The Sanctuary of Apollo in Hierapolis: building activities and ritual paths

the paper focuses on the recent excavations on the Sanctuary of Apollo in Hierapolis. the data acquired reveal a series of building activities between the 1st and the 3rd cent. ad, which implied substantial changes in the organisation of the sanctuary and impacted the ways in which the buildings and sacred space were used by the participants in the ritual activities. the study seeks to analyse the archaeological evidence (theatra, entrances, pathways, ect.) with reference to the various ritual acts which may have helped to shape the spaces and determine the prescribed routes inside the sanctuary. Keyword: theatron, ritual paths, sanctuary, Apollo, Hierapolis.