But we took a guide and bought a boat ticket on our own, for 15 euros per person, which we did not regret at all. So, we are going on an exciting excursion, leaving the old port of Mykonos behind.

After 20 minutes we already see the island and the ancient city, lying in ruins

After 20 minutes we already see the island and the ancient city, lying in ruins

Despite the unbearable heat in the summer months and people being warned to be careful, we were lucky with the weather, and even supplies of drinking water were not needed. The island is uninhabited, apart from about 15 caretakers, museum staff and researchers. The entrance is paid, so from the pier itself, we get to the ticket offices. In 1990, the museum island was included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

At almost every step, on every ruin there is an information plate - these are perhaps the only elements of modern civilization on the entire island. Very informative and interesting, illustrations allow you to expand the vision of these places

Small elements of ancient buildings have been preserved and still stand under the scorching sun of the island.

Small elements of ancient buildings have been preserved and still stand under the scorching sun of the island.

Delos is the only place I have visited, where the ruins and ruins of the ancient city really come to life, here, like nowhere else, life is felt in every stone, in every column, an indescribable feeling. On Delos, you can feel like a real archaeologist who got into a lost ancient city.

A statue once stood on this pedestal

A statue once stood on this pedestal

And this ancient stone carries the rich history of ancient Greece

And this ancient stone carries the rich history of ancient Greece

The island is certainly not entirely uninhabited. There are a huge number of lizards here, and many of them are so huge that I have not even seen such in the wild, real dinosaurs! This is a real paradise for them, on a hot day the stones heat up so much that you can lie on them for hours, and in the afternoon, even annoying tourists do not prevent these lizards from feeling like full-fledged owners of the island. For some half an hour, I was so carried away by "hunting" these lizards that I completely forgot about the ancient ruins

The island is certainly not entirely uninhabited. There are a huge number of lizards here, and many of them are so huge that I have never even seen such in the wild, real dinosaurs! This is a real paradise for them, on a hot day the stones heat up so much that you can lie on them for hours, and in the afternoon, even annoying tourists do not prevent these lizards from feeling like full-fledged owners of the island. For some half an hour, I was so carried away by "hunting" these lizards that I completely forgot about the ancient ruins

One of the most noticeable objects on the map of Delos was the ancient theater, but when we got there, it turned out that there was very little left of it.

One of the most noticeable objects on the map of Delos was the ancient theater, but when we got there, it turned out that there was very little left of it.

The remains of the Temple are located on a small hill, some elements have been perfectly preserved to this day.

The remains of the Temple are located on a small hill, some elements have been perfectly preserved to this day.

This swamp was once a great sacred lake

Main attractions: Terrace Lviv, temple of Isis, theater of Apollo, temple of Dionysus, house of Cleopatra, ancient aqueduct, mosaics, temple of Artemis
Coordinates: 37°23"59.5"N 25°16"06.3"E

Content:

Short description

The Greek island of Delos, which like a magnet attracts the attention of thousands of tourists from all over the world, is interesting both for its history and myths.

One of the smallest islands in terms of area (only five square kilometers), but not in importance, is located, very close to Mykonos, from the port of which you can get to the legendary “slot” of land in the Aegean Sea. It is worth noting that there are quite a lot of islands in the sea, also shrouded in a mass of ancient Greek legends and myths, and most of them are part of the so-called Cycladic group.

General view of the ruins of the island

All guides conducting excursions in Greece talk about the island of Delos with special reverence and respect. For the native Greek Delos is a sacred place, the place where the famous characters of the myths Apollo and Artemis were born. and this despite the fact that the vast majority of the population of Greece are Christians.

It is worth noting that, despite the most important strategic importance in its time, the island is now considered uninhabited. On it you can only meet guards who monitor the safety of sights and archaeologists who are still trying to find answers to numerous questions regarding the history of the unique island among the ruins of temples and statues. By the way, both historians and archaeologists have a lot of questions. Numerous tour groups arrive on Delos during the day, as well as solo tourists who manage to hire a small boat in the nearby town of Mykonos. A walk by sea to Delos is not tiring: only 20 minutes, and travelers find themselves on the earth's firmament, which in time immemorial Zeus chained with strong iron chains to the bottom of the sea.

Ancient streets and ruins made of white marble

It is also interesting that there is a myth according to which the “floating” island was “stopped” by Poseidon with the help of magnificent diamond pillars. However, this is only part interesting myths associated with Delos, and for those who are not familiar with ancient Greek mythology, it will certainly be interesting to know how Artemis and Apollo were born on this small piece of land, and who were their parents.

