Porta (Portara) - Temple Of Apollo

The Portara is the great marble doorway that stands alone on the small islet of Palatia at the entrance to Naxos harbour, connected to the waterfront of Naxos Town by a short causeway. It is all that remains of an enormous temple begun around 530 BCE, in the reign of the tyrant Lygdamis, who wanted Naxos to rival the great temples of the Greek world at Samos and Ephesus. The structure was never completed, probably because Lygdamis was overthrown, and the temple's marble blocks were later reused by builders. The doorway survived because its stones were too heavy to reuse easily.

The doorframe is made of four huge blocks of local Naxian marble, two uprights, a lintel and a threshold, standing about six metres tall. Beside it, you can see the foundations and part of the platform that show the temple was meant to be a huge Ionic building oriented toward the island of Delos, the sacred centre of the Cyclades. Many people call it the Temple of Apollo, as tradition says, although some scholars think it was dedicated to Dionysus, the god closely tied to Naxos. The name Portara is a Greek form of an Italian word meaning great door.

Local myth ties the island to Ariadne. In the story, Theseus abandoned her on Naxos after the Minotaur episode in Crete, and Dionysus found her and made her his wife. The islet where the doorway stands is associated with that tale, which gives the place a romantic reputation among visitors who come to watch the sunset.

Sunset is indeed the popular hour. The doorway frames the sun as it drops toward the Aegean Sea, and the islet fills with people, couples and photographers by evening. For a quieter visit, early morning offers soft light and almost no one else, and the walk gives clear views back to the white houses and the Venetian castle on the hill of Old Town. Walking the causeway takes just a few minutes from the promenade, with fishing boats and the ferry port nearby.

The islet is open to walk around, and there are no formal facilities on it. Wind can be strong, especially in the summer meltemi season, and the stone is rough underfoot, so plain sturdy shoes are better than sandals. Combine the Portara with the lanes of Naxos Town, the Kastro, and the archaeological museum on the hill, and you gain a clear picture of the island's importance from the sixth century BCE onward.