Greece
Delos
Delos is a small island that holds the archaeological site of one of the greatest Hellenistic sanctuaries.
The island was considered sacred in ancient Greek culture as it was the mythological birthplace of Apollo and Artemis. The feast of the Delians, which was celebrated every four years, was one of the major events in the Greek world. Later Delos began to prosper as a cosmopolitan Mediterranean port, which can be seen in the rich public and residential buildings at the site.
Community Perspective: Delos can easily be reached by one of the daily ferries from Mykonos. It’s a vast and unshaded site. The green walking trail (to the upper area with the foreign-influenced buildings) and the museum are recommended.
Site Info
Official Information
- Full Name
- Delos (ID: 530)
- Country
- Greece
- Status
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Inscribed 1990
Site history
History of Delos
- WHS Type
- Cultural
- Criteria
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- iv
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Links
- UNESCO
- whc.unesco.org
All Links
UNESCO.org
- whc.unesco.org — whc.unesco.org/
Related Resources
- odysseus.culture.gr — Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Tourism
- en.wikipedia.org — Wiki on Delos
News Article
- July 7, 2024 msn.com — Ancient Greek sanctuary slowly sinks into the Aegean Sea
- May 5, 2019 theguardian.com — British sculptor has, controversially, been commissioned to create works for the island of Delos, a sacred classical site
- April 11, 2017 tornosnews.gr — Green light to Canellopoulos Foundation grant for restoring Delos island monuments
- March 23, 2012 ansamed.info — Ancient theatre of Delos to be restored
Community Information
- Community Category
- Archaeological site: Ancient Greece
Travel Information
Recent Connections
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Needs a Ferry
There are daily boat excursions from My… -
Located in a TCC Territory
Greek Aegaen Islands (Cyclades, Dodecan… -
Prophecies
Delos was the birthplace of Apollo, god…
Connections of Delos
- Geography
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Mediterranean shore
It had a Mediterranean port -
Aegean Sea
Part of The Cyclades, an island group in the Aegean Sea.
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- Trivia
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Cultural sites taking up an entire island
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In the British museum
Foot from the "Colossos of the Naxians". The statue of Apollo is thought to have been c9m high and dated from 6C BC. The statue was destined to be cut up and now only 2 portions remain on site (albeit having been moved) Most of it is lost. The BM acquired its section in 1819. See -
In Video Games
Assassin's Creed Odyssey
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- History
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Classical Greece
The Apollonian sanctuary, established at least since the 9th century BC, reached the peak of its glory during the Archaic and Classical period, when it acquired its Pan-Hellenic character. (OUV) -
Knights Hospitaller
Occupied the island in the 14th century -
Homeric Locations
Site of Orion's death -
Archaic Greece
"reached the peak of its glory during the Archaic and Classical period, when it acquired its Pan-Hellenic character" (OUV) -
Phoenician world
"The House of the Dolphins is similarly named from its atrium mosaic, where erotes ride dolphins; its Phoenician owner commissioned a floor mosaic of Tanit in his vestibule." (wiki)
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- Architecture
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Mosaic art
"The House with the Dolphins (92) and the House with the Masks (93) are luxurious private houses with excellent mosaic floors." (official website)See en.wikipedia.org
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Hypostyle
Hypostyle Hall (Stoa of Poseidon) -
Sites from antiquity with identified architects
Dinocrates
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- World Heritage Process
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No Buffer Zone
"There is no buffer zone, but there is a need for one" (Periodic Reporting 2014) -
On T List for a different nomination
Ancient Greek Theatres (16/01/2014) - possibly a double entry
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- Religion and Belief
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Jewish religion and culture
Oldest synagogue in the diaspora (disputed; at least "an assembly hall for Jews")See en.wikipedia.org
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Prophecies
Delos was the birthplace of Apollo, god, among other things of "prophecy". The Island is associated with several "Odyssic" prophesies and it is believed that there was an Oracle situated there. These ideas were carried forward into the Aenead by Virgil (Book III) "Quem sequimur? Quoue ire iubes? Ubi ponere sedes? Da, pater, augurium atque animis inlabere nostris.’ ("Whom do we follow? Where do you bid us to go? Where to establish our abode? Grant, father, a prophecy to enter even our spirits". The answer, to "Seek your mother of old" was initially wrongly presumed to mean Crete,.... when it should have been Italy!! Only later would the prophecy be fulfilled. -
Goddesses
Birthplace of Artemis, Greeks godess "of the hunt, the wilderness, wild animals, nature, vegetation, childbirth, care of children, and chastity." (wiki) The remains of a sanctuary to her remain at the island.
