World Heritage Identification Number: 491
World Heritage since: 1988
Category: Cultural Heritage
Transboundary Heritage: No
Endangered Heritage: No
Country: 🇬🇷 Greece
Continent: Europe
UNESCO World Region: Europe and North America
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The Sanctuary of Asklepios at Epidaurus: A Pure Masterpiece of Greek Architecture
The Sanctuary of Asklepios at Epidaurus, located in the Peloponnese region of Greece, is a remarkable testament to ancient Greek culture and the reverence for the god of healing, Asklepios. This significant archaeological site was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988 due to its exceptional architecture and its role in the development and propagation of healing sanctuaries across classical antiquity.
More to come…UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site
In a small valley in the Peloponnesus, the shrine of Asklepios, the god of medicine, developed out of a much earlier cult of Apollo (Maleatas), during the 6th century BC at the latest, as the official cult of the city state of Epidaurus. Its principal monuments, particularly the temple of Asklepios, the Tholos and the Theatre - considered one of the purest masterpieces of Greek architecture – date from the 4th century. The vast site, with its temples and hospital buildings devoted to its healing gods, provides valuable insight into the healing cults of Greek and Roman times.
Encyclopedia Record: Sanctuary of Asclepius, Epidaurus
The Sanctuary of Asclepius was a sanctuary in Epidaurus dedicated to Asclepius. Especially in the Classical and Hellenistic periods, it was the main holy site of Asclepius. The sanctuary at Epidaurus was the rival of such major cult sites as the Sanctuary of Zeus at Olympia and Apollo at Delphi. The temple was built in the early 4th century BC. If still in use by the 4th century AD, the temple would have been closed during the persecution of pagans in the late Roman Empire, when the Christian Emperors issued edicts prohibiting non-Christian worship. In 1988, the temple was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List because of its exceptional architecture and its importance in the development and spread of healing sanctuaries throughout classical antiquity. It was excavated between 1881 and 1928 by Panagiotis Kavvadias, and between 1948 and 1951 by John Papadimitriou.Additional Site Details
Area: 1,393.8 hectares
(ii) — Significant interchange of human values
(iii) — Unique or exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition
(iv) — Outstanding example of a type of building or landscape
(vi) — Directly associated with events or living traditions
Coordinates: 37.6 , 23.0805555556
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© Zde, CC BY-SA 4.0 Resized from original. (This derivative is under the same CC BY-SA license.)
