- The ancient island of Delos is brought back to life through the CirculAR augmented reality app
- Visitors can explore monuments in 3D, in their original locations
- The app blends archaeology, technology, and education
- Developed by Greek research institutions under an EU-funded program
- Available free on Android and iOS
The long, windswept island of Delos—once one of the most important religious, economic, and cultural centers of the ancient world—has found a new way to speak to modern visitors. This time, not through marble or inscriptions, but through a smartphone screen.
With the help of CirculAR, a new augmented reality (AR) application, Delos no longer presents itself only as ruins and foundations. Instead, monuments rise again—digitally, precisely, and in the exact places where they once stood.
An App That Reconstructs, Not Reimagines
CirculAR was developed as part of the European project APSIM, coordinated by the I-SENSE research team of the National Technical University of Athens, with contributions from archaeological authorities, universities, museums, and Greek technology companies.
The emphasis is clear: scientific accuracy first.
Using a smartphone or tablet, visitors can:
- View ancient buildings in three dimensions
- Rotate and explore them from all angles
- Move physically around monuments while seeing their reconstructed form
- Experience Delos as a spatial, architectural environment—not a flat narrative
The Temple of Apollo, the Stoa and House of the Naxians, the Propylaea, and the Terrace of the Lions are among the sites digitally restored through documented archaeological data, not artistic guesswork.
From Passive Viewing to Active Exploration
According to Dr. Angelos Amditis, project coordinator and Director of Research and Development at I-SENSE/NTUA, the app fundamentally changes the role of the visitor:
“You are not just looking at stones or foundations. You see stories, architecture, human activity. The app becomes a tool for interpretation and understanding, transforming the visitor from a passive observer into an active explorer.”
In practical terms, this means history is no longer delivered as a lecture. It is discovered.
How the Technology Works
CirculAR relies on:
- Augmented reality overlays;
- 3D modeling;
- Smartphone cameras and sensors;
- Spatial mapping and positioning algorithms;
- Gamification techniques that turn exploration into a guided discovery process.
The app “reads” the landscape in real time and places digital reconstructions exactly where the original structures once stood. The result is not virtual tourism, but layered reality—present and past occupying the same space.
As Dr. Tina Katika, head of XR at I-SENSE, explains:
“The user participates, learns, and connects emotionally with the monument. Historical memory becomes a personal experience—and that is essential if we want to reconnect creatively with the past.”
Beyond Delos
While Delos is the flagship site, CirculAR is not limited to one location.
Through the same platform, users can also explore:
- The Episcopal Basilica of Dion in Pieria
- The Skeuotheke of Philo, a 4th-century BC structure linked to ancient naval technology
In the latter case, the digital reconstruction was based on a surviving inscription now housed in the Epigraphic Museum of Athens, demonstrating how museums and archaeological sites can finally speak to each other through technology.
More monuments are expected to be added in future updates.
A Collaborative Model for Cultural Technology
The app is the result of cooperation between archaeologists and historians, software engineers and interface designers, educators and cultural policy specialists.
As Dr. Amditis notes:
“At the intersection of these fields, something unique emerges—a shared language to narrate the past using the tools of the future.”
It is not an easy process, but it is proving effective: technology gains depth, history gains a voice, and cultural heritage becomes accessible, reliable, and experiential.
Practical Information
- App name: CirculAR
- Cost: Free
- Platforms:
No tickets, no special equipment—just a phone and curiosity.
