Guide
Klaros lies at Ahmetbeyli on the İzmir coast and was not a city but an oracle. From its founding at the end of the 13th century BC until it was abandoned in the 4th century AD, the sanctuary functioned as a centre of prophecy — people came here to ask questions and receive answers.
Its temple of Apollo is hexastyle, six columns across the front, and it is the only Doric temple ever built in Ionia. Construction began at the start of the 3rd century BC, and by the end of the 2nd century the platform, porch, inner room and the monumental cult statues of Leto, Apollo and Artemis were finished. Twenty-seven metres east of the temple stands the Hellenistic altar of Apollo, 9 by 18 metres; fragments recovered from it show that of the two sacrifice tables on top, one was dedicated to Apollo and the other to Dionysus.
Three things make the sanctuary unusual, by the Ministry's account. A hecatomb — a block for tethering a hundred animals — was found here, and it is the first archaeological proof of that sacrificial ritual. The monumental cult statues of Apollo, Artemis and Leto, eight metres tall, were found in place, which few sanctuaries can claim. And this is the only sanctuary where even the steps of the temple carry inscriptions. The address is Ahmetbeyli Mahallesi, Işıklı Klaros Cd., 35470.
Entry fee
- Single entry to the museum or site · Local
- Free
- Single entry to the museum or site · Foreign
- Free
