Delphi, Greece: Celebrated Monuments in a Unique Landscape

Delphi is so much more than a popular tourist attraction: In ancient times it was regarded as the center (literally, the navel, "omphalos") of the world. Nowadays it is admired and revered as one of the most significant archaeological sites in Greece, best known for the legendary oracle where the famous (or infamous) prophetess Pythia determined the fortunes of pilgrims from throughout the ancient world.

The site of Delphi is located on the slopes of Mount Parnassus, the home of the Muses, over the valley of the Pleistos river, in the county of Phokis in central Greece, about 100 miles northwest of Athens. According to myth, this is where Apollo founded his first temple after slaying Python, a fearful serpent that guarded the oracle. Throughout Greek history, the Apollonian oracle grew in power and wealth, survived the Persian Wars, and even managed to prosper despite the trials and tribulations of the Hellenistic and early Roman periods. In 394 AD, the Byzantine emperor Theodosius prohibited the ancient religion, and this was basically the epitaph for Apollo's sanctuary.

If you go to Delphi, make sure to visit the two sanctuaries: The Sanctuary of Athena Pronaia (Pronaia meaning "the goddess who stood before the temple") and the Sanctuary of Apollo. The Sanctuary of Athena comprises the celebrated "Tholos", a circular building of unknown function, dating back to the 4^th century BC. The Sanctuary of Apollo is dominated by the renowned temple, the building that has pride of place in the sacred precinct. It is in this temple that the famous sayings "know thyself" and "nothing in excess" originated: they were engraved on the walls of the entrance to the temple. This was the seat of the Delphic oracle, the point of attraction of powerful kings and military leaders, of shrewd politicians and pious pilgrims.

Continue on your way westwards and you will come upon the Delphi Museum. Built in 1902-1903, the Museum houses thousands of exhibits from the excavations on the Delphi site. You can't miss the statues of Kleobis and Biton and the magnificent, larger-than-life Charioteer, the most prized exhibit in the museum.