Apollonia (or Stavri) is the capital of Sifnos since 1836 and seat of the Municipality of Sifnos. The toponym Apollonia is an ancient essentialized adjective meaning a city dedicated to Apollo. As for the origin of the popular name Stavri, there are many versions, with the most well-known being the geographical position of the settlement, as it is a mandatory crossroads in any direction of the island, regardless of whether one is moving. Apollonia, the administrative center of the island, is built amphitheatrically on three hills. Walking along its cobbled streets, the visitor can visit the folklore museum, Hero Square, the old schools of Agios Artemios, the catholicon of the former monastery of Agios Artemios, the Virgin Mary of Baros and on the highest peak of the mountain of the same name, dominates the Monastery of the Prophet Elias (1114 AD), in which the hagiographic art was cultivated. The view of Sifnos from the monastery is panoramic.
Editor: Fotini Anastasopoulou
