Didyma

Didyma was an ancient Greek sanctuary near Miletus on Turkey's western coast, home to an oracle of Apollo second in importance only to Delphi. The original temple was destroyed by the Persians under King Darius in 494 BC. After Alexander the Great re-consecrated the site around 334 BC, a monumental Hellenistic temple was begun featuring 122 columns nearly 28 metres tall on a platform exceeding 5,500 square metres. Two vaulted tunnels descended to an open-air inner chamber (adyton) containing a sacred spring and cult statue. Connected to Miletus by a 17 km Sacred Way built in the 6th century BC, the sanctuary served pilgrims and festival processions for centuries before an earthquake destroyed it in 1493.