Portara, built on the islet of Stroggyli which is also referred to as “Bacchus’” or “Palatia”, was built by Lygdamis, the tyrant of Naxos in the late 6th century BC., as part of the incomplete archaic temple of Apollo. The temple was 59 meters tall and 28 meters wide and its erection was part of a larger construction plan of grandiose works that were meant to enhance Lygdamis’ prestige, a familiar tactic among the tyrants of the time. During the 5th and 6th centuries A.D., Apollo’s temple was transformed into a Christian basilica. In the mid-14th century, it was destroyed during an Ottoman raid. Today Portara is accessible by a pier that was built in 1991.