Listed 3 sub titles with search on: Archaeological sites for destination: "DIDYMA Ancient sanctuary TURKEY".
Site: Didyma
Type: Temple
Summary: Oracular temple of Apollo located at Didyma in Ionia; foundations
of two earlier phases of the temple located in the adyton of the Hellenistic Temple
of Apollo at Didyma
Date: ca. 540 B.C. - 530 B.C.
Period: Archaic
Plan:
The plan of the first built structure at Didyma, the so-called sekos (Temple I)
dating to ca. 700 B.C., consisted of a simple rectangular enclosure, open to the
sky; the foundations of this sekos have been found within the adyton of the Hellenistic
temple. The walls of the sekos were not parallel, but converged towards the east.
No columns are associated with the earliest sekos, and its eastern extension is
unknown. In the sixth century B.C., a naiskos or small shrine was constructed
inside the sekos, towards the west (rear) wall; whether or not this naiskos was
built before the construction of the archaic temple (Temple II), or was contemporary
with Temple II is disputed. The plan of the archaic temple is uncertain, and a
number of reconstructions have been proposed. Within the Hellenistic adyton were
found the north, south and west foundation walls of the adyton of the second temple,
Temple II. This archaic adyton was larger than the entire sekos of ca. 700 B.C.
One reconstruction of the archaic temple Gruben 1963, fig. 1 proposed a dipteral
temple on a two-stepped crepidoma, with 21 columns along the flanks, 9 across
the rear, and 8 across the facade. The deep pronaos contained two rows of columns,
with four columns in each row; a staircase led down to the long adyton, whose
interior walls were articulated by eight projecting piers. Within the adyton,
towards the west rear wall, stood the naiskos which Gruben reconstructs as distyle
in antis. This naiskos and the archaic temple are reconstructed as being on axis
with the archaic circular ash altar located to the east. Subsequent excavations,
Drerup 1964, 364-367, have revealed that the adyton walls did not extend as far
to the east as Gruben indicated, and thus the following reconstruction was proposed
Tuchelt 1970, 203-205, Tuchelt 1973, fig. 3: a dipteral colonnade with 17 columns
along the flanks, 9 across the rear, and 8 across the facade, surrounding a deep
pronaos with two rows of four columns each, and an adyton, approached by a staircase
from the pronaos. The interior walls of the adyton, being shorter than those imagined
by Gruben, were thus articulated by only five projecting piers. In Tuchelt's reconstruction,
the archaic temple is oriented on axis with the archaic circular altar ca. 40
m. to the east, whereas the naiskos, thought by Tuchelt to belong to Temple I,
is out of alignment with Temple II and the archaic altar. A third reconstruction,
Fehr 1972, 16-29, sees the archaic temple as containing some of the complexities
apparent in the Hellenistic temple, in particular additional chambers and passages
between the pronaos and the adyton. Fehr accepts the shorter crepidoma proposed
by Tuchelt, but, employing a shorter interaxial intercolumniation, proposes a
dipteral colonnade of 21 columns along the flanks and, as in the Hellenistic temple,
10 across both front and back. According to Fehr, the pronaos was five-aisled,
with four rows of columns containing three in each row. Between the pronaos and
the adyton was a complicated system of east chamber (in which stood two columns),
transverse hallway with stairs leading to an upper floor, and an antechamber at
the west, also containing two columns. Fehr also proposes that vaulted passages
led from the pronaos to the adyton, the prototype for the Hellenistic arrangement.
History:
The earliest building phase at the temple site is represented by the fragmentary
stretches of converging walls located within the Hellenistic adyton. These remains
are interpreted as the foundations of a late geometric sekos or open enclosure,
whose superstructure was of mudbrick, constructed ca. 700 B.C. In the early sixth
century, a naiskos was built inside this sekos. The remains of this naiskos are
interpreted as later than the exterior walls of the sekos, due to the use of a
different construction technique (by Drerup 1964, 362-363 and Tuchelt 1970, 197-203).