Delos island - myths and legends

The myths say that the island of Delos was floating island, and constantly moved by sea. Latonia, who was considered the goddess of summer by the ancient Greeks, found shelter on it. The great Thunderer Zeus fell in love with her, and Latonia suffered two twins from the main god of Olympus. Hera, who was the legal wife of Zeus, cursed Latonia out of jealousy. “Not a single firmament of the earth will accept you so that you can give birth to children on it,” Hera shouted. Poseidon took pity on the goddess of summer and told her where she could give birth to the children of Zeus. This place was the island of Delos, which constantly moved along the sea and was not considered "the firmament of the earth."

Terrace Lviv

Latonia arrived on the island and gave birth to Artemis, but for another 9 days she could not give birth to Apollo. The thing is that the insidious Hera, having learned about the cunning of her husband and his brother Poseidon, detained the goddess on Olympus, who is responsible for childbearing in Greek myths. Latonia suffered from unbearable torments and, clasping a giant palm tree, offered prayers to Ilithyia (the very goddess of childbearing). Pity for the unfortunate beloved of Zeus took possession of Ilithyia, and she appeared to her in the form of a small bird: the goddess of summer was finally able to give birth to the beautiful Apollo, and Themis who appeared fed him nectar. Apollo immediately gained incredible strength and was able to throw off his diaper. As soon as this happened, swans began to circle around the island and sing their songs, the strongest diamond pillars stretched from the bottom of the sea to the island and stopped the “floating” island. There was a beautiful lake on Delos, and swans, who could predict the future, subsequently lived on it.

Apollo Theater

Delos Island - ancient history

Myths are myths, and historians have their own opinion about Delos and the culture of the people who inhabited it. Yes, despite the fact that the island is quite small, in ancient times it was inhabited by Ionians. According to official version The first settlers on the island appeared in the 10th century BC. This small piece of land was of great strategic importance to the Athenians, and without thinking twice, they offered the Ionians their protection from the attacks of unfriendly neighbors. Such patronage was only in the hands of the inhabitants of Athens: they made Delos the center of the Dilos Union, which they themselves created, which included almost all the islands of the Cyclades group. Such a move allowed the Athenians to gain complete superiority in the Aegean and engage in trade and fishing.

In addition, the priests from Athens decided to conduct a ritual of "cleansing" the island, thus making it also a sacred place. By the way, before that, the entire treasury of the Delos Union was kept on Delos. If the place is sacred, then, naturally, there cannot be a treasury, which is transferred to Athens.

Temple of Isis

Such "protection" was not to the liking of the population of Delos, but they could no longer get rid of the alliance with the Athenians. The Athenians did not stop there: they forbade dying in a sacred place (!) And even giving birth to children. To do this, all pregnant women, seriously ill and elderly people, were taken by force to the island of Renia, where they could give birth and die. On the island of Delos, the Greeks build temples dedicated to Latonia, Apollo and Artemis. Once every five years, they spend on a small plot of land, which they “zealously defend”, a grandiose festival in its scope: animals intended for sacrifices and gifts to the gods are brought to it. When the ships of the Athenians entered the port, all the girls of Delos had to show their joy and greet the guests with dances.

This state of affairs continued until 315 BC, when the island of Delos was captured by the warriors of Macedonia. It would seem that the population of Delos came to an end, but the Macedonians were wise and granted the island ... partial independence. From that moment on, a period of prosperity and prosperity began on 5 square kilometers of land in the Aegean Sea, which continued even when the Macedonians were driven out by the Romans.

Temple of Dionysus with floor mosaics

As mentioned above, today the island is uninhabited. “What could have influenced the disappearance of all the inhabitants of Delos?”, An uninformed tourist may ask. In 88 BC during the Mithridatic War, beautiful city, with a population of over 20,000, was completely destroyed and burned down. Neither houses, nor temples, nor most of the magnificent statues survived. The conquerors killed most of the inhabitants of Delos, and the survivors were loaded onto ships and taken out to sell profitably into slavery. It was from that moment that Delos, on which you can still see the ruins of majestic temples and several statues, became uninhabited. No one dared to return to the island, where pirates often rested after their sea robberies or hunters armed to the teeth for ancient relics scurried about.

