Türkiye: Temple of Apollo – the Oracle of Didyma

According to Greek mythology, the Titan's daughter Leto conceived the twins Apollo and Artemis from the father of the gods Zeus at this place.

Hence the name Didyma, probably borrowed from the Greek Didymos – which means twins.

Construction of the oracle site, which was already famous in archaic times, began as early as 700 BC – the Hellenistic buildings that still exist today date from 330 BC onwards.

The Temple of Apollo is, along with the Temple of Heraion in Samos and the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, one of the largest oracle sites in Ionia.

From Miletus The oracle is 16 km away as the crow flies and was connected by sea and later by the construction of the “Sacred Road”.

According to tradition, the oracle fell silent with the conquest and occupation of the area by the Persians.

After the liberation from the Persians by Alexander the Great in 334 BC, the Oracle of Didyma again gained great importance and fame because Alexander himself consulted the oracle.

Although the oracle site was built for 600 years, the Temple of Apollo was never completed.

Today it is one of the best preserved buildings from the Hellenistic period.

Small restaurants around the excavation site invite you to linger.

Sculptures around the excavation site.