Delos

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Delos: An Ancient Cosmopolitan Port in the Heart of the Cyclades

Delos, officially known as Dilos, is a minuscule yet historically significant island nestled within the Cyclades archipelago, situated just off the coast of Mykonos. With a mere surface area of 3.43 square kilometers (1.32 square miles), Delos stands as one of the most crucial mythological, historical, and archaeological sites in Greece. This ancient island has been the subject of extensive archaeological excavations, making it one of the most extensive digs in the Mediterranean region. Many of the artifacts unearthed during these excavations can be found at the Archaeological Museum of Delos and the National Archaeological Museum of Athens.

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UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site

According to Greek mythology, Apollo was born on this tiny island in the Cyclades archipelago. 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.

UNESCO Justification of the World Heritage Site

Criterion (ii): Delos had considerable influence on the development of architecture and monumental arts during the Greco-Roman period, as seen in the immense Hellenistic sanctuary. A great part of its treasure of masterpieces was found during the excavations and is exhibited today in Delos’ Museum. This influence was matched later by the important role it has played since the 15th century in furthering our knowledge of ancient Greek art from a widely renowned site, which is among the first sites in Greece that captured the attention of archaeologists and travellers.

Criterion (iii): The island of Delos bears unique witness to the civilizations of the Aegean world since the 3rd millennium BC. During the Palaeo-Christian era, it was the seat of the bishopric of the Cyclades. From the 7th century BC to the pillage by Athenodoros in 69 BC, the island of Delos was one of the principal Pan-Hellenic sanctuaries. The feast of the Delians, which was celebrated every four years in the month of May until 316 BC, included gymnastic, equestrian and musical competitions, Archaic Age dances, theatrical productions and banquets. Like the Olympic and the Pythic Games, it was one of the major events in the Greek world.

Criterion (iv): The archaeological site of Delos provides an outstanding example of an architectural ensemble that restores the image of an extremely important cosmopolitan Mediterranean port that began to prosper since 314 BC, reaching outstanding levels during the 2nd and 1st centuries BC. Warehouses and trading companies abounded, large residential areas were established, public buildings were founded by associations of bankers, traders and ship-owners. Moreover, there were an unprecedented number of sanctuaries dedicated to foreign religions: temples of Sarapis, Isis and Anubis, temples to the Syrian gods Haadad and Atargatis, and even a synagogue in the stadium district.

Criterion (vi): Delos is directly and tangibly associated with one of the principal myths of Hellenic civilisation. It was on this arid islet that Leto, made pregnant by Zeus and fleeing the vengeance of Hera, gave birth to Apollo and Artemis after a difficult labour. According to a Homeric hymn, the island, which until then had been floating, became anchored to the floor of the ocean. The newborn Phoebus- Apollo threw off his swaddling clothes bathed the universe in light and began walking with his cither and his bow. Kynthos, the mountain of Zeus, and the wheel-shaped lake, close to which the pregnant Leto suffered labor pains for nine days and nights, remain essential landmarks of the island's sacred geography, which was clearly defined by the additions made to the Delian sanctuary to Apollo between the 6th and the 1st centuries BC.

Encyclopedia Record: Delos

Delos or Dilos, is a small Greek island near Mykonos, close to the centre of the Cyclades archipelago. Though only 3.43 km2 (1.32 sq mi) in area, it is one of the most important mythological, historical, and archaeological sites in Greece. The ongoing excavations in the island are among the most extensive in the Mediterranean, and many of the artifacts found are displayed at the Archaeological Museum of Delos and the National Archaeological Museum of Athens.

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