didyma

Didyma is an ancient Greek sanctuary on the Aegean coast of Anatolia, dedicated to Apollo Didymaios. It is located near the modern town of Didim in Aydın Province, Turkey, and was one of the most important oracular centers of the Greek world, drawing pilgrims from across the Ionian world and beyond, often regarded as a rival to Delphi.

The principal site is the Didymaion, a colossal temple begun in the 4th century BCE and expanded in the Hellenistic and Roman periods. The temple was built as a large peripteral structure with a long pronaos and a deep cult chamber (the adyton) containing the cult statue of Apollo. Its architecture is notable for its monumental scale and sophisticated engineering within the surrounding precinct, which also included a sacred spring and a processional way leading to the temple. The temple’s design and sculptural program are frequently cited for influencing later Hellenistic architecture, even though the overall plan was never fully realized.

The sanctuary housed the Oracle of Apollo Didymaios, whose priests interpreted responses to questions posed by supplicants. The oracular practice endured into late antiquity, though the site declined in importance with the Roman and Byzantine eras.

In the modern era, Didyma was first scientifically excavated in the 19th century by John Turtle Wood and later by international teams. Today the ruins, particularly the Great Temple of Apollo, remain a major archaeological and tourist site, with substantial remains including the temple’s pillared portico, the cella, and the surrounding temples and theatre.