Page 208 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Greek Islands

Did You Know?
Delos had a number
of temples dedicated
to foreign gods,
EXPERIENCE The Cyclades
including those from
Egypt and Syria.

1 "'-
DELOS

ΉΛΟΣ

⌂ 16 km (10 miles) SW of Mýkonos town § 22890 22259 g From Mýkonos
town # May–Oct: 10:30am–7:30pm Tue–Sun; Nov–Apr: 9am–5pm Tue–Sun
Tiny, uninhabited Delos is one of the most important archaeological
sites in Greece and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. First settled
in the third millennium BC, Delos was a major port in the eastern
Mediterranean, and home to a thriving Roman town.

According to legend, Leto, pregnant by Zeus,
gave birth to goddess Artemis and god Apollo
here. This legend resulted in Delos becoming a
major religious centre by 700 BC, and the Delia
Festival celebrating Apollo occured every four
years until 316 BC. From a place of pilgrimage,
Delos became a thriving commercial port in
the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC. The resulting
wealth led to opulent houses and large public
spaces, such as the theatre and temples of
Apollo. But this wealth also attracted enemies
of Rome; the town was sacked in 88 BC and
69 BC, and eventually abandoned. It is now Lion statues, replicas of the originals,
an open-air archaeological museum. guarding the Sacred Lake
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