Delos, Greece - Sacred Way and Stoa of Philippos V

5/18/2012
The shops lined the street Sacred Way, prepared to barter, trade, sell...

The stonework made strong walls for the shops.

 Fancy seating area.

 You can see the walls of the shops on the right side of the walkway.

 On the other side of the street, the large "Stoa of Philippos V" was built.  This was a commercial arcade with many shops.  The long solid block that is on the ground used to be on top of the pillars. Greek King Philippos V of Macedonia was responsible for building the large center.  The stoa had sixteen Doric columns  of grey marble but only one survives. (Source)

 Flowers add some fresh beauty to the area.

 Pieces from the large commercial area.

 This drawing shows the original size of the Stoa of Philippos V.

 Decorative carvings were all along the top.

 This is a closeup of the carved lion head.

This map shows you where we are standing. We are in the #2 area.

UNESCO Brief Background: According to Greek mythology, Apollo was born on this tiny island in the Cyclades archipelago. Apollo's sanctuary attracted pilgrims from all over Greece and Delos was a prosperous trading port. The island bears traces of the succeeding civilizations in the Aegean world, from the 3rd millennium B.C. to the palaeochristian era. The archaeological site is exceptionally extensive and rich and conveys the image of a great cosmopolitan Mediterranean port.  See more information on the UNESCO website.