Delos - new history and our days

Only at the dawn of the 20th century, archaeologists turned their attention to the island of Delos and began to excavate on it. Alas, by that time most of the priceless treasures and cult objects had been plundered. At present, the tourist can only see the ruins of the Temple of Artemis, the sanctuary of Apollo, and unique huge statues of formidable lions, which were supposed to protect the road from the very lake where the oracle swans lived.

portico of the bulls

It is worth noting that in the sanctuary of the god Apollo, his statue once stood and it was in it that the legendary treasury of the Delian Union was located. It will not be possible to look at the lake now either: the inexorable course of time has turned it into a swamp, which was no longer inhabited by swans, but by mosquitoes that transmit a terrible disease, malaria. It is for this reason that in 1925 it was decided to drain the swamp, but five lions made of expensive Naxos marble still guard the road that led to the lake. By the way, earlier there were nine lions, four sculptures were destroyed. Many tourists who have visited Delos claim that the sculptures of lions make an indelible impression: it seems that they are about to emit a formidable roar and rush at uninvited guests.

Numerous tourist brochures offered by hotels in Greece say that on hot summer days it is best to take an umbrella with you to Delos: there is practically nowhere to hide from the scorching sun on the island. You can visit the Archaeological Museum, see the ruins of temples, sculptures of lions and several well-preserved houses of wealthy merchants with amazing mosaics, from 9 am to 3 pm.

Statues of Cleopatra and Dioscurides

Day off on the museum island, which is listed world heritage UNESCO - Monday. As mentioned above, the most convenient way to get to Delos is from the port of Mykonos. Owners of yachts and small boats constantly offer their services to tourists there. It is strictly forbidden to stay on Delos overnight: such a ban is associated with the goal of ensuring the safety of priceless monuments of culture and history, and maybe with an ancient myth that says that the island is sacred ...

