Visiting the Sanctuary of Epidaurus in Greece

Author: Janice Vazquez | Last updated: December 30, 2023

seats made out of stone and in a circular structure on a sunny day with clouds — *Ancient Theater of Epidaurus*

The Sanctuary of Asclepius was a sanctuary in Epidaurus dedicated to Asclepius, the Greek god of Medicine. The sanctuary was known as the most important healing center of the entire Greek and Roman worlds. It attracted people from all over the world to come to this sanctuary to seek treatment for their ailments. This sanctuary is a must-visit destination for those who are interested in learning about the ancient Greek civilization and its groundbreaking medical practices. In this post, I’ll share my experience visiting the Sanctuary of Epidaurus in Greece.

Parking at the Sanctuary of Epidaurus

On Wednesday, I arrived at 1pm and saw there were numerous parking spots available, so I was able to find an open spot easily. Once I parked, I saw a food stand selling hot dogs, bread, and chips, so I bought a cheese bread to share amongst my family. Then, I headed towards the ticket booth to pay for the tickets, which cost 6 euros a person. The ticket covers both the archaeological museum of Epidaurus and the archaeological site.

two rows of cars parked diagonally — *Archaeological Site and Museum of the Sanctuary of Asclepius Parking Lot*

Archaeological Museum of Epidaurus

From the main entrance, I followed signs to the Archaeological Museum of Epidaurus, a small museum that houses model reconstructions, ancient exhibits, and findings of the excavations on the Sanctuary of Asklepios. Inside the museum, I saw statues, a reconstruction of a temple, architectural components, building inscriptions, and ancient medical tools.

information panel shows diagrams of what propylaia used to look like — *Propylaia information panel*

The white side of building is decorated with circular plates and supported on corinthian columns — *Foundation of Propylaia, the entrance building to the Sanctuary of Asklepios*

I also gained insights into the importance of the Temple of Asklepios, the main holy site of Asclepius where patients came to the temple seeking cures for their ailments.It is believed that a form of ritual healing, known as ‘incubation’, was practiced here. This involved patients sleeping within the temple, hoping to receive a dream that contained a divine message or cure from Asclepius himself.

Three Statues of people found at the Temple of Artemis ad a corinthian column — Statues found at the Temple of Artemis

A man in blue standing in front of a statue of Asklepios whose wearing sandals and leaning on a rod thats wrapped with a snake — Julius in front of the Statue of Asclépios, a plaster cast of a roman copy of a late classical statue of Asklepios

Archaeological Site of Epidaurus

The white board with a legend shows the Asklepieion of Epidauros Map in the Sanctuary of Epidaurus in Greece — *Asklepieion of Epidauros Map*

After the archaeological museum of Epidaurus, I explored the Archaeological Site of Epidaurus. I read the information panels about various buildings which helped me imagine what it was like to live in this time period.

I saw the Temple of Asclepius, the main holy site of Asclepius.

two columns and portion of the wall stands at the corner of the temple of asclepius at sanctuary of epidaurus — *Temple of Asclepius*

I also saw the Stadium, where athletic games were held every four years.

Grassy field with stone seating and a mountain — *The Stadium*

Then, I made my way to Tholos, a circular chamber that was believed to be used for religious rituals related to healing practices.

Metal beams encircling Tholos, a circular chamber, at the Sanctuary of Epidaurus — Tholos, a circular chamber

Afterwards, I saw the Katagogion, a guesthouse for visitors of the Sanctuary.

A man in a blue shirt and blue pants standing in front of the Katagogion — *Julius standing in front of the Katagogion*

Lastly, I saw the famous Ancient Theater, an amphitheater that was built in 340 BCE. The ancient theater could seat up to 14,000 people and was used for both theatrical performances and religious ceremonies.

stone steps on an incline and mountains in the background depicting the ancient theater at epidaurus in greece — *Ancient Theater at the Sanctuary of Epidaurus in Greece*

Two people standing on the stone steps at the ancient theater at epidaurus — *Janice & Julius at Ancient Theater*

I walked up to the top of the theater and then sat down to take a break. While I was resting on the seats, I saw some people testing the acoustics by clapping their hands at the bottom of the theater, and their friends were at the top of the theater clapping their hands. It was fun to watch and listen.

After about 30 minutes, we exited the archaeological site and returned back to our car. Overall, I had a wonderful time visiting the Sanctuary of Epidaurus!

Janice standing in front of stone structure with an arched door and stone as walls

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