Delphi, Greece

--- More photos --- Delphi 1 (Photo #1) Delphi 2 (Photo #2) Delphi 3 (Photo #3)

  After the Acropolis, Delphi is the most popular archaeological site in Greece. Located 180 kilometers from Athens, a trip to Delphi is listed in just about every tour itinerary and is by far the most popular day trip out of Athens.

  A city of wondrous artistic achievements and grand athletic spectacles during the flowering of Greek culture in the first millennium BC, Delphi is best know however as the supreme oracle site of the ancient Mediterranean world. Built on the slopes of Mount Parnassos, the town and ancient site are as awe-inspiring now as it most likely was three thousand years ago, overlooking the Gulf of Corinth and a valley filled with olive and cyprus trees. The town of Delphi sits on the edge of a cliff and despite the number of tourists and the abundance of tourism oriented businesses, this is still a very remarkable place to be.

  Delphi in ancient times was considered the center of the known world, the place where heaven and earth met. This was the place on earth where man was closest to God. In Mythology, Delphi was the meeting place of two eagles, released by Zeus and sent in opposite directions. Where they met indicated the center of the earth.

  Delphi is known as the center of worship for the God Apollo, son of Zeus who embodied moral discipline and spiritual clarity. But even before the area was associated with Apollo there were other deities worshipped here including the earth goddess Gea, Themis, Demeter and Poseidon, the well known god of the sea. By the end of the Mycenaean period Apollo had displaced these other deities and became the guardian of the oracle. The oracle of Delphi was a spiritual experience whereby the spirit of Apollo was asked for advice on critical matters relating to people's lives or affairs of the state. ' going on in Delhi for several thousand years and the fact that the town still attracts a million visitors a year makes me believe some of that magic is still there.

  Many people who come to Delphi claim they have felt 'something'.It depends on your receptivity and your belief system. But there are those who believe that the spirit of Apollo still resides in Delphi and just as he was thousands of years ago, he is still available now, to answer questions and give personal advice or affairs of the state. The Doric temple was the home of the Pythia, who seated on a tripod above a deep crevasse, would pronounce her prophesies while the priests wrote them down and translated them to the people. This temple was destroyed by fire in the fourth century BC and then rebuilt. The temple walls used to be inscribed with words of wisdom such as "Know Thyself", "Nothing in Excess" and "Don't take any Wooden Drachma", which are as meaningful today as they were when they were written.

  The center of Delphi is the sanctuary of Apollo, on the southern tip of the mountain slope.