At the Threshold of Night — The Sacred Procession of Hecate

Submitted by Iza on Fri, 05/15/2026 - 15:21

Text by our correspondent from Didim, Jay Jean Jackson.

The crowds leave the Delphinium and begin their journey through the city. The Pilgrims have travelled here from all over the Hellenistic world, to celebrate and honour their gods. In some places, the road is 15 meters wide to accommodate such a massive crowd. The procession to the oracle is finally underway, and the atmosphere is electric with excitement and anticipation.

It is late afternoon, and the day is slightly overcast with a gentle breeze. The setting sun breaks through the clouds, warming the air. The varied temperatures of springtime are a combination of the sweltering heat of the summer to come, and the last chill of winter.

The Delphinium in Miletus where the procession began

The Miletus cave and the Asclepius cult

Submitted by Iza on Sun, 10/05/2025 - 16:27

Text and photos by our correspondent from Didim, Jay Jean Jackson.

The cave at Miletus, which is underneath the theatre, is an ancient sanctuary dating back to the Hellenistic and Roman eras. There is evidence to suggest it could have been used as a healing sanctuary during ancient times dedicated to Asclepius, a demigod of medicine and healing, and the son of Apollo.

Stratonikeia - a walk through a time tunnel of ancient civilisations

Submitted by Iza on Thu, 09/18/2025 - 17:38

Text and photos by our correspondent from Didim, Jay Jean Jackson.

I have never been a fan of the reconstruction of ancient cities, for me much of their history is not just in the ruins themselves but in the earthquakes, battles and other disasters that have befallen these sites. The mysteries hidden in the ruins, the broken fragments of times gone by. For example, the column that once stood so majestically at the temple of Apollo in Didyma, now lays in an aesthetic, concertinaed pattern behind the sanctuary. One can almost feel the earth shaking and imagine the mighty columns swaying before they fell. You can almost hear the reverberating, thunderous noise they made as they toppled to earth. It must have been a terrifying experience, had anyone witnessed it. The ruins tell their own story, so I believe it would be a travesty to reconstruct them and to destroy this part of their history.

The games people played

Submitted by Iza on Thu, 08/14/2025 - 13:11

Text by our correspondent from Didim, Jay Jean Jackson.

There are many ancient archaeological sites which have graffito carvings etched into the stone floors. I have seen them in many places, Miletus, the Sacred Road, the Temple of Apollo, and Ephesus to name a few and I suspect they would also be present in most Ancient Greek cities. I have always been curious to learn about these, what are they for or what do they mean?

Ajax and Achilles pass the time, Athenian storage jar, about 530-520 BCE, from Chiusi in Italy, now in the British Museum in London. Photo by Izabela Miszczak

A night at the Temple

Submitted by Iza on Wed, 08/06/2025 - 12:05

Text and photos by our correspondent from Didim, Jay Jean Jackson.

As the Temple of Apollo in Didyma lights up for night visits for the first time after extensive work, so does the head of Medusa. With a light shining in her face she looks less than amused and who can blame her. I certainly cannot as I observe the unsympathetic additions that just do not echo this beautiful and sacred ancient site. The concrete pathways, the gravel, the metal fencing, and new ticket booth are eyesores against the elegant beauty of this treasure from the past and that is not the only problem.