Greece - Delphi, Temple of Apollo

The archaeological site of Delphi is located a couple of hundred meters east of ‘modern’ Delphi on the slopes of Mount Parnassus. The ancient Greeks did believe that Delphi was the center of the world. According to the mythology Zeus sent out two eagles from the two ends of the world. The eagles crossed their paths above the area of Delphi and since then the place was considered to be the center of the world.

The sanctuary of Delphi, set within a most spectacular landscape, had the most famous oracle of ancient Greece. The Pythia was the name of the high priestess of the Temple of Apollo, who also served as the oracle of Delphi and was consulted about important decisions.

The Temple of Apollo was the most important building of the Sanctuary of Apollo, also containing treasuries, theatre and a stadium. The original temple - built in the 7th century BC - was reconstructed many times. The present Doric temple - or at least the remains - is dating back to the year of 330 BC, during the reign of Alexander the Great. It has the same plan and roughly the same dimensions - 21.6 x 58.2 meters - as its predecessor, with six columns at the end and fifteen at the sides. The temple's foundations survive today along with several columns made of porous stone and limestone which is fairly soft material and have allowed for the temple's advanced decaying.

Nowadays Delphi is an extensive archaeological site and is recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.