Delos

Delos
Native name:
Δήλος
General view of Delos
Delos (on the right) and Rineia in the Cyclades
Delos is located in Greece
Delos
Delos
Geography
Coordinates37°23′36″N 25°16′16″E / 37.39333°N 25.27111°E / 37.39333; 25.27111
ArchipelagoCyclades
Area3.43 km2 (1.32 sq mi)
Highest elevation112 m (367 ft)
Highest pointMt. Kynthos
Administration
Greece
RegionSouth Aegean
Regional unitMykonos
Demographics
Population24 (2011)
Pop. density6,8/km2 (176/sq mi)
CriteriaCultural: ii, iii, iv, vi
Reference530
Inscription1990 (14th Session)

Delos (/ˈdlɒs/; Greek: Δήλος [ˈðilos]; Attic Greek: Δῆλος, Doric Greek: Δᾶλος), 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.

Delos had a position as a holy sanctuary for a millennium before Olympian Greek mythology made it the birthplace of Apollo and Artemis. From its Sacred Harbour are visible the three conical mounds that have identified landscapes sacred to a goddess (presumably Athena). Another site, retaining its Pre-Greek name Mount Cynthus,[1] is crowned with a sanctuary of Zeus.

In 1990, UNESCO added Delos to the World Heritage List, citing its exceptional archaeological site which "conveys the image of a great cosmopolitan Mediterranean port", its influence on the development of Greek architecture, and its sacred importance throughout Ancient Greece.[2]

  1. ^ The combination -nth- is a marker for Pre-Greek words: Corinth, menthos, labyrinth, etc. A name Artemis and even Diana retained was Cynthia.
  2. ^ "Delos". UNESCO World Heritage Convention. United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization. Retrieved 20 November 2022.

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