By Glenn Maffia 

I was rather spoilt last week with a pleasant influx of quality visitors to welcome once again to Didyma: for it was in and around the Temple that we all congregated.

The previous evening I received a message from two of my French friends. Now residing in Germany, one is a leading authority on the Roman Emperor Hadrian, the other, her partner, a teacher at an eminent international school. They wished to visit to view an inscription of Hadrian’s name, unbeknown to either, which I had informed them of.

My sullen regret

These are people that investigate history for nigh on every moment of their time within Türkiye, so an early start was set to show them the desired inscription.

We duly met at 10:30am. Upon entering this magnificent site it occurred to me that I had not used my Museum Card at the entrance kiosk since late March, early April. How blasé it is of us (me in particular) to take for granted this exquisite ancient monument within our most immediate midst. I silently cursed and admonished myself, and promised that I shall never delay that long again.

A stunning achievement of grace and harmony. The Temple of Apollo.

I took them directly to the Hadrian inscription located upon the higher ground directly in front of the Temple’s main façade.

Professor Helga Bumke, of the German Archaeological Institute, has postulated this frieze, containing Hadrian’s name, was probably removed from the nearby ancient theatre and placed here, when, we do not know. I agree with her as its dimensions are too small to sit within the Temple’s construction. Satisfyingly, so did my guests.

Feeling guilty about the long hiatus from being in the Temple’s atmospheric charm, I requested that my friends (they are more than proficient) further explore the site while I luxuriated in soaking up its unique ambiance.

We met up later with me drawing all that environment in, and they ecstatically exclaimed they had found three more Hadrian inscriptions. What an excellent result.

Part of the frieze containing the Hadrian inscription

If music be the food of eloquence…

We retreated to a nearby café/bar ostensibly to articulate our thoughts and impressions, when another message came through to my phone.

It was a long time friend from Norway, a premier classical musician, concert pianist and orchestra conductor who had driven all the way from his home across Europe to be at his Didim holiday residence.

He said that he would be at the café/bar in 15 minutes. What a fortuitous combination of events. The subsequent conversation was enlightening and invigorating while filled with laughter from reciprocally conducive thoughts.

It was an immense delight, prematurely ended by my French friends having to depart to explore their next destination, Miletus. I advised them not to omit the cave under the theatre. I am sure they wouldn’t have. An inquisitive mind never ignores an opportunity to explore a new perspective, nor an adventure.

A rarity of enlightened words

I sat in the same bar after my Norwegian friend later had to depart to collect his wife from a nearby beach and cogitated how different people can be, and are.

The majestic Temple of Apollo

My conclusions shall probably be quite apparent to anyone reading this column, but I don’t wish to press this point as we are all products of the society and environment that we were exposed to. That is a lottery. I cannot blame anyone for that.

Though to have that fragrant fresh air of thoughts flowing through an open and vibrant conversation is a rarity. I get that stimulus in abundance from my worldwide friends on the internet, and what a relief that lends to me. Though speaking face to face and interacting is a whole differing, and better, scenario.

Now Covid-19 has, seemingly, diffused I am hoping more of my global friends will visit in this coming year. I am sure there are people within Didim that feel and are of the same mind (I know of two), but our voices are not heard above the noise.

So, that is it for another year of the printed version of ‘Voices’. My Saturday afternoons never quite feel the same when not browsing through the local news. Hopefully we shall be back next year, and, likewise, my distant friends.