One of the most impressive sights in the Peloponnese, hidden among its imposing mountains, is the temple of Apollo Epicurius, found in Bassae of Figaleia, on Mt Kotilio. Its erection is placed at the end of the fifth century BC and it is said that its architect was Iktinos, who, along with Kalllikratis, had designed the Parthenon. Built on a barren rock, lonely and magnificent, the temple was considered by Pausanias to be one of the most beautiful temples in the Peloponnese. UNESCO declared that it is a World Heritage Site as early as 1986. Today a roof has been placed above it to offer protection, but the visitor will surely feel the awe that the ancient Greeks felt when they worshiped their gods there. There are also some impressive myths that are connected to the temple of Apollo Epicurius. One of them says that the foundation is built in such a way, with a gradient and other architectural innovations, that the temple can revolve and follow the north star. It is perhaps no accident that it is one of the very few temples with a north to south orientation instead of an east to west, like the majority of ancient temples. We can’t know if the myth is true, but we are certain that the ancient Greeks hid a lot of secrets that we still haven’t discovered, even today. Peloponnese Hotels – AKS Porto Heli
