Lying in the northern Aegean Sea, the Greek island of Thassos is famous not only for its magnificent beaches, stunning natural landscapes and incredibly beautiful scenery, but also for its many interesting sights, among which Ancient Thassos is undoubtedly worthy of special attention.
The ruins of the ancient city lie in the vicinity of the modern administrative centre of the island, Thassos (also known as Limenos), in the area of the so-called "old port", and are an important historical and archaeological monument.
Founded in the early 7th century BC in the ancient era, the city, largely due to the rich natural resources of the island and its location, prospered and was an important political, religious and commercial centre with its own coinage. The city also had an impressive naval fleet, which was almost as useful as the Athenian fleet. During its history Ancient Thassos was repeatedly attacked, destroyed and rebuilt, when exactly it was finally abandoned is not known. Excavations of the ancient city began only at the beginning of the 20th century by the French Archaeological School.
Unfortunately, not much has survived from Ancient Thassos, and yet its ruins still provide an opportunity to appreciate the former greatness of the ancient city. Even today you can see the remains of massive fortress walls made of the famous Thasos marble, the ruins of the agora with the remains of the colonnade and ancient sanctuaries, the ancient theatre, the foundations of the temple of Athena on the top of the acropolis, the sanctuary of Pan and much more. Much of the artefacts found during the archaeological excavations are now on display at the Archaeological Museum of Thassos..
