Delos

Delos, an island located nearMykonos,close to the centre of theCycladesarchipelagois the birthplace ofApolloandArtemisfromGreek Mythology.Herahad ordered all the lands of the Earth to never letLetogive birth. Delos was an exception, as it was a floating mass of land that wasn't nearly an island, neither connected with the mainland.

Today Delos is considered the most important mythological, historical, and archaeological sites inGreece.

The excavations in the island are among the most extensive in theMediterranean;ongoing work takes place under the direction of the Ephorate of Antiquities of Cyclades, and many of the artifacts found are on display at theArchaeological Museum of Delosand theNational Archaeological Museum of Athens.

Delos had a position as a holysanctuaryfor amillenniumbefore OlympianGreek mythologymade it the birthplace of Apollo and Artemis. From its Sacred Harbour, thehorizonshows the three conical mounds that have identified landscapessacredto agoddess(presumablyAthena) - in other sites: one, retaining itsPre-GreeknameMount Cynthus,is crowned with a sanctuary ofZeus.

In 1990,UNESCOinscribed Delos on theWorld 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 throughoutAncient Greece.