Drerup and Tuchelt therefore date the first naiskos to ca. 575 B.C. In ca. 540
B.C., a larger temple, the archaic temple (Temple II) was built; its adyton walls
enclosed the entire late geometric sekos. Gruben 1963, 100-102 and Fehr 1972,
56-59 see the construction of the naiskos as contemporary with the archaic Temple
II, at ca. 540 B.C. The archaic sanctuary and its oracle was under the control
of a priestly tribe, the Branchidai, until it was destroyed by the Persians. Hdt.
6.19.2-3 attributes this destruction to Darius, in 494 B.C., while later writers,
notably Strabo 14.1.5, attribute this destruction to Xerxes in 479 B.C. The earlier
destruction date is generally accepted. After the Persian destruction, there is
evidence of renewed building activity at the temple: anta capitals decorated with
volutes in relief, and other architectural elements, may belong to altars erected
in the adyton. This evidence may indicate that Didyma remained an active cult
center throughout the fifth century B.C., although there is no evidence of oracular
responses until the oracle was revived in ca. 331 B.C.
Other Notes:
The late geometric sekos was most probably erected around the sacred spring, which
was located near the rear of the adyton, in the vicinity of the archaic and later
Hellenistic naiskos. Architectural remains from the archaic temple indicate that
the lower column drums of the east facade were decorated with marble female figures
in relief, of archaic East Greek style, and perhaps reflecting the influence of
the archaic Artemision at Ephesos (see Berlin Sk 1721 and Sk 1748 ). Fragments
of Ionic capitals with convex channels were found; these supported a marble architrave.
The corners of the architraves were decorated with running gorgons accompanied
by recumbent lions. In the late sixth century B.C., the temple received a bronze
cult image of Apollo made by the sculptor Kanachos. This statue probably stood
in the naiskos of the temple, and was transported to Ecbatana after the Persian
destruction.
Sarah Cormack, ed.
This text is cited Nov 2002 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains 6 image(s), bibliography & interesting hyperlinks.
Site: Didyma
Type: Temple
Summary: Monumental oracular temple of Apollo, situated in Milesian
territory in Ionia and connected to Miletus by the Sacred Way.
Date: ca. 300 B.C. - A.D. 200
Period: Hellenistic/Roman
Plan:
In plan, the temple presents a number of unusual features. It is a monumental,
dipteral temple on a seven-stepped crepidoma, with decastyle facade and twenty-one
columns along the flanks. The temple is oriented to the east; its pronaos is approached
by a flight of fourteen steps between projecting low walls or wings. The temple
has no opisthodomos; and its pronaos contains three rows of four columns each.
A wall bars access to the cella (or adyton) from the pronaos; above the wall,
a wide opening or window allowed the visitor to glimpse the naiskos in the interior
of the cella. On the right and left sides of the west wall of the pronaos, doorways
lead to two sloping, barrel-vaulted passageways. These passages or tunnels emerge
on the third step of a monumental staircase. By descending this staircase, the
visitor arrives in the cella; by ascending these twenty two steps, the visitor
is brought back up to a room, the east chamber, situated between the pronaos and
the cella. The east chamber was entered through three doors in its west wall,
and contains two Corinthian columns which supported the roof of the chamber. Two
staircases, at the north and south of the east chamber, perhaps led to the roof
of this room. The cella or adyton was situated ca. 4 m. below the level of the
east chamber, and was hypaethral. The cella walls were articulated by Ionic pilasters
supported by a podium; there were nine along each side and three across the rear
wall, in addition to the corner pilasters. Between the doors to the east chamber,
on the east wall of the adyton, were two engaged Corinthian half-columns. Towards
the rear (west) wall of the cella or adyton stood a small shrine or naiskos in
the form of a tetrastyle prostyle temple of Ionic order, the location of the sacred
spring of the oracle and possibly the home of the cult image of Apollo.
History:
Following the destruction of the archaic temple in 494 B.C., there are no records
of oracular pronouncements for ca. 160 years, although the site may have remained
an active cult center. In ca. 331 B.C. the oracle was revived and the planning
of the new Hellenistic temple was begun. The design of the Hellenistic temple
is attributed by Vitruvius to Paionios of Ephesos and Daphnis of Miletus (Vitr.
