KOUROS D'APOLLONAS
The most important archaeological site of Naxos housing the giant kouros at Appollonas.
Above the village of Apollonas lies the ancient quarry of Grammata, one of the oldest in Greece, used between the 7th and 4th centuries BC. Its historical significance makes it the most important archaeological site on Naxos. Blocks of grey marble were partly worked on site, then brought ashore and shipped to the sanctuary island of Delos. Among the dozens of marble blocks still visible, lies 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 10.70 m-long, unfinished, light-grey marble statue weighs around 80 tonnes. It is a kouros, a statue of a young man typical of 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 BC, proving the existence of a temple dedicated to Apollo at this location. The giant kouros was discovered in the 19th century. At first, it was thought to resemble the god Apollo, due to its proximity to the inscription. But it wasn't until 1932 that German archaeologists proved that it was a representation of Dionysus, not least because of its bearded face. The rock from which the kouros was carved contains cuts in the head and body, proving that the statue had to be transported to Delos for completion.
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