Jaap van 't Veen's photos with the keyword: Temple of Apollo

The Temple of Apollo in Ancient Corinth is one of the earliest Doric temples in Greece. It is the most important monument in the old city. The temple was built around 560 BC of local limestone on top of a low hill and dominates the archaeological site. The Temple of Apollo was a symbol for Corinth, reflecting its growth and prosperity. The temple once had 42 monolithic, limestone columns (6×15), which were more than 7 meters high. Its central structure was divided into three rooms. When the city of Corinth was refounded by the Romans the Temple of Apollo was renovated in order to house the cult of the Emperor. In the Byzantine era a basilica was built on the northeast part of the temple hill. In the Ottoman period, the eastern part of the temple was demolished and a new residence of the local Turkish Bey was built. Today there are only seven standing columns and its foundations are preserved, yet the monument is the emblem of the Archaeological Site of Ancient Corinth.

The archaeological site of Delphi is located a couple of hundred meters east of ‘modern’ Delphi on the slopes of Mount Parnassus. The ancient Greeks did believe that Delphi was the center of the world. According to the mythology Zeus sent out two eagles from the two ends of the world. The eagles crossed their paths above the area of Delphi and since then the place was considered to be the center of the world. The sanctuary of Delphi, set within a most spectacular landscape, had the most famous oracle of ancient Greece. The Pythia was the name of the high priestess of the Temple of Apollo, who also served as the oracle of Delphi and was consulted about important decisions. The Temple of Apollo was the most important building of the Sanctuary of Apollo, also containing treasuries, theatre and a stadium. The original temple - built in the 7th century BC - was reconstructed many times. The present Doric temple - or at least the remains - is dating back to the year of 330 BC, during the reign of Alexander the Great. It has the same plan and roughly the same dimensions - 21.6 x 58.2 meters - as its predecessor, with six columns at the end and fifteen at the sides. The temple's foundations survive today along with several columns made of porous stone and limestone which is fairly soft material and have allowed for the temple's advanced decaying. Nowadays Delphi is an extensive archaeological site and is recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.