Temple of Apollo hosts over 132,000 visitors in 2024

Temple of Apollo hosts over 132,000 visitors in 2024

AYDIN
Temple of Apollo hosts over 132,000 visitors in 2024

The Temple of Apollo, known as the "oracle center" and one of the best-preserved temples of the ancient world, located in the western province of Aydın's Didim district, drew 132,740 visitors last year.

 

Excavation and restoration work at the Temple of Apollo in Hisar neighborhood, which began in 1905 under German archaeologists, has been carried out under the leadership of the Milet Museum Directorate since 2024.

 

The museum team is working on improving visitor routes, reinforcing the surrounding walls, and landscaping the third-largest temple in the world, which was built in the Ionic style.

 

Dedicated to Apollo, the god of music, art, sun, fire and poetry in Greek mythology, and regarded as a prophetic and oracular deity, the temple draws attention with its well-preserved grandeur and mythological tales.

 

The temple, which includes a total of 112 columns and an inner courtyard known as the "naos" for public worship, stands out with its 17.5-meter-high "sacred" courtyard.

 

It is believed that the temple was guarded by Medusa, the snake-haired, sharp-toothed, female monster who could turn onlookers into stone.

 

The Temple of Apollo, a popular destination for domestic and foreign tourists, hosted 111,761 visitors in 2023 and 132,740 visitors last year.

 

‘A center for seeking answers through oracles’

 

Baran Aydın, Director of the Milet Museum, told the state-run Anadolu Agency that Apollo's temple was one of the most significant religious centers of the ancient world.

 

Highlighting that even noble figures visited the temple, Aydın said, "Apollo was an important religious center in the ancient world. It served as a place where people from the Aegean world, including kings, emperors, prominent figures and ordinary citizens, sought answers about the future through oracles."