The Temple of Aphaia: discovering Greece

The Temple of Aphaia (sV aC), dedicated a daughter of Zeus, an associated divinity to Artemis that was venerated as protector of the woman, is built on the foundation of a previous temple of the century I SAW, in the place of a Greek pre-sanctuary.

He is a matter of a temple peripteral of six for 12 columns. The ceiling of the ships is supported in two rows of columns. In the opisthodomos there is a table stone altar. 23 yellowish color limestone columns exist, chiefly in the extreme this and the adjacent sides, preserving the remainders of original stucco that faces the majority of the columns are monolithic. The ceiling and the sculptural decoration is in marble.



Unusual characteristics are the irregularities in the flat of the ships and the subdivision of the opisthodomos. The sculpture of the pediments is found now in the Glyptothek of Munich, and there are some other remainders of the sculpture in the National Archaeological Museum, Athens, and the Museum Aíyina. Out of the extreme this of the temple and connected with her by a ramp are the bases of an altar, and to the south of it is the Propylon, with pilasters octogonales. The temple is found in a terrace built to a level of surface and is maintained in part by the natural rock and in part by walls of masonry. Systematic excavations in recent years have removed to the light fragments of the previous temple of around 580 aC, what has permitted to reconstruct the facade. This reconstruction, with another material of the place, is found in the western part of the temple.

In the outskirts they are the remainders of dwellings of the Neolithic (fourth third millennium before Christ). Since the precinct of the temple there is magnificent views on the gulf Sarónico for the continent, from Athens to Tip Soúnion.



The Temple of Aphaia is to 13 kilometros / 8 miles to the east of the city of Aíyina. The highway that conducts her carries us through wooded part, built in part of mountainous land. In the first place we pass from the Church Áyii Theodóri, built from remainders of an old temple; note the fresh that date from 1289. After 8 kilometros / 5 miles we arrive at the old medieval capital of the island Palaeochóra (abandoned in 1800), with some 20 chapels of the 13-century 18. Over the medieval ruins of the Kastro are found, and more still the dispersion of houses Mesagró. Finally a steep route carries us to the temple. (To see Hotels in Greece)