The famous Marble Arch Portara (ported) to serve as the gateway to the temple of Apollo - the main attraction and the business card of the picturesque Greek island of Naxos and its capital. The ruins of an ancient temple located on a small island of the Chamber, which is connected to the city's port causeway. An impressive marble building - is the first thing seen by tourists arriving by Naxos.

It is believed that the ancient temple was built in honor of Apollo, since it is oriented towards the island of Delos, where, according to legend, was born golden-haired god. However, some researchers believe that it is a temple could be built in honor of the god Dionysus, who was worshiped as the patron of the island of Naxos.

Construction of the temple of Apollo began around 530 BC during the reign of the tyrant of Naxos Lyugdamisa (Ligdan). At that time the island flourished and is an important financial and cultural center of the Mediterranean. Ambition Lyugdamisa required to build a temple, which is not equal to the Greek lands, and large-scale construction began. But due to the war work was suspended, and after the overthrow of the tyrant, and all abandoned. Temple of Apollo never been completed, and have survived only a part of the foundation and colonnades, as well as the majestic, towering over the lonely ruins arch Portara, the height of which is more than 6 m.

Byzantine and post-Byzantine in the Temple period was used as a "marble quarry". Various architectural fragments (marble blocks, parts of columns, capitals, etc.) of the ancient buildings were found in several churches of Naxos, as well as in medieval mansions and Venetian fortress. Portara is survived only because it was too big and heavy (weight of each block of marble is about 20 tons).