Come explore The Sacred Island of Delos with me!! Our trip to Delos Island was a day trip from Mykonos, Greece.
The ferry ride from Mykonos to the sacred island of Delos, a Unesco World Heritage site is only about half an hour long but I promise you, this journey will take you thousands of years back. Delos has a rich history that dates back to almost 3000 BC. and according to Greek Mythology it is the birthplace of Moon Goddess Artemis and Sun God Apollo…making this the most sacred sites in Ancient Greece second only to Delphi.
Delos always raises some astonishment when one compares its size to its history. The island which is no more than 5kms long and 1.3 was considered so sacred that birth and death of mortals was prohibited here.
Now largely uninhabited, Delos was once a thriving commercial port and important religious center boasting many temples dedicated to the Gods. It is said that an estimated 750,000 tons of merchandise passed through the port every year during the first century BC.
Today the island is an archaeological treasure that is definitely worth exploring!! Every year this small island attracts thousands of visitors who arrive here to walk through the past as they explore the ruins that still stand on this barren and hilly landscape.
Archaeological findings include the ruins of mansions, a theater, a gymnasium, ancient shrines, the sanctuary of Apollo, the worldfamous Lions of Delos statues and much more. When gazing at the ruins, it is clear that Delos once housed a great city.
The ancient theatre on Delos Island once accommodated 5000 spectators!! It was originally made of marble but is now partly ruined
and overgrown with weeds. This is all that remains of the magnificent structure today.
As you roam around Delos, ruins of a wealthy neighbourhood with one and two-storey houses can be seen. You can tell the ancient Greeks loved to beautify their homes judging by the beautiful floor mosaics that are still visible today. Particularly notable is the House of the Trident, which probably belonged to a shipowner or merchant and centers on a courtyard with a fine mosaic floor.
Another notable home is one owned by Cleopatra, but not the famous Egyptian queen. This Cleopatra, according to a plaque at its entrance, was just a wealthy woman living in a 12-room house. She was so rich she even had statues of herself and her husband erected inside her luxurious home!!
Overlooking the Sacred Lake, is the Terrace of the Lions (also known as the Avenue of the Lions). This is one of the most-photographed tourist attractions in Delos. It is home to a row of magnificent white marble lions - originally there were nine, but only five remain (in fact even these are replicas, the originals being on show in the Delos Museum).
In 1872, the French School at Athens began excavating on Delos, in a project on a massive scale, which is still ongoing today.[1][2]
The excavations in the island are among the most extensive in the Mediterranean and many of the artifacts found are on display at the nearby Archaeological Museum of Delos and the National Archaeological Museum of Athens.
The Delos Museum was actually built on-site in 1904 by the Archaeological Society of Athens to accommodate the archaeological discoveries.
Amongst its collection, the Delos Archaeological Museum houses a range of pottery, funerary artefacts as well as mosaics and jewellery. One of the most celebrated exhibits at the Delos Archaeological Museum is that of the lion statues from the Terrace of the Lions.
Whilst many of its exhibits relate to the ancient Greek period, the Delos Archaeological Museum has pieces dating as far back as the twenty-fifth century BC, offering an overview of the island since it was first inhabited.
A traveler’s tip for you guys, in order to get the most out of this site, consider hiring a guide or taking a guided tour. The guides can delve into the history, which will help this ancient site come to life!!
Hope you all enjoy this vlog!!
Lets connect on social media:
instagram - / zarabarringpandey
Facebook - / zarabarringpandey
Twitter - / zarabarring
#5000YearsOldCity #AncientCity #HistoricalCity