The Heartbreaking Myth Behind the Temple of Apollo
An abandoned lover and an abandoned building project
Temple of Apollo, PortaraCyArk
The Temple of Apollo, or Portara, stands on a small islet known as Palatia just off the shore of the island of Naxos. It faces the island of Delos across the sea, where the Ancient Grecian god Apollo was born. But the temple was never finished.
Bacchus and Ariadne (1520-3) by TitianThe National Gallery, London
According to myth, the small island was the place where the Minoan princess Ariadne was abandoned by her lover Theseus after he killed the Minotaur, a monster with the head of a bull.
An aerial photograph taken by drone of the Temple of Apollo Portara by CyArkCyArk
This spot is where the tyrant Lygdamis wanted to build a new temple that would be the largest building in all of Greece, but the construction was abandoned when he was overthrown in 506 BCE.
A view of the Temple of Apollo Portara with the view of the island of Naxos in the background by CyArkCyArk
The temple was later converted into a church in the 5th and 6th centuries, but was dismantled when Naxos came under Venetian and Ottoman rule.
CyArk digitally documenting the Temple of Apollo Portara by CyArkCyArk
The only part of the structure that remains today are parts of the foundation and the large monumental doorway. In 2016, the site was digitally documented by CyArk.
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