Altinkum Sightseeing & Activities
Altinkum isn’t just about lazing in the sunshine, as there is plenty to do during both the day and evening. Even if history was never your thing at school you can’t ignore the ancient world when you stay here as Altinkum is close to many fascinating ancient sites where you can almost feel the past.
Nearby is the small resort of Didim with the Temple of Apollo where the famous snake-adorned head of Medusa stands, and the sheer size of the columns is truly amazing.
For a longer day-out visit the inspiring ruins of Ephesus, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Or for something completely different you could take a boat trip to the Greek island of Samos, or perhaps enjoy a walk around the nearby beautiful Bafa Lake with its magnificent mountain backdrop.
Temple of Apollo
The only tourist spot of interest in Altinkum is the historical and mythical monument of the temple of Apollo. However, do not get disheartened the temple itself is so large and has so many things to see that you will soon be complaining about the lack of time. Apart from that the golden beaches in themselves are one of the main attractions of Altinkum.
The Temple of Apollo was called the Didymaion in ancient times. The Greek traveler Pausanias who traveled during 160A.D. recorded that the temple was constructed even before Greek colonization took place and that was in the 10th century B.C. The general belief is the temple actually dates aback to the 2nd millennium B.C. However, excavations have unearthed the initial level of the temple and archaeologists feel that the temple dates back to the 8th century B.C. and the walkway was constructed a century later.
The interior of the Temple was a sacred place in the ancient times. In fact, it was here that all the oracles were delivered by the priestess. This place had a secret society and the people came here to receive the oracle but only by paying a heavy price. The so called oracle delivered by the priest were a few words that could be interpreted in a variety of ways. The inner sanctuary was called the Naiskos and it contained the cult statue and the sacred spring, which was used in the oracle.
The two Ionic Capitals are the only remains of the 122 columns that graced the temple in the Roman times. The huge columns are in ruins today but narrate a past that was glorious. In the Christian era St. Paul gave public sermons from the Gospel from this very temple.
Didim Aqua Park
The Didim Aqua Park is just outside of Altinkum, set on a hill on the way to Soke. The Aqua Park was built in 2004 and has proved to be ever-popular with English tourists.
