Palaiopolis Things to Do Tips by StefanosS

The Gattilusi Towers of Paleopoli

The Medieval fortification of the Ancient City, made by the Gattilusi family in 1431-3 AD, was an effort to secure the island against the Turks and Venetians. The cluster stands at the NE corner of the ancient Walls and includes a moat, an enclosure and three towers, the SE of whitch is preserved almost intact. The building material was the stones and marbles of the ancient city that was already abandoned.

It seems that the most important ancient temple of the city stood at the place of the Medievat castle or a little higher and was dedicated to the godess Athena.

The Walls

Altough the old city was inhabited until the late Byzantine age, almost nothing has been preserved from it but the surrounnding Walls. The Sanctuary of the Great Gods was outside the Walls, and was not the official holy place of the city.

The Walls, dated between the 6th and 3rd centuries BC, are built with stone blocks slightly worked out and only in special cases, like the corners or the gates, there are blocks of rectangular shape.

Other buildings

Many other buildings stood around, like the Stoa, housing the pilgrims-visitors, the Restaurant for ceremonial dinners, the Theatre, votive buildings, auxiliary buildings, the Cemetery etc.

In the photo a cluster of buildings of indeterminable use. At the corner there is a strange construction reminding the entrance of a Mycenean vaulted tomb.

The monument of Niki.

It was a rectangular structure facing to the north, where the famous statue of Niki of Samothraki stood, attached on a ship's prow (the statue is now exhibited in the Louvre Museum). Some arcaeologists believe that the base of the statue was also a fountain. Dated to the early 2nd century BC.

The photo is taken from the place where the statue of Niki stood, viewing the entire sacred area.

The Sacred Circle.

Circular area with five encircling steps on which the spectators stood, watching or participating in the proceedings. Dated to the end of the 5th or the beginning of the 4th century BC.

The Anaktoron.

This building was used for initiation into the first degree of the Mysteries, called the Myesis. It is dated to the early Imperial period (1st century AD).

The Propylon of Ptolemy II.

The monument was offered to the Great Gods by Ptolemy II Philadelphos. Dated between 285 and 281 BC.

The Tholos of Arsinoe.

It was dedicated to the gods by queen Arsinoe, the wife of king Lysimachos and is the largest circular building known from Greek antiquity. Dated to 288-281 BC.

The Hieron

The Hieron was the second important building of the sanctuary, after the Temple. It was used for the initiation into the second, higher degree of the Mysteries, called Epopteia. Dated to 325-150 BC. Five columns and the central architraves of the facade of the "Hieron" were restored in 1956, with the financial support of the Bollingen Foundation.

The Temenos (Temple).

The Temenos (Temple), known also as the Building with the Dancers was an imposing structure of commanding position on the site and was actually the centre of the cult of the Great Gods. It was the earliest and largest marble building in the sanctuary and its walls were decorated with a frieze bearing the relief representation of dancing girls. Dated to ca. 340 BC.