This past weekend myself and my fellow classmates traveled to historic Delphi as part of our program requirements. The more I travel with CYA, the more I realize how diverse and unique Greece is, not only in its history but also in its landscapes.
Historically, Delphi was the most revered of all the ancient oracle sanctuaries and was the perceived “center of the world” according to Zeus himself. Rulers and commoners came from all over the Aegean to come to Delphi and ask the oracle for his guidance. When arriving at Delphi, you drive a winding road through the countryside surround Mt. Parnassus, one of the tallest peaks in Greece. Upon arriving in Delphi, you are suddenly aware of the extreme trek these ancient people had to complete in order to arrive in this ancient place. Not only is it placed high in a mountain range, but it is also precariously perched on the side of one of these mountains at the mouth of a snow fed stream. The sanctuary is comprised of ancient temples, treasuries and other assortments of dedications constructed by the people of Greece, and the museum here contains some of the more renowned examples of Greek sculpture to be found anywhere.
Although the use of this ancient sanctuary was long abandoned, it it hard to not appreciate and understand the sense of peace facilitated by this ancient landscape. While touring the ruins, its also hard not to appreciate the amount of work and dedication placed within the creation of this sanctuary, whether this be in the marble architecture, the constructed landscape around the architecture or in the beautiful stone statues found in the museum. By far, Delphi has been my favourite Greek place, and provided me with a better understanding of how truly beautiful this country and its history is.
