The excavations brought to light a large settlement of the Hellenistic and Roman eras, which is preserved in very good condition, giving visitors a unique picture of everyday life and private life in the ancient city. In fact, Delos is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, due to the exceptional importance of the finds discovered on the island.Īrriving in Delos you will really feel like you are in an open-air museum. It is not only one of the holiest sites of antiquity, but also one of the most important archaeological sites in Greece. Just remember, there is no accommodation on the island.Īlthough Delos is one of the smallest islands in the Aegean and does not provide any kind of accommodation, it has a rich and unique history. Ferry tickets can be purchased from the ticket office in Mykonos Town. During the summer months there are daily itineraries to Delos and the journey takes 30 minutes. The ferry connection from Mykonos to Delos is served by local boats, which depart from the old port of Mykonos in Chora. You can buy tickets for the boat on the island from which you depart. These excursions are organized by local companies. During the summer you can go on a day trip to Delos and from other nearby islands of the Cyclades (Naxos, Paros, Tinos, Syros). Access is usually from Mykonos, which is the nearest island. Despite its slow decline, Delos maintained some population in the early Roman Imperial period, until it was completely abandoned around the 8th century AD.ĭelos is not connected to mainland Greece by direct ferry services. However, the island’s significance waned after the war between Rome and Mithridates of Pontus, during 88-69 BC. An estimated 750,000 tons of merchandise passed through the port each year during the first century BC. During this time, the island functioned as an administrative center, since it had no productive capacity for food, fiber, or timber, which were all imported.Īfter its conquest by the Romans and the destruction of Corinth in 146 BC, the Roman Republic allowed Delos to partially assume Corinth’s role as the most important trading center in Greece. Beginning in the 9th century, the island developed into a major cult center where the god Dionysus and Titaness Leto, mother of Apollo and Artemis, were worshiped.įurthermore, The League’s common treasury was kept there as well until 454 BC, when Pericles removed it to Athens. ![]() It is believed that Delos had a position as a holy sanctuary even a millennium before the mythology of the Olympian gods was spread in the country, even before the island was made the birthplace of the god Apollo and the goddess Artemis.īased on archaeological excavations and scientific research, it is believed that the island had been inhabited since the 3rd millennium BC, probably by the Carians. Passengers who are traveling by ferry to Delos, arrive in an important mythological and archaeological site of Greece, a UNESCO World Heritage Site!ĭelos island is situated in the center of the Cyclades Archipelago, right at the heart of the Aegean Sea.
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