Didyma Travel Guide

 cbeaujean Says:  once upon a time...a harbour!...but the sea is gone....and the inhabitants too!from 7 cent.BC,a city of scientists:thales (geometry),hecatee (geography),anaximene (philosophy).....at the bottom,behind cotton fields,you can see the huge amphitheater.... 

 cbeaujean Says:  built in 3rd century BC,a colossal setting: two ranks of 108 columns 20m height....but never finished!(you can understand rather easily why!) 

 sandysmith Says:  The temple at Didyma, famous for its oracle, was dedicated to Apollo and was the richest and biggest of the Ionian temples on Anatolian soil.The temple is 60m wide,120m long and 24m. high and consists of 122 Ionic columns. The pronaos - the forecourt - had 12 columns... 

 sandysmith Says:  The reputation of the oracle was well known throughout Greece and surpassed that of the one at Delphi. 

 SirRichard Says:  You can start the visit by the theatre, then go to the western agora, the Ionic Stoa and continue by the eastern agora. 

 SirRichard Says:  Milet's main highlights are the Theatre and the Ionic Stoa, the only remains of a huge atrium with a few columns still standing.It was a very important greek city in Asia Minor, and held many cultural schools that influenced all the Mediterrnean area, as the one of Thales of... 

 SirRichard Says:  This is the first monument you see when arriving, as it is very close to the main road. When Milet was a port it was by the water, but now the shoreline has moved some kilometres away... 

 SirRichard Says:  You can still see the paved streets going up and down the hill. 

 SirRichard Says:  Bouleterion was a kind of ancient senate. You can see the steps where the citizens used to seat to discuss about city matters. 

 SirRichard Says:  You have to be in good shape to climb to the highest part of the city by a narrow path, that takes 90 minutes to the very top. I didn't, but they say the views are incredible. If you decide to climb, send me the photos ;-) 

 SirRichard Says:  You can still see here the central atrium surrounded by doric columns, where the sportmen used to train naked. It's in the lower part of the city, near the stadium. 

 SirRichard Says:  This was the most important temple of the city. Now there's only some ionic columns standing. The temple was finished during Alexandre the Great times. 

 cbeaujean Says:  when there,in october,cotton harvest was at the full....mainly done by women! 

 cbeaujean Says:  with its shops ,connected harbour and agora (commercial center):through this monumental avenue ,distinguished guests made their entrance in the city. 

 SirRichard Says:  The first temple (550 BC) was a bit samller (90x39m) than the one you can see now (110x51m). It housed an statue of Apollo that the persians stoled and took to Ecbatana after destroying the temple.Alexandre the Great recovered the statue and rebuilt the temple thet you...