Situated 32 km north of Kusadasi and 2 km north of the ancient harbor Notion, Claros was famous for "The Temple of Apollo" as a center of oracle in the Hellenistic and Roman eras. Claros possessed several religious edifices including the famous temple of Apollo, that is also mentioned in the lays of Homer.  ...

Constructed in the 2^nd century BC, the square propylon -used by the people coming from Notion and the direction of the sea, is located in the entrance of the holy site. The construction is in the Doric order and rests on a krepis with three steps. The famous "Temple of Apollo" -as one of Apollo’s shrine surrounded by columns, was situated in a sacred wood of ancient times. Measuring 26 x 40 meters, the temple is constructed in Doric order. Built in the Hellenistic era, the temple was absolutely completed and became a frequent visited place during the reign of Emperor Hadrian in the 2^nd century AD - inscribed on the lintel resting columns on the façade. Tall statues of Apollo, his sister Artemis, and his mother Leto lie to the northwest of the monumental entrance. The holy cave near the temple proves that the cult of Cybele was once practiced here. In the inscriptions of the columns and the walls of the semi-circular exedra, the names of the delegations that had come from Anatolia and Eastern Europe to consult the oracle of Apollo, also the names of the children and young people who sang hymns to the God Apollo, are expressed. The traces on the exedras and the columns prove that there were bronze statues, belonging to the owners of the monuments , through the sacred road. The Temple of Apollo stands at the end of the sacred road. Under the temple, the existence of an older temple of Apollo and its altar dating back to the 6^th century BC, have been revealed.

How to Go?...  Claros is situated 35km north of Kusadasi, on the Kusadasi-Seferihisar coastal highway. As the city is not located on the road, it is advisable to visit by a private car. ....

Claros

 Claros