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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 2nd 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. |
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| 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. |
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| Built in the Hellenistic era, the temple was absolutely completed and became a frequent visited place during the reign of Emperor Hadrian in the 2nd century AD - inscribed on the lintel resting columns on the facade. 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. |
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| 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. |
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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 6th century BC, have been revealed. A male oracle was used in the Temple of Apollo, unlike the female medium of Delphi. |
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| The oracle used to deliver his revelations in the sacred area under the cella of the temple. Only the stone arches of this sacred area are remained. The oracle was consulted only at nights in a cave or an underground room, and each oracle could serve only for one year. After drinking the holy water from a rectangular well, the oracle used to answer the questions of people and delegations coming for consulting. |
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One of the more notable occasions on which it was consulted, was at the time of the new Smyrna, toward the end of the 4th century BC. The marble chair and large sundial, near the altar of the temple are displayed in the Ephesus Museum. Many statues and relieves unearthed from the previous excavations are on display in the Izmir Archeological Museum. |
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