Davelis Cave, Archaeological cave in Mount Penteli, Greece

Davelis Cave opens in an ancient marble quarry on Mount Penteli, where chisel and wedge marks remain on the rock faces. Its entrance is a wide, irregular arch; inside, a huge sloping chamber runs 112 metres long and up to 40 metres wide. A double church stands at the mouth: the south chapel of Saint Spiridon is cut into the rock, the north chapel of Saint Nicholas is built of masonry with a small dome.

The cave lies in the Spilia quarry, worked in antiquity for the Pentelic marble of the Parthenon; chisel and wedge marks remain on the rock faces. A double church was built at the entrance in two phases between the 10th and 12th centuries, its frescoes painted in the first half of the 13th century. The name comes from the brigand Christos Davelis, linked to the cave by tradition but never proven.

The cave's name comes from the 19th-century brigand Christos Davelis, though no proof links him to it; the older name Amomon refers to hermits called the "Amomoi" who settled on Penteli. The double church at the entrance, with Saint Spiridon cut into the rock and Saint Nicholas built of masonry, holds 13th-century frescoes; the portrait of Michael Choniates, bishop of Athens, was removed to the Byzantine and Christian Museum.

The cave entrance lies at about 700 m on the southwestern slope of Mount Penteli, reached by a rough uphill path; no public transport serves the site, so arrange private transport. The interior is a large chamber 112 m long and up to 40 m wide with vertical shafts, so carry a torch and watch your footing. The double church at the entrance is the most accessible part.

The cave sits in the Spilia quarry, whose Pentelic marble went into the Parthenon and other classical buildings of Athens. The quarried faces still show chisel and wedge marks, and part of the ancient paved path along which blocks were dragged down on sledges survives. The English traveller Edward Dodwell visited on 22 June 1805 and noted column drums left scattered about.