Temple of Apollo
On Gingerguide's self-guided Syracuse audio tour, Temple of Apollo is a stop worth about ~30 min. Stand in front of it, press play for a short narrated story, and put any follow-up question to the built-in AI guide.
- Type ruins
- Suggested visit ~30 min
- Syracuse Syracuse guide
About Temple of Apollo
The oldest Greek Doric peristyle temple in all of Sicily and among the oldest in the western world, dating to around 580–560 BC, its massive columns still standing on the entrance square of Ortigia after 2,600 years.
The Temple of Apollo stands in a sunken enclosure just inside the entrance to Ortigia, its massive Doric columns emerging from the ground like ancient bones. Built around 580–560 BC by early Syracusan colonists, it is the oldest surviving Greek peristyle temple in Sicily and one of the oldest in the western Mediterranean world. Originally dedicated to Apollo, the temple was later converted to a Byzantine church, then a mosque under Arab rule, then a church again under the Normans, each layer of history visible in the surviving walls. Two complete columns of the original peristyle remain standing, along with substantial sections of the cella walls and the stylobate. An inscription on the first step names Apollo and mentions the architect.
Did you know? An ancient inscription carved on the first step of the Temple of Apollo reads: 'Kleombrotos made [this work] as a thing of beauty for Apollon', making it one of the oldest surviving Greek inscriptions in the western Mediterranean world, and giving us the name of the architect.
How much time do you need at Temple of Apollo?
Around ~30 min works well for Temple of Apollo — time to look properly and listen to its story on the spot. Linger if you like; nothing on a self-guided walk is on a clock.
Should you stop at Temple of Apollo?
Yes — Temple of Apollo made the cut as one of 20 places the Gingerguide team researched and narrated across Syracuse. The story tells you why it is worth the stop, and the AI guide fills in anything you still wonder.
Nearby stops in Syracuse
Hear the story of Temple of Apollo
Preview the Syracuse tour free in the Gingerguide app.