Portara, the ancient gigantic marble gate of Apollo’s temple at the entrance of the port of Naxos, the symbol of the island. The temple began to built on 6th century BC by Lygdamis who wanted to create a temple similar to the one of Olympic Zeus in Athens. Unfortunately the temple has never ended probably because of a war between Naxos and Samos.
Later on christians built a church on the remains of the temple and during the Venetian occupation of Naxos many parts of the temple were used for building the Naxos castle.
In now days Portara became the symbol of Naxos well known all around the world. Even National Geographic took inspiration for their logo from Portara.
This symbol of Naxos’ past and present lends its name to PORTARATHLON: a unique athletic experience for athletes and spectators. Portarathlon the 1st International Combined Events Meeting takes place on the 2nd and 3rd of June in the Municipal Stadium of Chora Naxou.
For the first time in Greece, the one-and-only in the East Mediterranean Sea and Southeastern Europe, PORTARATHLON is meant to attract the best athletes from Europe and the Mediterranean. It promises to offer high-quality athletic spectacle, fun and much more. Sports activities for children, beach party, parallel activities for environmental protection and a scientific seminar will provide extra opportunities to put athletics in a different perspective!