Only a few square kilometers in area.
The history of the island consists of two parts - mythological and chronological.
According to ancient Greek myths, Delos is the birthplace of two inhabitants of Olympus, including Apollo, the god of light, personifying the Sun and patronizing the arts and muses, the son of Zeus and his beloved Leto.
Summer came to Delos against her will, pursued by the jealous wife of Zeus - the Hero. Not catching up with Leto, Hera became furious and cast a curse on her, forbidding her to step on solid ground (in the understanding of the Greeks - the mainland). And Delos was then a floating island, and it was carried on the seas. Upon learning of the curse, Zeus ordered the god of the water element Poseidon to create an island so that Summer would take refuge on it and be relieved from the burden. With a trident blow, Poseidon raised the island to the surface of the sea: hence its name - Delos (invisible). Near the Sacred Lake, Leto gave birth to Apollo and Artemis. When Apollo appeared, the entire island of Delos was flooded with streams of sunlight. Then his twin sister Artemis was born - the eternally young goddess of hunting and fertility, the patroness of all life on Earth, the goddess of the moon.
In ancient times, the island had a different name - Ortigia, people lived on it from the 3rd millennium BC. e.
At the beginning of the X century. BC e. the Ionians came to him. The island attracted people with its beauty and solitude, and starting from the 7th century. BC e. it turned into a cult place for people who united in the union of the islands - the Delian amphiktyony, the center of which was the temple of Apollo standing on the slope of Mount Kinth.
In the VI century. BC e. power over the island already belonged to the Athenians. They performed a complex ritual of sacred cleansing of the island, turning it into one large sanctuary. In 478 BC. e., taking advantage of the fact that the cult of the island has spread to other islands of the Aegean Sea, the Athenians make a clever political move: they create the Delian (or First Athenian) maritime union under the auspices of the gods guarding the island, subordinating the majority of Athenians Greek islands and gaining dominance at sea.
In 315 BC. e. the island of Delos was captured by Macedonia. The invaders were wise enough to grant partial independence to the island, not forgetting to tax it. Thus began a new period of prosperity and prosperity.
In the II century. BC e. Ancient Greece is under the influence of Rome. After the victory of Rome over the Greeks in the battle of Corinth in 146 BC. e. Romans capture Delos. They maintain the cult of the gods on the island, and it still thrives.
The sunset of Delos was sudden. In 89 BC. e. the First Mithridatic War began between the Roman Republic and the Pontic kingdom of Mithridates VI Eupator (132-63 BC). In 87 BC. e. The Pontic commander Menophanes captured Delos, burned everything that burned, destroyed temples and houses, and killed 20,000 inhabitants or sold them into slavery. This was revenge for Delos' support for Rome.
The inhabitants of the island returned in groups to their native ashes, restored houses and places of worship to the gods. Everything turned out to be in vain: in 69 BC. e. Aegean pirates landed on the island and plundered it completely. In the same I century. BC e. new trade routes appeared along the Aegean Sea, and Delos lost its significance. This turned out to be the last straw, and the island fell into disrepair.
By the will of the gods or simply as a result of tectonic activity, the island of Delos ended up in the very center of the Aegean Sea, and whoever owned it controlled the main sea routes in the Eastern Mediterranean.
The ruins of numerous buildings on the island of Delos clearly confirm the fact that the ancient Greeks did not consider it sacrilege to combine a sanctuary and an exchange in one building.
For two thousand years, the island of Delos remained almost uninhabited, visited only by smugglers and antiquities dealers in search of booty. It was also used as a quarry, for many centuries taking stones from the buildings of Delos to neighboring islands.
Only since 1877, regular excavations began on the island, and French archaeologists discovered a temple site surrounded by large trading establishments and a residential area, as well as a large number of inscriptions and monuments of architecture and art. Thanks to the efforts of these specialists, we can today judge the former splendor of Delos.
The most striking thing is that the richest city at that time on Delos with its major port and the slave market had no fortress walls: it was guarded only by the sanctity of the place, until a generation of those grew up in whom this place no longer aroused sacred awe.
The ship, approaching Delos, found itself in a port that stretched for almost a kilometer, with two lighthouses, a “comb” of breakwaters and a long pier.
Only around the sanctuary of Apollo was a wall, and even then it was not high. A wide road led from the harbor to it, with colonnades lined up on both sides. But they were inferior in size to the more majestic colonnade, deployed with a facade to the sea and built by the Macedonian king Philip V (238-179 BC).
The main building on the sacred site is the Temple of Apollo. To the side are two more temples, smaller in size - the Temple of the Athenians and the Limestone Temple. Also to the side is the sanctuary and temple of Artemis: as archaeologists have found out, it was erected on the basis of even more ancient sanctuaries. To the northeast of the temple, five more small temples are located in an arc. Archaeologists suggest that these are treasuries where offerings to the gods were kept.
Very unusual building stands to the east of the temple of Apollo, called the "porch of the Bulls." This building is longer than all the others, almost 70 m. One can only guess about its purpose, but it probably served to perform ritual dances: in the traditions of the ancient Greeks, it was necessary to invite a lot of performers for this.
The colonnade with two wings built by the Macedonian king Antigonus Gonat (319-239 BC) seems no less long.
In the VI century. BC e. the inhabitants of the island of Naxos presented a colossal marble statue of Apollo as a gift to the sanctuary. A huge pedestal of this monument with a dedicatory inscription has survived to this day, and next to it are two large fragments of the statue itself.
On the other hand, several statues of lions made of Naxos marble have been preserved, probably also a gift from the inhabitants of Naxos. Of the nine statues, six have survived: five were found during excavations and returned to the pedestals, the sixth was taken to Venice back in the 17th century. The statues lined up north of the sanctuary, forming the terrace of the Lions.
In the II century. BC e., in the heyday of trade, on Delos they began to build agora - trading farmsteads, combining a temple, an exchange and an inn. These are very large and imposing buildings, judging by the found foundations of two of them.
A unique basilica with 44 columns was built between the sanctuary and the harbor. The ruins of buildings obligatory for the ancient Greek city were also found: a stadium, a gymnasium (sports hall), an amphitheater.
Foreign merchants who constantly visited Delos built their temples on the island: the ancient Egyptian goddess Isis, the sanctuary of the Syrian gods, Kabirion, dedicated to the mystery cult of the Samothracian gods.
Delos is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

general information

Location: south of the Aegean.
Archipelago: Cyclades.
Administrative affiliation: Periphery South, decentralized administration of the Aegean, Greece.
Foundation of temples: 7th century BC e.
Language: Greek.
Ethnic composition: Greeks.
Religion: Greek Orthodox Church.
Currency unit: euro.

Numbers

Area: 3.43 km2.
Length: 4.5 km.
Width: 1.3 km.
Population : 14 (2001).
Population density: 4 persons/km 2 .
Length of ancient port facilities: 800 m.
Sanctuary of Apollo: length - 30 m, width - 14 m, number of columns - 6 × 13.
Portico Bykov: length - 67 m, width - 10 m.
The most high point : 113 m a.s.l. m. - Kintos (Kinth).

