The many years of excavation research at the Mandra site and the islet of Tsimintiri, which in antiquity was connected to Despotiko, combined with the study of the archaeological material, have given us the ability to fully understand the character of one of the most important sites in the Cyclades.
The earliest phase of the settlement, dating back to the 8th century BC, had a residential character. The founders of the settlement came from Paros. Its peak dates to the 6th century BC, when around 550 BC, with the city of Paros playing a leading role, a magnificent temple dedicated to Apollo was formed.
Mandra gradually emerged as one of the largest religious centers of the Archaic period in the Cyclades, as its wealth and extent in the 6th century BC can only be compared to the sanctuary of Apollo in Delos. From the early years of the excavation, the movable finds — especially the vessels bearing inscriptions with his name — confirmed Apollo as the worshiped deity of this important sanctuary.
This new book about Despotiko comes a few months after the completion of the restoration of the Archaic Building D and complements a series of publications that have made the treasures of Despotiko known to the general public.