7. praef.16). Although the start date for the construction of the temple is disputed,
inscriptions dating to ca. 299/98 B.C. indicate that Seleukos I Nikator, significant
benefactor of the town of Miletus, had provided much funding for the construction
of the new temple by that date; revenue from the east stoa of the South Market
at Miletus , funded by Seleukos' son Antiochos, also contributed to the construction
of the temple. In the early third century B.C., the cult image of Apollo which
had been removed by the Persians was returned to Didyma from Ecbatana by Seleukos
I Nikator (Paus. 1.16.3). Inscribed building accounts indicate that the elements
of the temple which were completed prior to ca. 230 B.C. were the socle wall of
the adyton, the naiskos, the vaulted passages to the adyton, and parts of the
crepidoma. Prior to ca. 165 B.C., the pilasters in the adyton, the two staircases
(known as labyrinths in the building accounts), doors and the main portal were
completed. Also in the early years of the second century B.C., a stadium was erected
to the south of the temple to accommodate games associated with the festival of
Apollo Didymeus. That the temple itself was never completed is reported by Pausanias
(Paus. 7.5.4), and is apparent from a number of unfinished columns at the site.
The Emperor Gaius Caligula intended to complete the temple (Suet. Gaius 21). Certain
elements of the temple, such as Ionic capital fragments, architrave fragments,
corner capitals with busts of deities, and the frieze with Medusa heads, date
to the second century A.D., and are witness to the intermittent periods of construction
at the temple over the centuries. In A.D. 262/3 the temple was besieged by Goths,
who failed to capture it. In the Byzantine period a basilica was constructed above
the adyton. Later, the eastern part of the temple was converted into a fort. In
1493, an earthquake caused the collapse of all but three of the structure's columns.
Other Notes:
The monumental Temple of Apollo at Didyma contains numerous features worthy of
note, ranging from the unusually elaborate treatment of various architectural
elements, to certain complications of design which are interpreted in the light
of the oracular function of the temple. The pilaster capitals of the interior
walls of the adyton are varied in design, with an enclosed panel decorated with
griffins, vertical palmettes, or acanthus foliage; these capitals probably date
to the early second century B.C. Between the pilaster capitals ran a frieze of
griffins and lyres, similarly dating to the second century B.C. The use of Corinthian
engaged and free-standing columns in the adyton east wall and the east chamber
is an example of the use of the Corinthian order to provide interior accents,
and underscored the organic nature of much of the decoration of the temple. The
bases of the two rows of ten columns across the east facade are treated in diverse
ways, including dodecagonal bases with panels depicting Nereids and sea creatures
or foliage; circular discs with meanders, laurel leaves, etc. These bases probably
date to the second century A.D. The ceilings of the two staircases preserved in
the east chamber are carved with a meander pattern, on which traces of red and
blue paint can still be discerned. These meanders may have some connection with
the function of the stairs, which are referred to as labyrinths in the building
accounts. In spite of these complexities of design, the temple of Apollo at Didyma
employed a system of proportions based on the standard interaxial spacing; measurements
of the elevation were related to this interaxial proportion. Such a design principle
may reflect the influence of such regular, ordered plans as that of the Temple
of Athena at Priene .The high threshold of the opening in the pronaos is interpreted
as a sort of stage from which the prophetess may have given oracular pronouncements.
The low level of the interior of the adyton relative to the stylobate may have
been dictated by the presence of the sacred spring in the adyton, an essential
feature of the oracular cult. It is known that laurel groves grew in the open-air
adyton, although eventually this area was also paved. An additional structure
referred to in building accounts and no doubt connected with the oracle is the
Chesmographion, also known as the Prophet's House. Although the exact location
of this structure is not known, it stood within the temenos, and, as its name
implies, may have been the site where oracular responses were written down. In
seeking to explain the complexities of the design of the temple, scholars have
seen the influence of Iranian palace architecture (Fehr 1972, 14-59) or Ptolemaic
temples and residences (Parke 1986, 128, 131 n.31).
Sarah Cormack, ed.
This text is cited Nov 2002 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains 47 image(s), bibliography & interesting hyperlinks.
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