Statue of Apollonas Kouros

These remarkable statues can be seen at the villages of Melanes and Apollonas, on Naxos. The statue in Apollonas, also known as the Kouros of Apollonas is a life-size statue, exceeding 10 meters in height. It dates back to 8th century and archeologists haven’t actually decided on whether the statue depicts the god Apollo or the god Dionysus.

The statue remained incomplete for unknown reasons. Its construction is simple without any decorative features. The other statue is located in Melanes village. It lies on the ground, at the exact position as the historians found it. It is smaller than the one in Apollonas and it dates back to 7th century BC. Archeologists believe that these statues were predestined to hold on to a temple roof but they were decidedly abandoned by the ancient sculptors due to faults in the marble and stone that were constructed of. Remains of ancient temples surround both statues.