Archaeological Site of Dodoni

The Archaeological Site of Dodoni, located in Epirus, Greece, is the oldest Hellenic oracle, dedicated to Zeus and Dione. Visitors can explore the well-preserved theater, temples, and the sacred oak tree, offering insights into ancient Greek religious practices.

Planning your visit

Dodona was the oldest oracle in Greece, older than Delphi, where Zeus was consulted through the rustling of a sacred oak — priests interpreted the sound of the leaves and the doves in the branches. Herodotus recorded that the oracle was founded by a priestess carried from Egyptian Thebes.

The site in Epirus holds the sanctuary, temples to Zeus, Dione and other deities, and a theatre seating around 17,000 — one of the largest in Greece, built in the third century BC and restored for performances.

Lead tablets inscribed with questions have been recovered in large numbers, and they are the site's most human artefact: ordinary people asking whether to marry, whether a child was theirs, whether to travel, whether a slave had stolen something.

The setting in a mountain valley is quiet and largely unvisited compared with Delphi.

The archaeological museum in Ioannina holds the finds. Allow ninety minutes. Bookable options include site and museum tours. Current availability is shown below.