The ancient city of Miletus sprawls through the valley of the Büyük Menderes River, its few remaining buildings rising as crumbling stacks of marble and stone from the rolling green hills that now make up most of the site. It is hard to believe that this was once a bustling port city – one of the wealthiest in all of Greek antiquity – that lasted from 1000 BC until the 14th century, when the port finally succumbed to silt and the entire place was left abandoned by the Ottomans that has replaced the Byzantines that came before them.
Although not much of this once great city remains, Miletus did manage to leave a lasting impression on the world. It is here that the Milesian School of Philosophy was born and flourished and where freethinkers such as Thales, Anaximander, and Anaximenes began to use logic and rational ideas to explain their observations of the world rather than look to gods and mythical answers. It was in Miletus that science first took root.
In a rather jarring juxtaposition to the city’s empirical legacy, the ancient sanctuary of Didyma was in the domain of Miletus, the two centres connected by the 20km-long Sacred Way that was lined with ritual waystations and statues of mythological beasts. The most important oracle site in Asia Minor, the mystical pronouncements that were fed from Didyma to figures such as Croesus, Alexander the Great, and Diocletian altered the course of human history.
Much of this can be attributed to a single spring, considered sacred by the surrounding populations. First by a pre-Greek cult that centred their sanctuary around the holy waters, and later by settlers from Crete and Mycenae who continued to attribute spiritual significance to area. They had assumed that it was here that Leto was supposed to have spent time with Zeus before giving birth to the twins Artemis and Apollo. The thematic significance of twins runs through the site’s history as towering the Temple of Apollo that was later constructed on here became known as the Didymaion (didyma meaning ‘twin’) as it was the ‘twin’ sanctuary to the Temple of Artemis of the nearby city of Ephesus and was considered one of the Wonders of the Ancient World.
I have set eyes on the wall of lofty Babylon on which is a road for chariots, and the statue of Zeus by the Alpheus, and the hanging gardens, and the Colossus of the Sun, and the huge labour of the high pyramids, and the vast tomb of Mausolus; but when I saw the house of Artemis that mounted to the clouds, those other marvels lost their brilliancy, and I said, "Lo, apart from Olympus, the Sun never looked on aught so grand."
What is left in Didyma are the ruins of the third and largest temple that the Greeks built to surround the natural spring, which they believed to be the source of the oracle’s prophetic power. The first temple was a small structure that replaced that of the pre-Greek cult. The second structure, thought to be wider and longer than the Parthenon in Athens, was constructed by the people of Miletus in the 6th century BC, however, this was eventually plundered and destroyed by the Persian King Darius only a century later. Legend states that the sacred spring ceased to flow until 331 BC when Alexandar the Great, passing through on his journey to conquer Miletus, reconsecrated the temple and reestablished its oracle.
Thirty years after Alexander’s conquest – the people of Miletus began construction on yet another temple on the same site. It is this third and final temple that is known today as the Temple of Apollo at Didyma or the Hellenistic Didymaion. Construction lasted for centuries and even in the 4th century CE, it was left unfinished. However, this didn’t stop it from becoming the third largest in the ancient world after the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus the Heraion of Samos.
Although, of the two twin temples, it was the Temple of Artemis that ended up etched on lists of lost wonders up until the present day, the remains of this once awe-inspiring site can leave visitors a little cold. At its most impressive, the temple featured 127 massive columns but now just one is left, standing alone in an otherwise empty field.
As someone that has visited both, I can confirm that the better-preserved Temple at Didyma eventually won out in terms of grandeur despite being supported by a ‘mere’ 122 columns. Only 3 of these 60ft high, 2nd century BC structures are still intact, but they give a sense of the buildings historic scale and beauty. Each is 6ft in diameter with bases that are intricately carved.
