Cirra – Harbour of Delphi in the Gulf of Corinth
Kirra · harbour of Crisa · Delphic Harbour
Geometric to Roman (c. 800 BCE – 400 CE)·Phocian / Delphi Amphictyony / Roman·🇬🇷 Phocis, Delphi, Greece
About
About Cirra – Harbour of Delphi in the Gulf of Corinth
Cirra, the harbour town of Delphi at modern Galaxidi–Xeropegado, served pilgrims and the Pythian Games from the 8th c. BCE. Skorda–Vikatou excavations traced the ancient mole – 120 m rubble header at –1 m off Magoula hill – and harbour basin now silted under Galaxidi plain with classical ceramics at 1.5 m depth. The 373 BCE Helike earthquake slipped the Cirraeus plain 0.5 m, drowning quay ashlar now at –0.5 m with lewis holes visible at low tide. Harbour basin cores (Marriner) show 6th c. BCE Corinthian pottery sealing silt, linking harbour silt pulse to First Sacred War (590 BCE) destruction of Cirra by Amphictyons.
Why it mattersOnly Delphi harbour archaeologically mapped; silt cores anchor Central Greece earthquake and harbour chronology linked to Pythian Games.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Whether 590 BCE destruction layer is visible in harbour mud
- 02Location of Archaic ship-shed row beneath plain
Theories
- 01373 BCE coseismic subsidence drowned ashlar quay and triggered harbour shift to Galaxidi
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c. 800 BCE (harbour in use); mole 6th c. BCE
- Period
- Geometric to Roman (c. 800 BCE – 400 CE)
- Culture
- Phocian / Delphi Amphictyony / Roman
- Purpose
- Sanctuary harbour – pilgrim and sacred embassy landing for Delphi
- Abandoned
- c. 400 CE (plain progradation and Delphi sanctuary eclipse)
- Rediscovered
- 1880 French School; 2006 Skorda harbour mole diving
- Excavation
- Submerged
590 BCE
First Sacred War – Amphictyony destroys Cirra, harbour silt pulse
373 BCE
Helike earthquake subsides Cirra plain 0.5 m
2006
Skorda maps 120 m mole offshore Magoula
On the ground
Structures & features
38.3800° N · 22.3800° E · 0 m · 3 mapped features
Magoula Harbour Mole
mole120 m rubble mole at –1 m off Magoula hill – Cirraean mole
38.3810° N · 22.3810° ESilted Harbour Basin Plain
harbour300×200 m silted basin under Galaxidi plain – classical ceramics at 1.5 m
38.3790° N · 22.3790° EQuay Ashlar with Lewis Hole
quayAshlar quay header at –0.5 m with lewis hole – visible low tide
38.3815° N · 22.3800° E