Didyma became a sacred site in the 8th century BC, home to the temples of Apollo and Artemis. During the Archaic and Hellenistic periods, the Temple of Apollo was considered the most sacred sanctuary in Anatolia and served as the house of the god Apollo himself.
The Temple of Apollo was destroyed by the Persians in 494 BC, and the cult statue was taken to Persia. In the 3rd century BC, under the leadership of Diadoch Seleucus, the temple was reconstructed, though evidence from the ruins shows it was never completed. The temple measured 109 meters in length and 51 meters in width, supported by 124 Ionic columns. The pronaos featured 12 columns atop a seven-stepped base structure designed to elevate the sunken section. Through an arched passage, visitors reached the main courtyard housing the Naiskos temple. The sacred section contained the cult statue of Apollo.
Inscriptions carved into the temple stones document the daily wages paid to workers. The temple was richly ornamented - column bases, fallen Medusa frieze fragments from the entablature, and remnants of the gryphon frieze within the cella can still be observed today. The ceiling fretwork in the covered stairways, known as the labyrinth pattern, emphasizes the Minoan origins of the oracle.
According to legend, all suppliants would purify themselves with water from the sacred well before seeking divine blessing. They paid a tax proportionate to the seriousness of their request - for private matters, the fee was multiplied eleven times. To determine whether the god would receive their petition, an animal sacrifice - usually a goat - was required. Before the sacrifice, cold water was poured over the animal. If it showed no reaction, the ritual was repeated.
Once admitted to the inner sanctuary, the suppliant could address questions to the presiding priest and was then taken to the pronaos. The sacrificial animal's organs, particularly the liver, were carefully examined. The priests conveyed the suppliant's questions to the priestess, who would drink from the sacred well and begin uttering incomprehensible words and sounds. The presiding priest interpreted these utterances, and the oracle's message was transcribed in understandable language at the chresmographeion (oracle office). All pronouncements were communicated to the suppliant by a priest. Classical Greek literature contains extensive descriptions of these blessing ceremonies.
A stadium was located along the southwest side of the temple, with the temple steps serving as spectator seating. Quadrennial festivals and games were held here jointly with the city of Miletus.