The Omphalos

I am always intrigued when I hear that a specific place on this planet is the center of the world. It peaks my curiosity and I want to run out and visit the location. I wonder who chose that particular spot, when and why. So when I learned that the ancient Greeks believed that Delphi was the navel of the earth, I had to visit.

I have been longing to come to Delphi for a very long time, and for many years I have put the trip off. It is a two to three hour ride, each way, from Athens. Honestly the oppressive heat and jet lag deter me.

However this year Andrea and I boarded a tour bus and travelled to Delphi, aka the center of the earth. As we inched along in traffic on the narrow streets of Athens I wondered if we had made a mistake, but in three hours or so we made it to Delphi.

We were not disappointed in this site on the slopes of Mount Parnassus. Of course we were impressed, even Zeus himself admired the place.

The myth goes something like this. Zeus was determined to find the center of the earth, so he sent two eagles flying around the earth from opposite directions.  Wherever they crossed paths would surely be the center of the earth. Delphi was the site where their flight paths crossed. Just to make sure that he got precisely the correct spot, Zeus threw down from the sky this giant rock as a marker to all who sought the navel of the earth. The artifact pictured above was the aforementioned marker, and it was located inside the Temple of Apollo at Delphi.

Just as an FYI, the Incas thought that Cuzco in Peru was the center of the universe. Perhaps one day I will visit there too.

Besides the giant omphalos pictured above, the museum had other amazing artifacts. One of my favorites was this incredibly realistic lion head rain spout that once adorned the Temple of Apollo.

I am so glad that I finally braved the heat and made my pilgrimage to Delphi.

More soon.