Kos Ancient Temple of Dionysus

Location: Town

The ruins of the Altar of Dionysus are located south of the Kos Port, close to the ancient Agora and the Casa Romana. Dating from the 2nd century BC, when the city of Kos flourished, it is made of white and grey marble and had the typical Π-shaped structure that was prevalent in Hellenistic times.

Along with the surrounding buildings, the altar’s foundations take up an overall surface of 160 square meters. On the outside, it was richly adorned with magnificent sculptures representing Maenads, Satyrs and Silinoi, as well as mythical scenes from the Amazonomachy and Dionysus’ life. The thirteen surviving chiseled cornerstones are excellent samples of the original decorations.

The altar suffered considerable damage due to the 142 AD earthquake, while the final blow came in the 15th century when the Knights of Saint John used members of the temple as building material for Nerantzia Castle. However, elaborate relief fragments of the altar’s Hellenistic frieze have now been removed from the fort’s masonry and are exhibited inside the castle.

Visitors can still see the rectangular crepidoma (the platform on which the superstructure of the altar was erected), part of the main entrance and a stone wall, as well as the ruins of an adjacent Doric temple which may have been dedicated to Dionysus.