Despotiko Photographs and Stories – Bilingual Edition

Years of excavation at Mandra and on the islet of Tsimintiri, which in ancient times was connected to Despotiko by a strip of land, an isthmus, along with the study of archaeological materials, have allowed scholars to fully understand the character and function of one of the most important sites in the Cyclades. In its earliest phase (8th century BC), the settlement primarily served residential purposes. The founders of this settlement came from the island of Paros. Its heyday dates to the 6th century BC, when around 550 BC, with the city of Paros playing a leading role, a monumental temple dedicated to Apollo was constructed. The site gradually emerged as one of the largest Cycladic religious centres of the Archaic period, its wealth and size in the 6th century BC comparable only to the sanctuary of Apollo on Delos. From the early years of the excavation, finds – mainly vessels bearing inscriptions with his name – had confirmed Apollo as the deity worshipped at this important sanctuary.

This album follows the completion of the restoration of the Archaic Building Δ and complements a series of publications that introduced the treasures of Despotiko to the general public.