Climate and weather

Mediterranean.
Hot dry summers, warm wet winters.
January average temperature: +12°С.
July average temperature: +25°С.
Average annual rainfall: 370 mm.
Relative humidity: 75%.

Economy

Service sector: tourism, transport, trade.

Attractions

Cult

Ruins of the Temple of Hera (late 6th - early 5th century BC), Temple of the Athenians (420 BC), Temple of Apollo (late 5th - early 3rd century BC), Temples of Zeus Kinfiosa and Athena Kinthia (III century BC), basilica (about 210 BC), the temple of Artemis (II century BC), the sanctuary of the Syrian and Egyptian gods (II century BC). BC), the temple of Isis (II century BC), the synagogue (150-128 BC).

architectural

The ruins of the Road of the Lions (Terraces of the Lions, VII century BC), the porticos of the Naxos (VII century BC), the pedestal sculpture of Apollo (VI century AD), the Minoan fountain (VI century BC BC), the portico of the Bulls (about 315 BC), the portico of Philip V of Macedon (about 200 BC), the Hall of Columns (mid-III century BC). theater (3rd century BC), porticoes of the Horns (middle of the 3rd century BC), residential buildings (houses of the Trident, Dolphins, on the Hill, Dionysus and Masks, III - beginning of the 1st century BC). e.), the agora of Theophrastus (Beirut poseidoniasts, the end of the 2nd century BC) and Italics (2nd century BC), trading buildings and malls (2nd century BC).

Other

Lowland of the Sacred Lake (dried).

Curious facts

■ The rite of sacred cleansing of the island was carried out by order of the tyrant Peisistratus, who ruled in Athens. Supporting the cult of the sacred island of Delos, he forbade anyone to be buried on it in that part of the island that is visible from the temple of Apollo. Moreover, he ordered that the remains of all the dead, along with funeral gifts, be transferred from Delos to neighboring island Renia and bury in a common grave, which archaeologists have discovered in our time. This explains the fact that on the island of Megalos-Rheumataris, between Delos and Rhenia, the goddess of the underworld, Hekate, was worshiped.
■ The repeated sacred cleansing of the island was carried out by the Athenians in 426 BC. e .: the authorities also forbade giving birth on the sacred island: this is available only to the gods. Women who were due to give birth were transported to the neighboring island of Renia, where they produced offspring.
■ The greatest dissatisfaction of the allies of Athens in the union of the islands, which later provoked its collapse, was the transfer by the Athenians of the general union treasury from Delos to Athens in 454 BC. e.
■ During the period of Athenian domination, Delia was widely celebrated - a holiday that was celebrated every five years in honor of Apollo, Artemis and Leto. Supporting the cult of Delos, the Athenians each year decorated their best ship, loaded sacrificial animals and gifts on it, and sent it to Delos with a sacred embassy, the Theory. On the island, he was met by girls who performed hymns and the geranos dance, which depicted the liberation of Athenian youths and girls from the Cretan labyrinth by Theseus. Before the return of the ship, it was forbidden to carry out death sentences. That is why in 399 BC. e. delayed the execution of Socrates.
■ In the IV - early I century. BC e. Delos was the most important center of the slave trade in the Mediterranean: according to the chronicles, up to 10 thousand slaves were sold and bought in its market during the day. Such an accumulation of slaves led to uprisings, the largest took place at the end of the 2nd century. BC e.
■ The Temple of Apollo in Delos served not only as a religious and political center, but also carried out financial transactions, lending money to both individual clients and entire states.
■ The oldest finds on Delos were made in 1946, when a treasure trove of items made of gold, ivory and bronze was found. Some objects with reliefs of people and animals belong to the Mycenaean era (1400-1200 BC).
■ Characteristic of Delos residential buildings is an impluvium pool built in the middle of the courtyard, into which rainwater flowed from the roofs. Under the pool was a large reservoir to store the collected moisture.
■ sacred lake drained local residents specifically to avoid an epidemic, since the water in the lake has deteriorated and it has become life-threatening to drink it.
■ And today the island remains practically uninhabited, there are only guards and caretakers on it - a dozen and a half people. In accordance with the rules for visiting the island, tourists can only see Delos during the day, staying overnight is prohibited.