Delos Information
Delos is one of the most important archaeological sites in Greece with admirably well-preserved ruins of one of the largest, most significant, and best-organized ancient Greek settlements. According to Greek mythology, Apollo was born on this tiny island in the Cyclades archipelago. The island was first settled about the 3rd millennium B.C. Around 800 BC many temples and sanctuaries were built here, mostly by aristocrats from Naxos, in honor of Apollo. Apollo's sanctuary attracted pilgrims from all over Greece and Delos was a prosperous trading port. The island bears traces of the succeeding civilizations in the Aegean world, from the 3rd millennium B.C. to the palaeochristian era.
The archaeological site is exceptionally extensive and rich and conveys the image of a great cosmopolitan Mediterranean port. In 1873 the French Archaeological School of Athens began excavations that continue to this day, uncovering a large section of the once large and affluent city with sanctuaries, harbors, market places and residential quarters. Its impressive houses with courts and atria adorned with mosaics and mural decorations are impressive for even the most traveled. The visitor who strolls along the streets and through the squares of this unique ancient city has the sense that it is still alive and that its residents left just a short while ago, leaving their possessions and dreams behind in the ruins.