One of the best and favorite tourist destinations in Greece is at the Delos ,one of the most important archaeological sites in Greece. And a remarkable UNESCO World Heritage site that offers a unique look into Greece of antiquity and one of mankind’s most important cultural and historical sites.
The island of Delos an entire ancient city is located in the heart of the Cyclades, in the Aegean sea. These islands live up to their name, as they encircle the sacred island (“kyklos” is the Greek word for circle),where the god Apollo was believed to have been born. A once magnificent ancient city, complete with its own port, , showcase of temples, shrines and sanctuaries, the remains of which make Delos one big open-air theater, market places, gymnasium, stadium, and many private residences, which remain in a well-preserved condition. It is uninhabited, and in fact overnight stays are prohibited. It’s just a few kilometres off the south west tip of the frantic party island of Mykonos but the two are worlds apart. Mykonos is famed for having one of the wildest night scenes in the Mediterranean whereas Delos sends its day trippers packing before the sun goes down.
In Greek mythology, Leto gave birth to God Apollo and his sister Artemis on The small, rocky, dry island of Delos (5 sq. km.) which made this an important pilgrimage site for ancient Greeks. holds the biggest and the most important archeological site of the Cycladic islands, was a major sacred religious destination for the ancient Greeks, second in importance only to Delphi. A commercial centre of the ancient Greek world. Delos was also an equally important financial and political center.
It was thought to be in the middle of all the other Cycladic islands, and it was heavily populated in its days. The first settlers arrived in the 3rd C BC, but it was in the 1st millennium BC that the island became known as the centre of the cult of Apollo.At its height, the sacred island was covered in a variety of temples and sanctuaries dedicated to a variety of gods The Delian League, was an alliance of city-states formed to guard against Persian attacks. This loose alliance became an economic powerhouse and quickly turned into an empire.
Today Delos, as it was in antiquity, is little more than a barren rock with scrub vegetation. However the island is now home to one of the most remarkable archeological excavations two miles from Mykonos in Greece.
Excavations conducted since the 1870s by the French School. It is virtually uninhabited, but attracts many tourists.
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