Aydın Apollo Temple of Didyma

Didyma Apollo Temple, one of the most important prophecy centers of the ancient world, is located in the city center of Didim district of Aydın Province. It was the sanctuary of the ancient city of Miletus, to which the Temple of Apollo, which was the prophecy center of important cities such as Ephesus and Priene, which constituted the city states of Ion, was originally connected. Didyma is not actually an ancient city, but a holy place. The first written source about Didyma is Herodot. As Herodotus said; Alexander the Great, who gave the temple management to the city of Miletos after Alexander the Great took Miletos, was declared as the son of Zeus by the local people because of this behavior. With the help of Iskaer, the temple took its present form. If we talk about the current state of the temple, it is surrounded by 124 columns on a platform that can be climbed by steps on all four sides. The temple was destroyed by the Persian army attacking Miletus in 494 BC. Its rebuilding begins with Alexander the Great's liberation of the region from Persian rule. The construction of M.S. The magnificent temple, which lasted until the middle of the 2nd century, was not completely finished. The dimensions of the temple, which took its current form during its reconstruction, are approximately 109 x 51 meters. Located in the middle of the building, 53 x 21 m. The "Sella Sacred Space" of the size of today hosts concert and art organizations. The famous Medusa figure, which has become one of the symbols of Didim, is located at the entrance of the temple garden.