The line-up of cats at Delos

These statues are exact replicas of the originals. The originals can be seen nearby in the Delos Archaeological Museum.
The island of Delos, near the centre of the Cyclades archipelago, is one of the most important mythological, historical, and archaeological sites in Greece. When Greek mythology formulated the story of Apollo and Artemis in the first millennium BCE Delos was made their birthplace, although the island had been a holy site long before that.
In later times the island became a very important and wealthy trading centre and surprisingly well populated given its scant natural resources; but by the 1st century BCE trade routes had changed and the island became uninhabited. It is still uninhabited today apart from visiting archaeologists and researchers.