In an ancient quarry near the village Apóllonas in the north of Naxos lies a large, unfinished marble statue, the Kouros. On the whole hill many traces of the marble quarrying are still visible today, and another smaller statue lies inaccessibly in the scrub under the road.
the Kouros of Apollonas
view from the Kouros to the village of Apollonas
The quarry in which the Kouros is located is one of the most important marble quarries of the early Archaic period, not only on Naxos, but also in the wider area. It was in use probably from the Mycenaean to the Classical period and it might well be the oldest marble quarry in Greece. Marble blocks and statues from the quarry of Apóllonas are not only found on Naxos, but also on Delos, in the Acropolis and even in Delphi.
All over the hill lie outcroppings of good white marble, some of which still show traces of processing.
The Kouros is an extraordinarily large statue: It is over 10 meters long, and thus even slightly larger than the Colossus of Delos, a statue representing the god Apollo, the largest marble statue ever erected in Greece, which also came from Naxos.
The Kouros lies on his back and has been roughly shaped: Head, legs and arms are clearly visible. The finer carving was probably made only when the statue had been transported to its destination, so that damage during transport could be avoided as much as possible.
Most likely the statue should depict the god Dionysus, the main god of the island (recognizable, for example, by the beard).
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