Didyma

The Apollo Temple from Above Head of The Gorgon The Sacred Way Leading to, and from, Miletus Apollo Temple The temple that we see today was not the original structure. An earthquake in approximately 494BC ruined that. Reconstruction started shortly after, mainly overseen by Alexander the Great but the temple was never completely finished. Head of Medusa with the snarling snakes Inner Courtyard Presumably were an oracle was conveyed Artemis Sanctuary In the shadow of the Apollo temple The Enormous Columns of the Apollo Temple They numbered 120 and rose 20 meters skywards.
Each was unique.

The archetypal und archaic Anatolian goddess, Cybele, was revered not only throughout Anatolia but also on the neighboring (modern day) Greek islands.

Evidence of her cult can still be seen today in the cave formations and niches carved into hillsides. Her great gift to humanity is the mystery of rebirth.

Many of these caves symbolize the birth canal and end in womb-like forms. On the island of Samos, for example, one enters the caves as if stepping back into the darkness of the womb—not of a biological mother and father, but of the Great Goddess of eternity.

During our journey through Anatolia, we will visit many such places—caves and rock niches where Cybele was likely venerated long before the appearance and unveiling of the many goddesses who later emerged in human consciousness, in our hearts and in our souls.

Literature

The Phrygian Background of Kybele, by Birgitte Bøgh
The Phrygian Background of Kybele, by Birgitte Bøgh
The Goddess Cybele by Nicholas Adontz
The Goddess Cybele by Nicholas Adontz
Cybele & the Waterside Shrines. Vecihi Özkaya
Cybele and the Waterside Shrines.
The Statue of Cybele, Margarete Bieber
The Statue of Cybele in the J. Paul Getty Museum, Margarete Bieber
Pindar’s “Hymn to Cybele”
Pindar’s “Hymn to Cybele” (fr. 80 SM): , Joel B. Lidov
Kybele in Griechenland
Kybele in Griechenland, Sabine Viktoria Kofler
Der Kult der Meter /Kybele in Westanatolien und in der Ägäis
Symposions an der Österreichischen Akademie
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The Goddess Cybele by Nicholas Adontz
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Cybele and the Waterside Shrines. Some Observations on the Phrygian Spring Cult and Its Origin, Vecihi Özkaya
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The Statue of Cybele in the J. Paul Getty Museum, Margarete Bieber
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The Statue of Cybele in the J. Paul Getty Museum, Margarete Bieber
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The Statue of Cybele in the J. Paul Getty Museum, Margarete Bieber

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