Didyma
Today Didyma is a small
village close to the sea
and praised by tourists
and Turks on holiday for
its golden sandy
beaches. The sea however
is not the only
attraction for tourists,
more so the ruins of the
famous Temple of Apollo,
a superb example of
architecture dating from
the Graeco-Roman period,
and a sign
of
grandeur of this area,
outstanding for culture
and art. Even before the
arrival of the Ionians,
Difyma was a holy place
and its oracle was much
feared and much attened.
The Persian King Xerxes
destroyed the temple in
480 B.C. and looted many
of the statues and also
removed its vast
treasury which owed its
magnitude to the
generosity of Croesus,
King of Lydia. Alexander
the Great decided to
rebuild the temple after
his victory over the
Persians which had never
been completely finished
and was still
uncompleted under the
Romans, probably on
account of its enormous
dimension ( one hundred
and twenty meters long
and twenty-four meters
wide) . Christianity put
an end to pagan rites
and festivals and
prevented the temple
from being completed.
Indeed, in one atrium of
the temple a basilica
was built.
Traces remain of the
temple's base and three
Ionian columns standing
twenty-five meters high
are still upright, out
of the original one
hundred and twenty.
There are also stones
from the sacrificial
altar and an antique
fountain. The interior
court, the pronaos and
the steps leading to
sacrarium can be all be
identified. All around
there are fragments of
statuary such as the
head of the Medusa with
snakes for hair and
fangs for teeth as she
was transformed by
Athena. Facing the
temple there are a few
steps from a
second-century B.C.
stadium where games were
held on Apollo's feast
days. A long Sacred Way
with colonnaded
porticoes, lead from
Miletus to the
sanctuary.
Today's Didim as rapidly
growing holiday resort
completely different
than what it used to be
10-15 years ago
welcoming large
population of tourists
with its beautiful
beaches, ancient towns,
culture, climate from
all over the world. but
comparing to the big
tourist resorts like
Bodrum, Kusadasi it's
not been spoiled we can
say. most of the
infrastructure work have
done by last winter
which we expect no more
flooding of rain water
in Altinkum and better
main roads have finished
including pedestrian
walk paths by the beach.
Altinkum
Altinkum is a friendly
resort and you will find
the locals 'laid back'
and relaxed in their
attitude towards
tourists. You will get
to know them quickly and
they will enjoy nothing
better than chatting
over a glass of Turkey's
famous apple tea. Don't
be surprised if you
return year after year
to visit your newfound
friends!
Didim is shaped as a
peninsula surrounding
Mugla on the east coast
with huge inlet of Akbuk
town, Aegean sea on the
west and east coast,
Lake Bafa and the
Menderes River on the
northern coast. 106 km's
to Aydin provenience, 53
km' to Ske town, 73
km's to Kusadasi, 110
km's to Bodrum. Spread
to 300 km2. of area.
About 15 years ago, the
people from large cities
around Turkey such as
Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir
first came to Altinkum
("altin: gold" + "kum:sand")
and started to build
their own summer houses,
holiday homes. when
Turkey's economy started
to decline those people
found very hard to
survive in the big
cities most of the
summer house owners who
were mainly retired
people have decided to
move into the small
resorts such as Altinkum.
ALTINKUM means
golden sands and with
its beaches which gently
shelve into the inviting
turquoise blue Aegean,
you will soon see how
the resort got its name.
Excellent Beach life in
Altinkum has also
got
water sports or pedals
for those who prefer the
pace of life a bit
slower. Sun beds and
umbrellas are available
for rent and once
settled there will be no
need for you to move
until sunset.
You can discover the
beaches, natural coves
and bays by boat trips
better, organised daily
from the harbour in
summer season which
starts beginning of May.
water sports, diving
courses, fishing tours
also available.
Didim itself very close
to ancient towns and
natural wonders
comparing to most of the
holiday resorts of
Turkey.
Akbuk
Akbuk became a township
in 1991 and is
developing quite nicely
just as planned. Most of
the infrastructural work
has been done. Clean
roads, beautiful and
very calm beaches
welcome you to Akbuk as
it i
s an ideal resort
for those who love quiet
times alongside water
sports. Many people who
come here from big
cities decide to stay
here after their
retirement. It has been
explored by tour
operators in recent
years but Akbuk is not
very busy yet compared
to such resorts as
Altinkum, Kusadasi, etc.
The economy related
tourism in recent years
has made available the
local fishermen's boats
for boat trips along the
coasts of Akbuk for the
duration of the summer
months. During your
visit to Akbuk, the
chapel on the coast line
close to the town center
is very well preserved
and can be visited since
it is open to the
public.
There are big holiday
resorts, 3 star hotels
and also one 4 star
hotel, along with one
resort for French tour
operators rated at 5
stars; There are also
small pensions, motels
available during the
summer season.
Restaurants by the sea,
serve delicious fish and
local food that should
not be missed, which all
can be had at very
reasonable prices.
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