DIDYMA
Didyma is today best known as a holiday centre, but it actually takes its name
from one of the greatest centres of knowledge of the ancient world, which is the
Temple of Apollo with its famous oracle. The original temple was destroyed by
the Persians but on the orders of Alexander the Great, and with his financial
help, an even bigger temple was started. After 600 years it still wasn't
finished due mostly to industrial disputes or strikes amongst the workers.
Because of this there was many a hitch in the quarrying, transportation and
carving of up to 70,000 kg of marble which make up the temple.
Still, the temple is one of the most superb architectural creations of the
ancient world. The 122 marble columns, each 20 metres in height and more than 3
metres in diameter, were brought in from Herakleia 40 kilometres away. If the
temple had ever been finished it would have become the seventh wonder of the
ancient world, but the rise of Christianity meant that there was no need for
such a centre of pagan learning.
HERAKLIA
Herakleia is a harbour city that was built in BC 350 at the command of King Mausolos of Caria. The people of the gulf of Latmos (now Lake Bafa) were brought by force from Latmos to establish Herakleia. The main means of subsistence for the people was the quarrying and selling of marble, mainly to richer cities such as Miletus and Didyma. As time went by the gulf was cut off from the rest of the coastline by the silting up of the river Meander, and so gradually the city lost its importance.
Monuments still standing are the relatively well preserved Temple of Athene and the extensive city walls, which date from Hellenistic times. Beşparmak Dağ (Mount Latmos) and Lake Bafa are places of great scenic beauty and mystery. After all, it was here that the Moon Goddess, Selene, fell in love with the shepherd Endymion and granted him immortality. The unusually-shaped Sanctuary of Endymion is still to be seen near the shore beside Herakleia.
EUROMOS
Euromos is just off the main Söke-Muğla-Bodrum road, though most people pass it by on their non-stop rush to the coast. It is actually well worth a visit, especially for its Temple of Zeus with its 12 still-standing Corinthian columns, in spite of the many earthquakes the area has experienced over the centuries.
IASOS
Iassos was built by Argonauts from the city of Argos in the 9th century BC but it later came under the dominance of Miletus. In the 5th century BC it came under the control of Athens and from the 4th century BC it was managed by Mausolos, the king of Halicarnassos.
During Roman times it became the tax centre for all the province of Asia Minor. Iassos is known to have been a very rich city. One of its principal exports was salted fish. The fish bazaar was very important for the city and when the bell of the bazaar was rung people used even to leave the theatres and run to the harbour.
