Temple of Apollo Karneios (Knidos)

The Temple of Apollo Karneios was an ancient Greek temple dedicated to Apollo Karneios in the city of Knidos, in Asia Minor, in present-day Turkey.

History

The temple of Apollo Karneios had at least two different phases of construction. At least part of the temple or its decorations appear to have been made in the Hellenistic period, around 100 BC. The ruins of the building were discovered during excavations in 1969. It was identified by a dedication inscription to Apollo Karneios found in the ruins. It possibly hosted the ceremonies of the Dorian Hexapolis.

At the beginning of the Byzantine period, a church was built on the site of the temple.

Description

It was located in the northwest part of the walled enclosure of Knidos, where the main sanctuaries of the city were situated. The sanctuary of Apollo, to which the temple belongs, was situated on the embankment west of the junction of the city’s main east‑west street and the harbor street.

It was of Doric style, and its dimensions were about 19 × 11 meters. It consisted of a rectangular cella with a pronaos in front. Inside the temple there was a cult image of Apollo, depicting the god with a lyre in his hand (Apollo Citharedus). Some parts are preserved. The temple itself is poorly preserved.

The altar of the temple, which is relatively well preserved, was usually on its eastern side. It measured about 11 × 7 m and was accessed by a staircase from the west. Near the altar there is a stadium‑shaped tiered seating for observing the ceremonies. In the eastern side of the sanctuary there was a propylaea leading to it from the crossroads, dated to around the year 300 BC. To the north of the temple there is a large retaining wall, on which the Temple of Aphrodite Euplea and the sanctuary are located.

In the area fragments of a frieze depicting women dancing, presumably nymphs, have been found. They are displayed in the Museum of Marmaris.