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Delos Island

The sacred island of Delos stands in contrast to the hectic life on Mykonos , this uninhabited island is one of the great archaeological sites in Greece . Legends say that Delos was the birthplace of Apollo and Artemis. The first inhabitants came to the island in 2000 BC and had a settlement on Mt. Kythnos . In 1000 BC the Ionians who worshipped Apollo, came to Delos , they started the Delia Festival in which music and games played an important part. The island developed into a major religious centre. With alliances first with the Athenians and later the Romans, Delos became a wealthy and powerful trading centre in the region, not only for goods but also for slaves, thousands were sold here every day. In the ensuing centuries the island went into decline, and soon forgotten and only during the Renaissance that it became known for its wealth of archaeological history. To visit Delos , where overnight stays are not allowed one must take boat from Mykonos . These boats sail every day except Mondays. You stay on the island for about six hours depending on the timetable for the boats. You can wander around at your leisure or take a guided tour. Take some refreshments with you, as the café can be a bit expensive. Most of the major finds found on Delos , are in the Archaeological Museum in Athens . The site museum still has some fine displays to offer the visitor, pride of place are the Lions, which once stood on the terrace overlooking the Sacred Lake. The Lions that stand on the original site are copies. The site has many interesting ruins to see, The Theatre Quarter is the site of the houses built by the wealthy of Delos , and these houses were elaborately decorated with mosaics with intricate designs depicting Gods and animals. The Houses of Dionysos, Trident, Dolphins and the House of the Mask all have exceptional mosaics. In the House of Cleopatra, a headless statue from the 2nd century BC of the owner was discovered. The Theatre built in 300BC and could seat over 5000 people, a vaulted cistern on the west side of the theatre, collected rainwater that was uses by the inhabitants of the city. The houses to the rich and powerful of course had their own water supplies.

The Sacred Lake (now drained to stop malarial mosquitoes breeding) said to be the birthplace of Apollo and Artemis. The Sacred Lions overlook and protect the Lake . The Sanctuary’s of

The Foreign Gods has remains from temples built to honour gods of the merchants who settled on Delos .