| Agora of the Competaliasts | | |
The Agora of Competaliasts, around its round monument dedicated to Hermes, was one of the main markets of Delos. The Competaliasts were the members of a brotherhood of freedmen and slaves who invoked as patrons the lares gods Compitales, Roman divinities of crossroads. |
| Agora of the Italians | | |
Right next to the Sacred Lake, the Agora of the Italians was the market and the meeting place for Italian merchants and traders. Built around 100 BC, it was the largest building in Delos. It was a large square (68 m by 48), surrounded by a Doric peristyle with no less than 112 columns. |
| Delos Boat Dock | | |
The Delos jetty, located not far from the ruins of the ancient port, has no tourist infrastructure, there is just the ticket sales building. Take some water and a hat before arriving, the sun hits hard! |
| Delos Museum | | |
The Archaeological Museum of Delos displays many objects discovered during the excavations, including the originals of the famous lions (the ones you see on the site are copies). Entry to the museum is included in the ticket price. |
| Ekklesiasterion | | |
The Ekklesiasterion was one of the administrative buildings used for the assemblies of the deputies, the dignitaries and the citizens. |
| Heraion | | |
The Temple of Hera stands at the foot of Mount Kynthos. Hera, daughter of the Titans Cronos and Rhea (therefore sister of Zeus), was the protector of women and the goddess of marriage, guardian of the fertility of the couple. This did not prevent her from becoming the wife of her brother Zeus... |
| House of Dionysus | | |
This house owes its name to the discovery of an exceptional mosaic representing Dionysos riding a panther, which original is exhibited in the Archaeological Museum. It's a building you see from a distance, its tall marble columns rising above the walls. |
| House of Kleopatra | | |
No, this house was not the summer residence of the Queen of Egypt, but the home of a wealthy Athenian wine producer... We know these details because the owners had made statues in their own effigy and because there is a large pond to collect the juice of tread grapes! |
| House of the Dolphins | | |
The House of the Dolphins was probably the home of a rich Phoenician merchant, as the mosaic of its peristyle court (which gave its name to the house) was created by a Phoenician craftsman who signed his work. This amazing mosaic was probably covered with water to bring out its colors and its maritime theme. |
| House of the Hermae | | |
This house was three storeys high and probably belonged to a wealthy Italian merchant. It owes its name to a head of the bearded god Hermes which was found there and is now exposed in the Archaeological Museum. |
| House of the Inopos | | |
The House of Inopos was a rich house with a peristyle courtyard. It's located in a small valley where ran a brook named Inopos, which of course flowed from Mount Kynthos but the ancient Greeks were convinced that it had its source in the Nile! |
| House of the Masks | | |
The House of Masks is one of the buildings where you'll see beautiful mosaics, including one where a character rides a panther in amazon. It was actually a group of four private houses, where murals, luxury vases, gold jewelry and statues were found. |
| House of the Trident | | |
The House of the Trident was probably the home of a wealthy Syrian merchant or captain, because the decorative elements of the columns (the "protomes"), lions on the left and bulls on the right, were symbols of the Syrian gods Hadad and Atargatis. |
| Kynthos | | |
The hill overlooking Delos at 113 m above sea level. This is the highest point of the island, topped by the ruins of a sanctuary dedicated to Zeus and Athena, of which there is not much left. On a clear day, it's an exceptional point of view on Delos, Rhineia, Mykonos and all the neighbouring islands. |
| Oikos of the Naxians | | |
The Oikos of the Naxians was the meeting place of the religious brotherhood of Naxos. In ancient Greece, the "Oikoi" were not places of worship but annexes to the sanctuaries where offerings and materials were stored. |
| Propylaia | | |
The Propylaea, at the end of the Sacred Way, constituted the main entrance to the Sanctuary of Apollo. In ancient Greek architecture, the propylaea were the monumental gateway of a temple and the most famous are the ones you see at the entrance of the Acropolis in Athens. |
| Sacred Lake | | |
The Sacred Lake was fed by ephemeral streams flowing from Mount Kynthos. According to legend, it was the fief of the sacred swans of Apollo. It was drained and left dry in 1925 because its stagnant waters were a breeding ground for malaria and it's nowadays the kingdom of lizards. |
| Sacred Way | | |
The Sacred Way, or Avenue of the Processions, is lined with two stoas (porticoes). It was a paved avenue that connected the Sacred Port to the Sanctuary of Apollo. |
| Sanctuary of the Egyptian Gods | | |
In the Sanctuary of the Egyptian Gods was venerated the trinity of Hellenized gods Isis, Sarapis and Anubis. The facade of the Temple of Isis has been restored and you'll see a statue of the goddess inside while, in front of the temple, stands the altar for the offerings. |
| Sanctuary of the Syrian Gods | | |
In Delos, religious tolerance was a rule and every community was building its own place of worship. In the Sanctuary of the Syrian Gods were honored and revered the god of rain and storm Hadad and the goddess of fertility Atargatis. |
| Temples of Apollo | | |
Three temples dedicated to Apollo were built side by side: the Temple of Delians (that remained unfinished), the Temple of the Athenians (with the pedestal of Philetairos, first king of Pergamon) and the Temple of Poros, the oldest of the three (which is named after "poros", a limestone tuff found at Delos). |
| Terrace of the Lions | | |
The Terrace of the Lions, most iconic spot of Delos, in front of the Sacred Lake. During the Antiquity, there were 9 to 12 of them, lined up to watch over the Holy Way. Victims of the wear of time, they don't really look like lions anymore. By the way, the lions you see on site are copies, the originals are exhibited in a room of the museum. |
| Theatre of Delos | | |
Built in the 3rd century BC, the ancient theater consisted of 43 marble bleachers and could accommodate some 6,500 spectators, who enjoyed also an amazing view of the city and the port. It was abandoned in 88 BC, after the raid on Delos by Mithridates. |
| Xenon | | |
Ancient Greece already had tourist infrastructures: this vast building built near the theater was a hotel! In the center of the resort, you can see a huge square hole. No, it was not the hotel pool, it was the cistern to provide water to the guests... |