Unlike many of the other temple ruins that one can visit throughout Sicily at Agrigento, Segesta, and on the acropolis of Selinunte, the sacred area of the Santuario della Malophoros (at Selinunte) was not a single rectangular building with Doric-style columns. It was an enclosed, walled, complex (a temenos) with a regal entranceway (called a propylaeum). The tall, thick perimeter of the Sanctuary enabled devotees to Demeter, Persephone, and Hades to practice their secretive rites in private. Here in this photo, you can see our group from May 2019 exiting the 6th century BCE sanctuary. (More on the rites in a future post.)

Last Tuesday’s presentation about the Myths and Mysteries of Sicily: Western Sicily Part 1 was recorded. You can watch it at https://youtu.be/vWByeJXoxUM