The area of Iraion with the dominant worship temple of goddess Ira is one of the most ancient places of religious worship. The excavations around this area have discovered many findings, which are exhibited in the Samos Archaeological Museum. The findings prove that this temple used to be a famous worship place, visited by people coming from all over the ancient world. There have been found anathemas (precious gifts dedicated to the goddess) from Syria, Mesopotamia, Babylonia, Phoenicia, Gibraltar etc. The temple was one of the largest during the ancient years. Its shape was rectangular, with 155 columns that were 20 meters high. One column saved until today is 13 meters high. The temple was so important, that it can be compared with the Oracle of Delphi.  According to the archaeologists, the temple operated just a few days every year, in honor of the goddess. The main part of the worship took place in the altar, made of marble and green ophite, where animals were sacrificed. Sightseers narrate that animal ashes on the altar were so many, that they had created an altar of ashes over the existing altar. The Holy Road (“Iera Odos”), six kilometers long, started from the Iraion and reached up to the ancient city of Samos, today’s Pythagorio. The Holy Street was adorned by six archaic kouros, statues of three times the natural size, which were offerings to the goddess. One of them is preserved and exhibited in the Archaeological Museum in Vathy. The area of Iraion was a worship place until the Roman era. But worship took place inside this space even during later periods (16th century).
There have been found ruins of an arch in the area of an early Christian basilica. After that period, no other worship activities have been reported in this place. In 1878 Paul Girard, a French traveler, discovered here the statue of the Ira of Chiramii, which nowadays adorns the Louvre Museum. The UNESCO has declared Iraion as one of the Treasures of the World Heritage.
Opening hours: 08:30-15:00. Closed on Mondays