An ancient wall has been found as part of excavation work that started after an illegal excavation around the Apollo Temple in the Didim district of the Aegean province of Aydın. The wall is thought to be part of the Temple of Artemis, the twin of Apollo.
Culture and Tourism Ministry representative Ferhan Büyükyörük said that during work this year the excavation team searched for the continuation of the wall and another structure around it. “We believe that the wall may be the wall of the Temple of Artemis, but it is too early to say so definitely. We need one or two years to understand it completely. The material inside the wall should be examined thoroughly,” she said.
Didyma excavation restoration head and German archaeologist Christoph Kronewirth complained about the preservation conditions of the Temple of Apollo, saying that the temple had been exposed to hard natural conditions like earthquakes as well as looters and tourists over time. He said there were two officials at the entrance to the temple but no watchman inside. “The lack of control in the temple is a big deficit in the preservation there.”
As for the restoration work, Kronewirth said excavations started in July at the temple and continued with a team of seven people.
Excavation head Andreas Furtwangler said the first excavations around the Temple of Apollo started 104 years ago, adding that this year’s season would continue for two months.
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