Didyma (Didim)

Aegean, Turkey 1 tours visit here

Didyma lies on the Aegean coast beside the modern town of Didim, in Aydin province. It was never a city but a sanctuary, controlled by nearby Miletus and joined to it by a paved Sacred Way along which processions and pilgrims approached the god. Its oracle of Apollo was among the most consulted in the Greek world, second in fame only to Delphi. The site is dominated by the Temple of Apollo, one of the largest Greek temples ever begun and never finished. Centuries of work left unfluted column drums and unworked surfaces beside polished ones. A few Ionic columns still stand to their full height; the rest lie as drums and capitals across the platform, including a well-known Medusa head from the frieze. Two vaulted tunnels lead down to the adyton, the open inner court that was left unroofed and held the sacred spring and a small shrine for the cult statue. The ruins sit in the middle of present-day Didim, where the ancient and modern towns overlap. Didyma is usually visited on the classic Aegean circuit with Priene and Miletus, and an hour on site is enough for most. Shade is scarce, so early morning or late afternoon suits high summer; spring and autumn are the easiest seasons.