Page 75 - MYCONIAN COLLECTION MAG 2019

“When the Ancient Greeks built Delos, it was from Mykonos
that they took the materials. And conversely, when Delos

collapsed, the Mykonians took these materials back again
to build and fortify their own houses!”

– Dr Dimitris Athanasoulis

peoples of the known world met, accumulating lived in delos, that there was open trade with “the infrastructure has to be improved so that
enormous amounts of wealth which was the east and the West and a vast syncretism the Museum is worthy of its exhibits, and we
invested in constructing an elaborate city – an amalgamation of different religions, have to carry out restorations. one of the
with winding streets, unique buildings such cultures, or schools of thought – with greek main issues is the temple of Apollo which, for
as the only marble theatre in the Aegean as temples but also places of worship from other all its architectural elements, visitors cannot
well as three-storey houses (the House of the eastern religions such as the temple of isis experience in the third dimension – space –
Lake, the House of dolphins, the House of and the synagogue”. because it has not yet been restored. it is a
Masks, the House of the trident, the House huge challenge that the cyclades ephorate
of dionysus and the House of cleopatra) with THE MUSEUM wants to meet. the pillars can be raised, and
colonnades and unique mosaics. And if the “A visit to the museum is a must, as it has one we can have a clear idea of what the temple
squares and narrow streets of this 2nd century of the most significant collections of Ancient used to be like. our aim, however, is to use
Bc city have the same ambience as those of greek sculpture. Visitors can see veritable more approaches in order to make the site come
Mykonos town, let us remind ourselves that treasures from the Archaic period which first alive. For example, we can make copies of the
in antiquity, Mykonos was a satellite of delos. emerged in the cyclades, such as kouros, kore original statues, which are in the Museum,
When the Ancient greeks built delos, it was and lions, to statues of the Hellenistic era. they and place them in their original positions so
from Mykonos that they took the materials. will also see items of everyday use, found intact that the archaeological site itself comes to life.
And conversely, when delos collapsed, the at excavated sites where houses, markets, At night, when there are no lights on delos,
“Delos is on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It has Mykonians took these materials back again shops and workshops once thrived”. is there it is magnificent and extraordinary. We try
any chance that the site’s magic and scale will
to build and fortify their own houses! What
to organise curated events during the full
a great history to tell that is rich in terms of length, intensity is of particular interest for the contemporary disappear once delos progresses further as an moon for the public to be able to experience
and diversity”. – Dr Themistoklis Vakoulis visitor is the phenomenon of universality. the archaeological site? “its magnitude will not the charm of this unique place. delos will
always be magical!”
fact that ‘foreigners’ from all over the world
change”, dimitris Athanasoulis says confidently.

Working Life at an ancient Sanctuary
“Delos is a different, magical place; a place that’s unlike any other. Even today, Delos is unique”, antiquities curator
Dr Themistoklis Vakoulis says. He has been living on Delos year-round since 2015 in his capacity at the Ephorate. “The Ephorate
of Antiquities of Cyclades does for Delos what local authorities do everywhere else. We organise transport to and from Mykonos,
staff accommodation on the island, infrastructure, equipment. Besides supporting the employees, the Ephorate also manages the
archaeological site, welcoming 155 thousand visitors annually, preserving and restoring the monuments. The monuments are our
top priority, and everything else follows. But how much work can a small island – a rocky islet – really take? How many cranes,
how many ships can come? And how can this work be scheduled around keeping Delos open to the public? We can’t just bring
30 million euro and start spending – the island would crash. We need to prioritise and categorise its needs. Life here is hard.
The employees spend so many hours together that we have to be pro-active about their wellbeing, promote good relationships,
provide activities… Delos is testing – if you don’t take here, if you don’t integrate, the island will reject you”.

aN opeN-air MuseuM
In addition to the Archaeological Museum of Delos, founded in 1931 and expanded in 1972, the island itself is rightly called
an open-air museum. Originating from different eras of the ancient world, the numerous antiquities and the island alike are protected,
managed and preserved by the Ephorate of Antiquities of the Cyclades.

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