Delphi, Greece

Scientists were pretty sure that they knew about where the legendary city of Delphi from ancient Greece was located. However, there was a problem in their investigation. The city of Kastri was located right on it. No one was too excited about the idea of digging up the town, especially the residents. (It's noteworthy that this "arrangement" meant that no one could get at the ruins and take them home as souvenirs.)

Then fate played its hand. An earthquake came along - this seems to happen a lot in Southeastern Europe - in 1870, and more less destroyed much of the place. It took about 20 years, but eventually everyone involved agreed that the town should be moved about 250 meters. The French School at Athens funded the move.   

Let the digging begin. And slowly bur surely, the area revealed its secrets. The ruins had been buried under centuries of dirt, so it was a difficult process. But after lots of study, we have a good idea what the area was like back in the old days.

The Temple of Apollo was the centerpiece, but there are other buildings of historic value in the area. One I didn't see - no time for the good-sized walk - was the stadium, which is way up the hill. The Pythian Games were held there; they were second only to the Olympics in importance. As you'd guess, the entire area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

Here's a quick look at the place in 4K:

Delphi, Greece: Ancient Theater

When it came to theatrical productions in ancient Greece, this venue was something like playing the Palace. After all, it was located above the Temple of Apollo, a very important area in its own right. 

Even better, it was placed on the side of a mountain with a positively breathtaking view of the area. No wonder there was room for 5,000 people. I wonder where they all parked. Construction supposedly took place around 270 BCE, with some work done in 160 BCE.  

Yes, there was theater here, but also some musical performances and poetry readings. Artists came from all over Greece for the chance to perform here. Even better, the area is extremely well preserved. You can actually sit in the theater all of these years later, and know what it must have been like more than 2,000 years ago.  

This was discovered around 1900, and the work on restoring the area continues. In other words, scientists are more interested in preserving what they've found in that area rather than digging up new places.  

Delphi, Greece: The Temple of Apollo

It's rather amazing that we can still see some of the remains of the Temple of Apollo in Delphi. After all, the place was built in the fourth century BCE, and its destruction was ordered by Theodisius I in 390 CE. So it's nice that there are reminders of that era still around. After all, this used to be one of the most important religious spots in Greece. 

Delphi was chosen because it was centrally located in Greece, and it certainly was placed in an out-of-the-way area up in the hills. Several other temples called the place home over the years. The one in the photo was number five. 

As for the famous Oracle, a high priestess served in that position and worked here. She would give answers to questions presented by visitors who had traveled long distances for advice. It should be noted that historians say the answers were really vague. A guide used the description of someone asking whether a unborn child would be a boy or a girl. The answer came back, "Boy not girl." Depending on where the comma went, the answer could be either way. I asked if the Bills would play in next season's Super Bowl. I was told, "Ask again later," showing that the Oracle may be working from a Magic-8 ball. 

This might help imagine the place better:

Delphi, Greece: Athenian Treasury

You might remember Athens' great victory over the Persians in Marathon in 490 BC. Supposedly a runner took the news and ran about 24 miles back to Athens with the word of the triumph, and then dropped dead. Today's marathoners can relate to that sometimes. It may not be true, but it's a great story - and when in doubt, as they say in Hollywood, print the legend. 

Naturally, after such an important military victory, the Athenians decided to make offerings to the gods. That raised the question, what do to with it all of the money? The answer was to build a Treasury, and that's what this is in Delphi. Other city-states followed that plan later on. 

The building was discovered by a French team in 1903, and reconstructed over the next three years. They did fix up the place a little bit; the some of the original remains are in the museum on the grounds. 

Delphi, Greece: Archeological Museum

It's almost astonishing to walk into the Archeological Museum in Delphi, which contains many objects that have been around for more than a couple of thousand years. The craftsmanship and detail are amazing, especially considering the tools of the time. 

There are 14 rooms in the museum, scattered on two floors. Visitors come forward in time as they walk through the building, and all of the material is quite interesting. The original building went up in 1909, and basically was a way for people to see the ancient statues and other items uncovered during the original excavation. A new home for everything was built in the late 1930s, but it had to be closed quickly after that thanks to events surrounding World War II. Everything was put into storage for more than 10 years. 

The museum was reopened in 1952 and proved so popular that a remodeling was done in 1958. That lasted about 40 years, when admissions totaled 300,000. Therefore, it was time to try again with another upgrade. The remodeling in 1998 was finished for a grand reopening in 2009, the 100th anniversary of the facility. 

There are a bunch of good photo opportunities here. I have taken one that shows the remains from the east pediment and frieze from the Siphnian Treasury building. It shows some scenes taken from Greek mythology. It gives a hint as to what it was like to see in 525 BC. 

There's more to see of course.