The Sanctuary of Apollo at Didyma: The Search Project of 'Sacred Way'
Project no. 942 · Status: Kapanmış · 2016
Summary
Within the scope of this project the last course of the Sacred Way, which is explored more than 100 years onwards, was explored in the limits of the sanctuary of Apollo at Didyma. The sanctuary is located in the modern district called today ‘Hisar Mahallesi’ in Didim/Aydın and lies 18 km south of ancient Miletus. The Sacred Way has been already explored, documented and partly excavated by many of European travelers at the beginning and then by many schoolars. We have searched the last course of the Sacred Way in its close vicinity of the Apollon Temple within the frame of this new project. Between the years 2013 and 2015 six trenches were excavated: Three trenches (Son 13-06, Son 13-10 and Son 13-11) in 2013, two trenches (Son 14-9 and Son 14-10) in 2014 and one trench in 2015 (Son 15-08). In order to compare the datas found from the excavations between 2013 and 2015 and support the results of our search, the material of the excavation conducted in 2010 at the east part of the Apollon Temple were also included to this work and evaluated. The results of our excavations show that, the Sacred Way belonging to the Trajan period, which is covered with stone slabs in the 1st c. AD, doesn’t extend in the limits of the sanctuary. The stone pavement discontinued exactly at that point, where it is still visible today under the modern street (Özgürlük Caddesi). Considering datas of the excavations and archaeological findings, we may conclude that the Sacred ends abrubtly at the border of the sacred precinct of Apollo, where his alsos (?????), sacred grove begins. Key Words: Didyma, sanctuary of Apollo, Sacred Way, Ceramics, Hellenistic and Roman period