Glenn Maffia

AND now August is fully upon us; I was rather expecting to meet old friends and acquaintances from the Halle University in Germany who have been coming here for the past 12 years to perform their annual excavation work around, and in, the Temple of Apollo.

Always an exhilarating time of year for me to delve deeper into the mysteries once so commonplace 2000 years or more since past.

Though this year a delay, at least, has been prompted by more mundane present day concerns of matters which do not concern me. Not in the slightest.

There is obviously a bigger current concern, though to decapitate the wondrous knowledge that history reveals to us has got to be counterproductive to our understanding of our human past which so often sheds light on to our present modes of thinking. Indeed in becomes presciently relative and pertinent. We are inquisitive beings, we do need to know.

Naturally I do harbour thoughts as to why a prohibition has, at this moment, been proscribed, though I do so wish and desire that an elevated sense will soon prevail.

As shown in the ‘Apollo Temple Guide’ we at ‘Voices’ produced earlier this year, that has proved most enlightening and informative to so many people, the promise of so much more archaeology is not only endearing to history buffs but to the marvellous potential of an academic interest in this town.

We can raise the level of Didim from a mere holiday town into something which should bring worldwide interest.

I am sure the locals would be most grateful of the superior incomes which could potentially be spent here.

While possibly, just possibly, begetting the spurious idea that all foreigners come to Didim for excess of alcohol, sun and those dubious practices of a particular and peculiar brand of some indigestible shallow women.

Therefore with the German archaeologists temporarily absent and the resulting lack of excavation work in and around the Temple ceased, the only source of intellectual recourse has been denied to us.

Fortunately, for myself, there are many lines of enquiry which I can follow and research. I have in my possession maps of the ancient past which indicate the fluidity of this part of the world.

Nothing here has ever been static; not even the landscape. Therefore the turmoil now perceived is merely a glitch upon a far greater tumultuous past.

We need to understand and investigate.

So as for now there are no steel-toe-capped boots upon the ground, no sweat stained shirts or extravagant headwear, there is purely the silence of those old stones which, when gently prised, can reveal so much.