Aegina Apollo Temple

Location: Town

The Temple of Apollo is situated to the north of Aegina Town, on a small hill overlooking the port. It is one of the first sights you see when you arrive at the port. In our days, the site of the temple, as well as its surroundings, is open to the public, and there is a gate at the Archaeological Museum that leads to its remains.

The temple of Apollo is also known as Kolona, meaning column, because just one column remains today from this ancient construction. The hillf of Kolona is also known for the prehistoric settlement that had once flourished there, being one of the most significant of its time, and you can still see the remains of houses dating back to the Late Neolithic Period. During the 7th century, it began to house the Acropolis of the island. The temple dates from the 6th century BC, even earlier than the Parthenon in Athens. Constructed in the Doric architectural style, it is believed to have 11 columns on the sides and 6 on the ends.

To the south of the temple, there used to be the gateway and some small rectangular buildings. An ancient cemetery was also discovered to the north of the temple; the golden jewelry found inside the graves is kept in the British Museum.

Today, we need a lot of imagination to picture the temple in all its ancient glory. An imperial decree for it to be pulled down was issued in 381 AD, and later on, its materials were used for the construction of fortifications against raids, as well as for the building of the piers. 

The whole site is located in a nice setting, with wildflowers growing among the ruins, a small grove of trees providing some shade, and the sea stretching below. Its location also provides some nice views of the harbor.