Up the steps and beyond the chresmographeion, oracular poems are inscribed on the doorway and porch that lead to the cella and the open-air adyton beyond, to which only the priests and oracles had access. It is here where Didyma’s great Oracle was said to prophesise, asking questions to the sacred waters and dipping her foot into the well for an answer.
The Oracle of Apollo here at Didyma rivaled the one located at Delphi, Greece, and visitors anxious of their future flocked here to receive predictions and reassurance. Even Roman Emperors such as Caesar, Augustus and Trajan sought their guidance.
However, it was one of the oracles predictions that was to be Didyma’s undoing. In 303 CE, Emperor Diocletian sent a delegation to the temple to consult the oracle on what should be done about the growing number of Christians within the empire. At the time, Christians had begun to take up residence around the Didymaion and the citizens of Miletus taken umbrage, complaining that they were upsetting the Gods and that their heresy was preventing accurate prophecies. It was the oracles response that led to Diocletian launching a severe and systematic persecution of anyone belonging to the Christian faith.
If only the Oracle could have predicted that the Great Persecution would not be forgotten. During the reign of Constantine the Great, when Christianity became the official religion and the majority of Greek and Roman temples were simply abandoned and left to crumble away, the Didymaion was singled out for Christian reuse. The oracle was removed, and the priests were executed.
Despite its grim fate, the towering columns and fields of ruined marble are incredibly impressive. The sanctuary at Didyma may have spent centuries in the shadow of the temple of Artemis but today it is one of the finest roman ruins to exist outside of Italy and well worth the day trip from Izmir, Kusadasi or Bodrum.
How to Get to Didyma
Didim is in the rather fortunate position of being almost equidistant to two of Turkey’s most popular airports. The closest is Milas-Bodrum, situated around 65km (1 hr. 10) to the southeast by road. If you are driving, the route is fairly simple, taking the D330 in Akyol from Milas-Bodrum Havaalanı Yolu and following it all the way to Didim. Public transport from Bodrum is a little more difficult so it is worth checking local agencies for day trips rather than attempting to visit by public transport yourself.
Izmir Airport is just an hour and a half to the north of Didim, with many people staying in the nearby choosing to visit the temple on a day trip from Kusadasi or Selcuk. If travelling by public transport from either of these destinations, you will first need to travel by bus to the town of Söke and catch an onward dolmus to Didyma (40 minutes). These buses run frequently during the high season.
Jet2 have regular flights to Bodrum from all of their UK bases.
The 3 main ancient sites in the area follow a straight line south of Kusadasi and full-day tours usually take in all three as part of what they call the PMD (Priene, Miletus and Didyma) experience. As visiting these sites by public transport can be a hassle, using a travel ageny in Selcuk or Kusadasi is recommended, especially as historic information is not readily on display at the sites, so a guide will certainly help bring history to life.
Where to Stay Near Didyma
Although Didyma was just a religious centre rather than a sprawling city of its own in ancient times, the small town of Didim has grown around it in the centuries following the temple’s abandonment. Although the town centre only has several fairly basic places to stay, the surrounding coastline hosts a number of great family resorts and 5-star all inclusive hotels. Even if you don’t plan on spending much time in Didim, overnighting here allows you to visit the ruins before the crowds and tour buses arrive each morning.
Boutique
Medusa House Boutique Hotel
Sitting right beside the Temple of Apollo, this rustic and charming 150-year-old Greek home has 10 rooms and a lovely flower and tree filled garden.
Family Friendly
Maxeria Blue Didyma
Situated outside of Didyma, just a few kilometres from the resort centre of Akbuk, the family friendly Maxeria Blue Didyma has an onsite aqua park, pool and is right beside the beach for those looking to enjoy a bit of all-inclusive luxury after a day of exploring the local ruins.
5-Star
Venosa Beach Resort & Spa
Backing onto the beach and featuring a whopping 5 restaurants alongside a waterpark and enormous swimming pool, Venosa Beach Resort & Spa offers a slice of luxury just a few miles from the ancient village of Didim.
