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  About Naxos Town 2
     
The central square at the top of the Kastro houses the Archeological museum, the Ursuline convent, the Catholic cathedral and the Catholic bishops residence.
The building of the Archeological museum was originally designed to a Jesuit school in the 17th century, and subsequently became the School of Commerce. Nikos Kazantzakis was once one of its famous pupils.

The museum has an outstanding collection of marble Cycladic statues, marble and clay pots and gold jewelry.
The Cycladic civilization flourished in the 3rd millennium BC and during this period Naxos was an important center of Cycladic art in the Aegean.
Cycladic statues have also been found on the smaller islands south of Naxos.
     

The archeological museum also has a fine collection of Mycenaean pottery dating from the 2nd millennium BC.
One famous vase depicts an octopus, others are decorated with paintings of fish and dolphins or with scenes of nature.
Pottery, terra-cotta figurines and statues of later periods (from the 7th to the 1st century BC) are also on display.

One of the most famous landmarks of Naxos town is the Portara on the islet of Palatia, the giant doorway to a temple dedicated to Apollo.
The temple was ordered to be built around 530 BC by the tyrant Lygdamis who was subsequently deposed and the temple was never completed.
The temple was converted to a Christian church in the 5th or 6th century AD
 
  During the Venetian occupation marble blocks were taken away to be incorporated into the building of the Kastro.
Part of the foundations of the temple can still be seen.

The old town has some good restaurants hidden away, and parallel to the waterfront are small streets where you can find little ouzeries.

The harbour front of Naxos is a good place to watch the world go by from one of the many waterfront cafe's or restaurants.		  

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