One feature of Ariadne’s island was the seemingly inexhaustible supply of its famed marble. This crystalline rock, with properties suitable for sculpture as well as for applications in the building trades, was used in ancient times to cover the daily needs or other requirements of the island’s inhabitants.

More particularly, the marble, or the limestone that produces the traditional whitewash, is used in the traditional white painting of Cycladic homes. White marble of exceptional quality produced on Naxos Island is used not only in the construction trade, but for sculpture as well.

 For example, many of the most impressive statues and monuments on the island (the Portara, the Kouros statues, Demeter Temple, the Sanctuary of Dionyssos, among others) are made of Naxian marble. It’s also noteworthy that Naxians have donated several exquisite marble structures to other parts of Greece – e.g., the Sphinx at Delphi Sanctuary, and the marble lions on Delos Island, and others).

Some of the island’s villages have used the marble as “raw materials” for their town construction projects. One prime example is Apiranthos, nicknamed “marble town” in light of the fact that its streets are paved with ordinary marble tiles.

When visiting churches and monasteries on the island, you’ll be keenly aware of many marble sculptures that frame or otherwise uniquely enhance the temples, as well as the interiors of these buildings.

If you’ve missed out on seeing these marble wonders during your stay on Naxos Island, you can still get a taste by visiting the exhibits of the island’s Archaeological Museum, where parts of these ancient creations, such as ancient marble statues, earthenware, and small sculptures, can be seen and admired. Also, marble sculpture workshops have been created in recent years throughout Naxos Island, testament to the island’s continuing success in exporting its marble for the construction industry.