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©The Archaeological Settlements of Turkey - TAY Project
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Didyma |
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For site maps and drawings please click on the picture...  |
For photographs please click on the photo...  |
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Type:
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Sanctuary |
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Altitude:
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m |
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Region:
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Aegean |
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Province:
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Aydin |
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District:
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Didim |
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Village:
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Merkez |
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Investigation Method:
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Excavation |
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Period:
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Archaic Classical |
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| Location: Prophecy Center of Didyma lies north of the Didim District, 16.4 km south of Miletus. Recently renamed as Didim, it was previously known as Yeronda (sacred precint) by the Greek people living in this region until it was named as Yenihisar in 1923 [Akurgal 2000:382-385]. The sanctuary and the other buildings remained within the modern settlement. |
| Geography and Environment: Although the Oracle Center is surrounded by a plain ground, Didymaion was built in a depressed area. There was a spring (believed to have been sacred) in this area, which probably played a role in establishing Didymaion here [Akurgal 2000:382-385]. |
| History: |
| Research and Excavation: Didyma was first excavated in 1858 by the English under the direction of Newton. A systematic excavation was initiated in 1905 under the direction of Th. Weigand, and lasted until 1937. Recent excavations focused on a temenos from the Archaic Period on the summit of Stephania Hills to the west of the Sacred Way [Akurgal 2000:382-385]. |
| Stratigraphy: |
| Small Finds: Architectural Finds: The Sacred Area of Didyma is located within the territorium of the city of Miletus, and it was a subordinate of Miletus [Bean 2001: 211]. Temple: It was found out that the Temple of Apollo had three building phases; Phase I: late 8th - early 7th century BC; Phase II: late 6th century; Phase III: late 4th century. The excavations conducted in 1962 by German arcaheologists in the temple and its vicinity yielded earliest building traces at Didymaion. Heinrich Drerup exposed a five meters section of remains from the northern and southern foundations of the first temenos, which was presumably built during the 8th or 7th century BC. Although a few sherds of Protogeometric pottery were found to the east of the temple, no architectural remains dating to this period were found so far. Furthermore, there is still no evidence for an earlier cult activity on the site. The earliest building that may have housed an oracle at Didyma was a sekos (enclosure) dated to the late 8th or early 7th century BC. A portico building was erected to the south of the sacred area during the Early Archaic Period (late 7th century BC). And a naiskos (small building) was built within the walls of the sekos in the early 6th century BC, and thus the temple gained a distinctive form which would have been maintained throughout following phases of the history. Archaic Didymaion is dated to 560-550 BC. The Sacred Way leading from Miletus to the south passing by the port of Panormos over the Stephania ridge reaches to Didyma. Probably built during the Archaic Period, the road was also used in following periods [Akurgal 2000:382-385]. It was first P. Schneider who identified the level of the Apollo Temple remains from the Archaic and Geometric Periods in adyton as well as extension of the lateral wall of the sekos [Tuchelt 1983: 178]. Sacred Way: The sacred road running from the ancient city of Miletus extends to the southeast for 3.5 km after Panormos, the port of Didyma. And, it ends up at the entrance of the Temple of Apollo passing through the gate of the Didyma temenos. The overall lenght of this stone-paved road is approximately 20 km with a width ranging from 6 to 7 m [Tuchelt 1991: 42-44]. Pottery: The earliest ceramic find from Didyma is a Mycenaean banded kylix stem, which was discovered in the southwestern corner of the temple, and dated to approximately 14th century BC. Ceramics dating to the Protogeometric Period were uncovered to the east of the temple [Akurgal 2000:382-385]. Statue/Relief: Seated statues dating to the 6th century BC were found on the Sacred Way. Some of them were taken to England in 1858 by Newton while some others have been preserved at the Archaeological Museums of Istanbul [Akurgal 1995: 382] |
| Remains: |
| Interpretation and Dating: Didymaion became very famous under the administration of a hieratic family known as Branchidae approximately for a hundred year during the Archaic Period. According to Pausanias, history of Didymaion predated the Ionian colonization although past and origin of the cult at Didyma is uncertain. Although the names "Didyma" and "Branchos", mythological founder of this oracle center are almost Carian in origin, there is still no arcaheological evidence for a pre-Ionian Carian sanctuary or settlement. Herodotus refers that the Lydian king Croesus donated 20 talent gold, 226 talent electron, 3000 sacrifice animals, golden and silver beds, golden goblets and purple cloak and shirts to the Oracle Center at Didyma. It is unceratin when the temple was demolished. Herodotus mentions in the section referring to the outcomes of the War of Lade that temple was plundered and burnt by Darius. However Strabo explains that the temple was burnt and demolished by Xerxes. Didyma declared her independence from Miletus during the Ionian Revolt. As it was razed to the ground by the Persians, a larger Hellenistic temple was constructed on this temple, of which only a few fragments survived to the present day. The excavations revealed that it was an open air sanctuary, which was too large to have been covered by a roof. Although re-construction of the Temple of Apollo at Didyma was never completed, it became one of the marvelous monuments in the ancient world. It was the third largest structure of the Hellenistic World after the temples at Ephesus and Samos [Akurgal 2000:382-385]. |
