{"id":9393,"date":"2014-05-01T08:33:02","date_gmt":"2014-05-01T06:33:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.arttrav.com\/?p=9393"},"modified":"2014-05-01T08:34:02","modified_gmt":"2014-05-01T06:34:02","slug":"what-to-see-in-delos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.arttrav.com\/eu\/what-to-see-in-delos\/","title":{"rendered":"Delos, in the middle of everything"},"content":{"rendered":"

Apollo, the ancient god of light, was born on the island of Delos<\/strong>, smack dab in the middle of the Aegean Sea and equally distant from every shore of mainland Greece. You might say it\u2019s in the middle of nowhere and in the middle of everything. The islet, a UNESCO Heritage site, is currently uninhabited, but this doesn\u2019t mean there\u2019s nothing to see and do in Delos – au contraire! During your tour around the Cycladic islands, you should definitely dedicate a day to this unique piece of land and see, close up, a number of divine masterpieces of ancient Greek civilization. There are the remains of an entire ancient city consisting of houses, guesthouses, a forum, shops and squares, as well as sanctuaries of gods.<\/p>\n

\"Delos<\/a>
Delos by Flickr User @Apel.les<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

<\/p>\n

Shall we do a refresher of Greek mythology? The story of Apollo goes as such. His mother, Lito, was chased by the queen goddess Hera who was blind with jealousy because of her husband Zeus\u2019s cheating, gave birth to handsome Apollo and his twin sister Artemis lying all alone under the only palm tree found on the banks of the island of Delos\u2019s Sacred Lake. Both baby gods were particularly beautiful, of course.<\/p>\n

\"Louvre
Louvre statue of Artemis (on the left, with a deer) and Apollo (on the right, holding a lyre) from Myrina, dating to approximately 25 BC. Source: Wikipedia<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After these twin gods were born, a bright and sacred light spread over Delos, turning this once insignificant island into one of the most sacred places in the whole of the ancient world.<\/p>\n

What to see in Delos<\/h2>\n

In a day, you should manage to see the following important monuments:<\/p>\n

The sanctuary of Apollo:<\/strong> Within the area of the sanctuary you will find the remains of three temples dedicated to Apollo. This sanctuary was established around 1400 BCE but became more developed around 7000 BCE.<\/p>\n

House of Dionysos:<\/strong> a 2nd century private house famous for its mosaic of a tiger head and named for another of Dionysos riding a panther<\/p>\n

\"Tiger<\/a>
Tiger head – floor mosaic detail, House of Dionysos. Photo: Flickr user @Chris Beckett<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lion Terrace<\/strong>: This part of the island is lined with impressive marble lions, a donation made by the residents of Naxos in late 7th century BC. This huge masterpiece looks towards the Sacred Lake (now dry) and functioned as the guardians of the sanctuary. One of the initially 16 lions is now decorating the naval base entrance of Venice.<\/p>\n

\"Lion<\/a>
Lion Terrace. Photo Visit Greece on Flickr<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Theater:<\/strong> Although, it had suffered a great damage due to pillage or even stealing of the marbles for building purposes, the sea-view ancient theater of Delos still captivates visitor’s eyes.<\/p>\n

The Archaeological Museum<\/strong>: Considered one of the most important museums in Greece, it is known for its impressive display of private items mostly from the Hellenistic period, including sculptures, inscriptions, pottery items, mosaics and more.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
A figure in the museum. Photo flickr user @druidabruxux<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Delos visitor Tips<\/h2>\n
\"What<\/a>
What to wear in Delos (sort of). Actresses return from historic re-evocation carrying frapp\u00e9s and big purses. Photo: Flickr user @dark4dawn<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n