Didyma

There aren't many buildings left of the city itself, but the most impressive of them – temple of Apollo (open at. 8.30 – 17.30, introduction: 1 USD, students: 0,4 USD) – arouses genuine admiration, satisfying the hunger caused by the lack of other ruins. While visiting the remains of this huge building, we must realize, that it is the third largest ancient Greek temple. Only Artemision in Ephesus and the temple of Hera on the island of Samos were larger than her.

The first settlers arrived in Didym along with the Ions in 1000 r. p.n.e. and they immediately began to worship the holy spring gushing from the earth. It is believed, that they took over a pre-existing cult initiated by the original inhabitants, newcomers from Anatolia. The life of the resulting settlement was determined by the holy place so much, that Didyma was not an ordinary town, but actually the seat of the priests of the local temple. When neighboring Miletus came to greater importance, took care of the temple, thus degrading even more the economic and cultural role of little Didyma.

The first structure created in connection with the holy spring was the altar, which was placed approx. VIII c. p.n.e. Over the next 100 years the colonnade surrounding it was added. However, the temple (and at the same time already the oracle) real, erected in honor of Apollo, was established in the mid-6th century. p.n.e. and she was so impressive, that it competed with the Artemision of Ephesus or even the famous oracle of Delphi. King Lidia Croesus contributed to the construction, who consulted the oracle before going to war with Persia, what should I do. According to legend, he got the answer, that if he invaded Persia, then a mighty state will fall. Considering this as an auspicious omen, Croesus went to war and… he suffered a disastrous defeat. He did not take into account, that the oracle did not specify, which mighty state will fall.

W 479 r. p.n.e. the temple was demolished by the Persian king Xerxes, who previously captured and robbed Miletus. Huge treasures, the oracle has accumulated, passed into the possession of the conqueror. A new temple was not built for a long time, perhaps because of the lack of priests (from the Bronchid family, hereditary guardians of the oracle), whom Xerxes took with him. Only when it turned out, that the descendants of the Bronchids would never return to Didyma, because Alexander the Great, first freeing them, he ordered the priests to be finally murdered, construction of a new temple began. It was already under Seleucus and Nicator (305 – 281 p.n.e.), king of Syria, one of the diadochi (officers) Aleksandra. In part, it began to form on the foundations of its predecessor, but because it was supposed to be larger, she passed beyond the ruins of the first temple. The sanctuary was built five centuries and was never completed, but as soon as the altar was set up, new priests began performing ceremonies in honor of Apollo and receiving mortals, to advise them, what are they supposed to do.

The temple was never completed due to its colossal size. The founder was hard to find, who would spend part of his treasure to complete the construction. And there were many benefactors, and even minor ones: the Syrian Seleucids, egipscy Ptolemeusze, later the Roman emperors Caligula and Hadrian. The last emperor who tried to finish the construction of the temple was Julian the Apostate (361 – 363 p.n.e.), wanting in this way with great pomp to return to the pagan faith. The main purpose of the Apostate ("Apostates") there was a fight against Christianity and the founding of a pagan church, but the Christians were already too strong. In any case, the emperor did not have the resources either, or he had lived too shortly, to complete the construction of the temple. So let's move on to the details.

Stylobat, that is, the basis, the colonnade of the temple stands on it, stands on a multi-stage podium (high at approx. 3,5 m) and measures 110 x 51 m. The temple represents the Ionian style and is built as the so-called. dipteros, that is, it is surrounded by a double colonnade on each side. It runs on the sides 21 rows, and from the front and back to 10 rows of columns, high almost on 20 m (cross-section 2 m!). narthex (vestibule bounded by celli side walls) occupy three rows of columns (four). There was a chamber in front of the cell, before which the clients came for advice. Here, priests inspired by Apollo spoke. On the sides of this room there are passages to its roof, from where you can get farther, to the inside of the building. Cell was huge (ok. 22×54 m) i niesklepiona, by which the temple can be called (like the Ephesian Artemision) hypetral. The walls that surround her, decorated with pilasters, are high on 25 m. Entrance to the chamber, we saw outside, it is decorated with two Corinthian half-columns, behind which you can see two more columns. In the western part of the courtyard was the most holy place – little (compared to the whole) temple, where the iconic statue of Apollo stood. It was built, like the whole thing, in the Ionian style, but we will not be able to admire it, for only the foundations have survived.

Outside the temple, from her front, you can see the remains of the round altar, where pilgrims held ceremonies in honor of Apollo. Next to it, there is a part of the frieze with the Gorgon's head (we can often find it on postcards and folders about Turkey), that is, Medusa, which was one of the favorite motifs of Greek art.

Ok. 5 km south of the town of Yenihisar (here are mines) the popular Altinkum Beach is situated, full to the limit in summer.