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- Human Activity
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Locations for playing sport
Hippodrome and stadium for the Delian Games -
Erotic art
Columns with Phallus at the Stoivadeion: “The Stoibadeion contains a rectangular platform containing a statue of Dionysus, which was flanked by two actors impersonating Papposilenoi. These actors are now in the Delos Museum for protection. Two pillars, one on each side of the platform, each support a huge phallus, the symbol of Dionysos.” (wiki) -
Sea Ports
"an extremely important cosmopolitan Mediterranean port that began to prosper since 314 BC, reaching outstanding levels during the 2nd and 1st centuries BC." (OUV) -
Slavery
"Roman traders came to purchase tens of thousands of slaves captured by the Cilician pirates or captured in the wars following the disintegration of the Seleucid Empire. It became the center of the slave trade, with the largest slave market in the larger region being maintained here." (wiki)
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- Constructions
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Monumental Fountains
"The Minoan Fountain, referred to in the inscriptions and identified by a relief bearing a dedication to "Minoan Nymphs", is a public well hewn in the rock. It was covered by a square building, open on the south side, which was flanked by a Doric portico. The water level could be reached by the stone steps on the south side. The fountain was constructed in the second half of the 6th century B.C. and remained in use for a very long time, until the late Hellenistic period, when it was finally converted into a house. " -
Bouleuterion
"Within the Sanctuary are also the administrative buildings of the city: the Bouleuterion (29), the Prytaneion (30) and the Ekklesiasterion (38) buildings used for the assemblies of the deputies, the dignitaries and the citizens." (official website) -
Sphinx
Greek sphinx, found at the surrounding archeological site, in the Delos Museum. -
Theatres and Opera Houses
"The marble theatre is a rebuilding of an older one, undertaken shortly after 300 BC." (wiki) -
Cisterns
Several, including "the Xenon (94), an hotel with an enormous cistern and the Theater (95) with the impressive cistern (97)" (official website) -
Gates depicting Lions
The Terrace of the Lions dedicated to Apollo by the people of Naxos shortly before 600 BC, had originally nine to twelve squatting, snarling marble guardian lions along the Sacred Way; one is inserted over the main gate to the Venetian Arsenal. (wiki)
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- WHS on Other Lists
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Located in a TCC Territory
Greek Aegaen Islands (Cyclades, Dodecanese, Northern Aegean Islands)
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- Timeline
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Built in the 7th century BC
The island contains archaeological remains dating back to 3rd millennium BC. By the time of the Odyssey (c8C BC) it was already 'famed' as the birthplace of Apollo (in 425BC the Athenians decreed that, as such, no-one should be born or die there). Its decline began in 1st C BC and was completed by Rome's preference for Rhodes as a trading centre. Its remains cover a wide period of history - e.g Terrace of the Lions (c600 BC), Stoivadeion (c300 BC), Agora of the Competaliasts (2C BC). The 'chosen' century is based on the statement for Criterion III - "From the 7th century B.C. to the pillage by Athenodoros, the island of Delos was one of the principal Panhellenic sanctuaries"
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- Science and Technology
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Digitized by Iconem
In 2016, Iconem scanned with drones all the archaeological structures on the island and make a 3D reconstruction of the entire area.
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- Visiting conditions
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Needs a Ferry
There are daily boat excursions from Mykonos except Monday, because the archaeological site is closed that day.
