REGIONAL Aydin media have highlighted the graffiti that has been daubed on some of the ancient stones of the Apollo Temple, stating that action should be taken to clean them up.

Thousands of local and foreign tourists visited the Apollo Temple each year for the thousands of years of history.

But it is the spray paint at the back of the Temple wall and elsewhere that caught the attention of a photographer the other day.

The media said: “The Temple of Apollo, known to be the centre of science and prophecy in the 7th century BC, has been standing upright for centuries with its grandeur, but the insensitive behavior of the historical structure has attracted both local residents and tourists.”

In the area behind the Temple of Apollo in Hisar district, the inscriptions written in various colors with spray paint are still standing on the stones.

Residents and tourists have demanded that the images be cleaned and the necessary care and attention is taken. 

But the media states the Temple of Apollo and its environs cannot be removed due to the fact there is no study in the area due to the fact it is a first degree protected area  – and the environmental pollution that causes the bad appearance of the temple cannot be removed due to lack of a strategic plan.

In the following days, Didim Cultural Heritage Preservation Association President Mustafa Senturk, Miletus Museum Directorate will meet with the German excavation team.

Senturk also reminded that a guard should be assigned at night to prevent such events from happening again in the temple and its environs, and that the Ministry and the Governorate should take action.