History of Altinkum / Didim

A Peninsula on the Aegean

Didim is shaped as a peninsula surrounding Mugla on the east coast — with the huge inlet of Akbuk town, the Aegean Sea on the west and east, and Lake Bafa and the Menderes River on the northern coast. 106 km to Aydin province, 53 km to Söke, 73 km to Kusadasi, 110 km to Bodrum. It spreads over 300 km².

From Holiday Homes to Year-Round Town

Fifteen years ago, people from Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir came to Altinkum (altin: gold + kum: sand) and started building summer houses. When the Turkish economy declined, many of those retired summer-house owners moved to the smaller resorts full-time. The modern town of Yenihisar (“new castle”) was built by the government after the 1955–56 earthquake that destroyed the old settlement of Yoran on higher ground.

With tourism the area transformed rapidly. Infertile tobacco fields became some of the most sought-after land on the Aegean coast, and the town was renamed Didim — the only one in Turkey.

Today’s Resort

Today’s Didim is a growing holiday resort completely different from 10-15 years ago, welcoming tourists with its beautiful beaches, ancient towns, culture and climate. Compared to Bodrum and Kusadasi it’s not been spoiled. Infrastructure improvements have largely eliminated the seasonal flooding of earlier years, and the main roads and pedestrian walkways along the beach are finished.

A local market is held in Didim on Saturdays, reachable from Altinkum by dolmus every 5 minutes or a 25-minute walk. Boat trips run daily from the harbour from early May. Nearby natural wonders and ancient towns — Lake Bafa, Akkoy village, Miletos, Priene, Kusadasi, Bodrum, Ephesus, Pamukkale, Aphrodisias, Dalyan — are all accessible via local tour operators.

Ancient Didyma & the Temple of Apollo

Didyma is located in the village of Yenihisar, 4 km inland from Altinkum’s golden sand and 15 km south of Akkoy. Didyma was a sacred site — not a city — built around a great temple dedicated to the sun god Apollo.

Apollo is an Anatolian god, counterpart to the Hittite Apulunas, and son of Zeus and twin brother to Artemis. The word “Didymaion” means “twins”. The Greeks saw Apollo as an oracle, and the priests at Didyma’s temple influenced lives as powerfully as those at Delphi. The Ionians built the temple as the second great oracle centre — constructed with such care that it was one of the most magnificent temples of its age.

The first temple we know of was built in the 8th century BC, surrounded by columns in the early 6th century BC and completed around 550 BC. The temple was destroyed during Persian attacks of 494 BC and its treasures plundered. The remains we see today are from the larger Hellenistic-period reconstruction under Alexander the Great’s successor Seleukos — the new temple was 60 m long, 118 m high, with 124 Ionic columns 19.7 m tall in two rows.

In 395 AD, Emperor Theodosius forbade all forms of prophecy. The temple of Apollo lost its importance and the construction — ongoing for centuries — was never finished.

Local minibuses run to the Temple of Apollo from Altinkum every 15 minutes. If you like walking, the temple is about 30 minutes away on foot — best in the morning or evening. Local tour operators also run combined Milet / Priene / Didyma tours during the high season.