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- WHS Names
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Shortest WHS names
5 letters
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News
- msn.com 07/07/2024
- Ancient Greek sanctuary slowly sin…
- theguardian.com 05/05/2019
- British sculptor has, controversia…
- tornosnews.gr 04/11/2017
- Green light to Canellopoulos Found…
Recent Visitors
Reserved for members.Community Reviews
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I visited Delos right from the overnight ferry between Samos and Mykonos. The ferry was supposed to arrive at 7.35, got an hour’s delay, and with the necessary hop on the SeaBus from Mykonos cruise/ferry port to the Old Port I arrived just in time to pick up my pre-booked tickets for the 10 a.m. departure. The Delos Tours boat was fully packed, I think there were at least 200 people on board for the half-hour crossing to the island of Delos. Once at Delos, you still have to buy an 8 EUR entrance ticket at the ticket office (which also holds the UNESCO plaque). I knew this was coming, so made sure I was one of the first off the boat.
There’s some restoration going on at the moment at Delos: the on-site museum is closed and the South Stoa is covered by a huge iron construction. There is still more than enough to see though: I spent 2.5 hours there, combining the blue and green itineraries that are scarcely signposted at the site itself and much easier followed from the useful map they give you at the entrance. I started from the end, as to further avoid the crowds. To give an idea of how large the site is: the map has 100 numbered entries!
From the north of the settlement (with the famous Lions Terrace) I walked 'upwards' towards the eastern part. I found that area, covered by the green route, the most interesting. As …
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Delos is famous for both mythological and actual historic reasons. It was supposedly the birthplace of Apollo and his sister Artemis, and was thus revered as a sacred site from earliest times. The mighty statue of Apollo was considered to be the most sacred site in Greece (only the base survives today). The island was thus a destination for countless pilgrims, and not only hosted a famous oracle and the Delian Festival, but also the main slave market of the Mediterranean world. During the time of the Delian league and the Athenian hegemony on the seas, it was the location of the league's huge treasury. The island also flourished during the early Roman era, when it was a multinational trading port with about 30,000 inhabitants, while today it is uninhabited except for wardens and archaeologists. Today it is the largest archaeological site in Greece and makes a great excursion from Mykonos, only a 30-minute boat ride away. There are several crossings from the Old Port in Mykonos every day. Don't miss the museum - it's included in the ticket price and holds the original lion statues and the original tiger mosaic. I bought my boat ticket a few hours before at the ticket booth, but it was mid-September, and maybe not that crowded anymore. In summer, advance booking may be a good idea. Be aware, though, that there is no shade on the island (except in the museum), and going for the midday tour is probably not a good idea. …
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Delos archaeological site is vast and is among the most impressive of its kind. Ancient ruins everywhere require a non-trivial application of imagination to see beyond the piles of stones and the occasional surviving pillar, but Delos offers more than a few structures and artifacts that help visualize a bustling settlement from two and half thousand of years ago. The island was a major cult center for most of the first millennium BC, as well as an important trading post in the later centuries of that period. It was largely abandoned and uninhabited for the following two millennia, which contributed to the exceptional richness of its archaeological remains.
I visited Delos in the summer of 2018.
The aforementioned piles of stones and occasional surviving columns prevail at this site as in many others, but walking through the site, you come across occasional buildings that more or less retain their entire structures, or at least retain key features, such as doors or windows. In a few houses, despite exposure to the elements, rich details such as mosaic floors survived in a fairly good shape. The amphitheater at Delos, conversely, is among the least preserved areas of the site – its aerial photos found on the web look more impressive than the ground-level perspective.
Among the most amazing surviving artifacts are the Naxian marble Lions, dedicated to Apollo around 600 BC. In addition to them, a fair-sized collection of various items can be seen in the onsite museum.
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Delos Island is accessible by daily ferries from Mykonos. The WHS takes up half of the area of the island, so to see it all means a lot of walking. In the middle of the island is a museum containing statues and artifacts found on the island, one of the bvest in Greece.
In antiquity Delos was a consular city, where governments around the Mediterranean, and as far away as Syria, sent representatives to resolve disputes, arrange trade etc.
The residents obviously enjoyed a high degree of comfort, judging from the size of their houses, the amenities and entertainment available.
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