KOUROS D'APOLLONAS
The most important archaeological site of Naxos housing the giant kouros at Appollonas.
Above the village of Apollonas is the ancient quarry of Grammata, one of the oldest in Greece, used between the 7th and 4th century BC. By its historical significance, it is the most important archaeological site in Naxos. The blocks of grey marble were partly worked in situ, then brought down to the shore and taken by ship to the sanctuary island of Delos. Among the dozens of marble blocks still visible, lies, lying down, the "Kouros of Apollonas", dating from the 7th or 6th century BC, the largest kouros in Greece. Also known as the 'Colossus of Dionysus', this unfinished light grey marble statue is 10.70 metres long and weighs about 80 tons. It is a kouros, a typical young man's statue from the archaic period (650-500 BC). At the top of the quarry is the inscription "ΟΡΟΣ ΙΕΡΟΝ ΧΩΡΙΟΥ ΑΠΟΛΛΩΝΟΣ" ("Holy Mountain of Apollo") dating from the5th or 4th century BC, proving the existence of a temple dedicated to Apollo at this location. The giant kouros was discovered in the 19th century. It was first given the features of the god Apollo because of its proximity to the inscription. However, it was not until 1932 that German archaeologists proved that it was a representation of Dionysus, in particular because of his bearded face. The rock in which the kouros was worked contains notches in the head and body, which prove that the statue had to be transported to be finished in Delos.
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