Digitally Documenting the Unfinished Ruins of the Temple of Apollo

The unfinished Temple of Apollo, or Portara, stands just off the shore of Naxos, an island in the Cycladic archipelago. It faces the island of Delos where according to myth the Ancient Grecian god Apollo was born.

In ancient times, the site was connected to Naxos but now sits on a small islet known as Palatia.

Not much remains of the Temple of Apollo as the marble was dismantled and used in other buildings on the island. The only parts that remain are sections of the foundation and its large gate, which is six meters tall, three and a half meters wide, and weighs over 40 tons. 

In the summer of 2016, CyArk collaborated with the Hellenic Republic Ministry of Culture and Ephorate of Antiquities of the Cyclades to document three cultural heritage sites on Naxos.

The structures were surveyed with a laser scanning technology called LiDAR, and both terrestrial and aerial photogrammetry.

CyArk’s digital documentation of the temple and its surrounding area provided accurate data on its current state of preservation. Explore a 3D model of the site here.