Ancient Miletus and Temple of Apollo

Ancient Miletus and Temple of Apollo

Explore the two ancient Turkish cities of Miletus and Didyma on this half day Yachting Land Adventure.

The first visit will be Ancient Miletus located near the present Akkoy at the mouth of the Buyuk Menderes (meander) River. Miletus owed its importance to its position on the trade routes. It was one of the largest cities in Anatolia. Highly prosperous, it founded many colonies and was the home of the ancient philosophers Anaximander, Anaximenes and Thales, the town planner Hippodamus and architect Isidorus. Having a prominent position, Miletus became the most important port in this area and it was the most active member of the twelve cities of the Ionian Confederation. From the 7th century B.C. the city has been controlled in turn by the Persians, Romans and Seljuk Turks.

Then, you will visit Didyma. The world Didyma meant "twins" and it was associated by some as being the meeting place of Zeus and Leto to have their twins Apollo and Artemis. Didyma was famed as a prophecy center dedicated to Apollo, which served a similar purpose as the Delphi of Anatolia. It was not a city but a sanctuary linked to Miletus by Milesians with a 12-mile sacred road. The design of the Temple of Apollo, also known as the Didymaion, was artistically influenced by the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus and was constructed before Greek colonization really began. It is believed that the earliest fragments of the Temple date back to the 8th century BC.

Notes: A minimum participation is required to operate all Yachting Land Adventures, and some may have limited capacity. All adventures in the SeaDream Yachting Land Adventures program are subject to change. Final departure times will be published on-board. Order of sights visited may vary to avoid congestion.

Port: Kusadasi (Ephesus)

Duration: 4.5 hours

Current Price: 139 USD