The Mythical Greek Island of Delos

 

One of the most unique places I've traveled to is the Island of Delos.  It was once a large city and the spiritual capital of the Greek Islands.  It is also one of the world's largest and oldest archaeological digs, started in 1870 by the French.  The Delos island near Mykonos is one of Greece's most important mythological and historical sites.  4000 years ago, this was their spiritual center, which can be compared to the Vatican for Catholics.  

"Delos had a position as a holy sanctuary for a millennium before Olympian Greek mythology made it the birthplace of Apollo and Artemis.  In 1990, UNESCO inscribed Delos on the World Heritage List, citing it as the "exceptionally extensive and rich" archaeological site that "conveys the image of a great cosmopolitan Mediterranean port."

Our cruise ship stopped in Mykonos, where we were tendered to shore to catch a tour boat to Delos.  The tour boat was over 50' long and was comfortable with a snack bar.  We ride outside, sitting on seats on the gangway on the ship's side.  It's a short sail from Mykonos to Delos, about 30 minutes.   

We land right at the Park entrance.  Once at Delos, we are divided into groups and were assigned a tour guide.  The tour guide was indispensable in viewing the Island ruins and relics.  He explained everything in great detail.  We first walk through the sacred precinct to the Terrace of the Lions.  The Sacred Precinct is a large area filled with temples and alters from thousands of years of worship.  The Terrace of the Lions, also called the Avenue of the Lions, overlooks the Sacred Lake. 

After this, we walked through the shopping and residential district.  Including the House of the Dolphins, a mosaic depicting the Phoenician goddess Tanit indicates that Delos also functioned as a meeting place of cultures and beliefs.  We then walked through the House of Cleopatra.  Many houses had incredible floor mosaics which were in the process of being unearthed. 

The theater was an important part of the cultural life of the island.  The ancient theater could hold up to 5,000 people.  We got to sit in the seats and imagine what it was like to be there during that time.   They were the privileged few who, at that time, considered themselves living with the Gods of Greek Mythology. 

Sitting in the theater, we could see the abandoned ancient city with the Ocean in the background.   It was strange, but you could feel the history.  We were definitely caught up in the moment.  Our time on the tour had come to an end. So we headed back through the city to board our tour boat for the 30-minute trip back to Mykonos.