Naxos: The Majestic Kouri an image of gods

Impressive sculptures that leave you speechless

We have said many times that Naxos is the island where you will have a good time no matter what type of traveler you are. Either you like the spread and shallow beaches, or you want to take a gastronomic trip. Whether you wish to take a dive in history and go to the most mountainous of the island looking for more adventure. Whatever you are looking for you will find it and that’s probably why once your vacation is over, you’ll think you needed a few more days. Regarding the history of the island,one of the most famous and impressive sights is the Majestic Kouri that Naxos has. It’s worth knowing their special history.

The Kouri of Naxos are considered to express the perception of the old times for the gods, who appear as anthropomorphic but at the same time much taller than common mortals. Naxos was one of the places in ancient Greece where Kouri were built, i.e. statues that personified young men. In Naxos, until this date have been found 3 huge statues of Kouron.

The two are located in the area of Melanes in the position of Fleryo, about 9 km from Chora. The largest is located at the top of the village of Apollo, in the north of the island, at a distance of about 35 km. The Kouri of Naxos date back to the Archaic period, i.e. 7th-6th century BC.

All the Kouri of Naxos are in their original position in which they began to be built but never completed. One of the two Kouros located in Fleri is difficult to visit as access is not easy.

The second “lying” Kouros

The other Kouros, which dates back to around the 7th century BC and is about 6.5 meters long. He lies “lying” on the ground in a field full of olive trees. This particular Kouros is now the property of the Kondyli family, in the same place that the ancient craftsman worked on it. Kouros was named “Greek” because of its impressive size and power as a sculpture.

Kouros in Apollona is almost 10 meters long and dates back to the 6th century BC. It is located near the entrance of the ancient quarry of Apollona, just outside the entrance of the village. The evidence is that it represents the god Dionysus or the god Apollo. You will have to observe the Kouros of Apollo from some distance to be enchanted by the grandeur of the project and its size..

The most likely reason it was left unfinished according to history was that during its construction there were some large cracks in its body. That is why they decided and left it in the same place.

The same thing probably happened to the other two Kouros in The Melanes. But many researchers claim that the statues were left unfinished because of the possible death of the customer who ordered them, or because of extraordinary political events.

External photography source: naxospress.gr