Sanctuaire d'Apollon à Delphes

Delphes

The Greeks placed the centre of the world here, marked by an egg-shaped stone called the omphalos — the navel. In the adyton, the part of the temple forbidden to the uninitiated, the Pythia delivered her oracles. The sanctuary has been systematically excavated by the French School at Athens since 1893, after the removal of the village of Kastri that covered it: this is the Great Excavation. Two complexes separated by the modern road share the site: that of Athena Pronaia, with the Tholos, and that of Apollo, with the theatre and the stadium. The museum holds the Charioteer and the Sphinx of Naxos.

Getting there : Admission charge, open every day; adjoining archaeological museum; the modern village is 400 m away

Opening times and access details are given as a guide only: check before you set out.

Ambient sound