Eleusis Archaeological Site

For close to two millennia initiates walked the Sacred Way from Athens each September to take part in rites that promised a better fate after death, and every one of them kept the secret; what happened inside the Telesterion is still unknown. The sanctuary spreads up a rocky slope: the Great Propylaia modelled on the Athenian gateway, the Plutonion cave regarded as an entrance to the underworld, and above all the Telesterion, a vast square hall with rock-cut tiers on all four sides that held thousands of initiates around a central chamber. The mysteries ended when the sanctuary was destroyed in AD 395. A small museum holds sculpture from the site, including a caryatid from the lesser propylaea. Modern Elefsina is an industrial port town, and the contrast is stark.

The main sights

• The Telesterion - the great initiation hall with its rock-cut seating.
• The Plutonion - the cave regarded as a gateway to the underworld.
• The Great Propylaia - the monumental Roman entrance to the sanctuary.
• The site museum - sculpture and votives found in the sanctuary.

When to go

Spring or autumn; the slope is bare and hot in summer. Mornings are best for light on the terraces and to avoid the industrial haze that can build later in the day.

Good to know

The setting is unlovely, refineries and shipyards surround the town, and the ruins need interpretation to come alive. Signage has improved but a guidebook helps enormously. It is rarely crowded.

Nearby

Daphni Monastery lies on the road back to Athens; the Corinth Canal is an hour west.

Key facts