From deTraci Regula,
Your Guide to Greece Travel.
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Temple sites and oracles are wonderfully abundant in Greece, and are usually abundantly visited by tour groups avidly seeking photographs, not insight. Dodona, also referred to as Dodoni, is a welcome change, an oracle site which still seems to be inhabited by the magic of ancient times.

The mountain valley oracle of Dodona lies about 22km south-west of Ioannina, over a winding mountain road offering beautiful views of the Epirus countryside. Dodona is said to be the oldest town in Epirus, where civilization or life itself first arose in this part of the world. This sounds like hyperbole until you arrive - then it's easy to believe.

Worship at Dodona dates back at least five thousand years, when the Earth goddess was first adored. Later, a mighty oak tree grew at the site, and tree-worship was added. The Earth goddess took on a new name, Dione, and, eventually, a consort: Zeus himself, who became identified with the oak, lightning, and the eagles which inhabited the peaks surrounding this high valley.

In Greek mythology, Dione is the mother of the Goddess of Love, Aphrodite, and something of her more-famous daughter can be felt here, a playful, pleasure-loving quality that enlivens the stern, solid walls around the theater. The uplifting quality of the site must have helped to make Dodona the most famous and respected oracle in Greece, outstripping Delphi and all others until about the fifth century b.c.e.

Divining at Dodona

One method of divination used at Dodona was for the bare-footed priestesses to listen to the sound of the wind through the trees. Modern-day visitors can try the same process - I did. I stood quietly as the wind rustled the leaves and birds circled around the tree tops. I formed a simple question in my mind: what did Dodona have to tell me? The answer was equally simple - some spots really do have the power to uplift and transform their visitors. I've visited many sacred spots, but never have I felt so strongly that there was something different and special in the land itself as I did at Dodona. The only other place I've visited that shared some of that same feeling is another -dona, Sedona, Arizona, renowned as an alleged vortex of spiritual power.

But simple wind divination such as mine grew too boring for the ancient practitioners and worshippers at this site. About twenty-eight hundred years ago, this process was made more sophisticated, and bronze cauldrons on tripods were set up so that when the wind blew, the cauldrons would touch, emitting a bell-like sound which was said to be the Voice of Zeus.

The Archaeological Museum of Ioaninna

Petitioners also wrote their questions on small strips of lead. Many of these can be seen at the Archeological Museum in Ioannina. The questions are timeless - Whom should I marry? Is X unfaithful? Will my stolen property be returned? But changes in religious attitudes through the millenia are revealed by this question that one individual, worried about being properly devout, posed to the oracle: Which god should I worship?

A Site for All Seasons

In both spring and fall Dodona is a green haven, a sharp contrast to the often dry landscape prevalent in the rest of Greece. Arriving at Dodona was like walking into springtime. Abundant fall-blooming crocuses blanket the ground, and the air is gentle. On our visit, a small apple tree was crowded with fruit, and our guide urged us to take some. For a moment, it felt wrong to accept these sacred apples, but Dodona seemed eager to share the abundance.

Dodona boasts a lovely amphitheatre, one of the biggest in Greece, which remains in good condition. Each summer it comes alive for a festival of ancient plays - if you go, bring an extra cushion - stone seats are tough to sit on. Beside the amphitheatre stands the remains of the Bouleterion, or ancient administrative center. In the remains of the temple of Zeus, archeologists have planted a new oak tree to replace the ancient one cut down in 391, when the pagan shrines at the site were closed. Two small basilicas for a while replaced them, but those too fell into ruin. While standing beneath the oak's spreading branches, one of my earrings inexplicably fell off. A playful tug by Zeus?

I left the earring behind, just in case, keeping its mate as a reminder of my afternoon at Dodona.

Travel to Ioaninna and Dodona

Dodona lies off the beaten path for the casual or tour-bound traveller. Most visitors make a base in the small city of Ioannina (Yanina, Gianina), flying in from Athens via Olympic Air to the small regional airport.

There is a small village near Dodona which offers some tourist services, as well as a restaurant just outside the site.

In Ioaninna, I stayed at the Hotel Palladion in downtown Ioannina, which offered perfectly adequate though not lavish accommodations, with some refreshingly large rooms. There are many other hotels in downtown Ioannina to choose from.