Temple of Apollo at Didyma

The Temple of Apollo at Didyma (Didim) was one of the largest and most sacred sanctuaries of the ancient Greek world — a temple so vast it was never fully completed. Its surviving columns still rise more than 19 metres, and walking between them gives a real sense of the scale that once awed pilgrims arriving from Miletus along the Sacred Way.

Didyma was famous for its oracle, second in importance only to Delphi. Visitors would come to consult the priests of Apollo, and the temple grew rich on their offerings over many centuries. Today you can still see the deep, vaulted ramps that led down into the inner sanctuary and the beautifully carved column bases scattered across the site.

Didyma is usually visited as part of a Priene–Miletus–Didyma day tour from Kuşadası, which combines three great Ionian cities in a single full day. It pairs especially well with a seafood lunch in the nearby fishing town of Altınkum.