THE TEMPLE OF APOLLO: AN EXCELLENT HOST FOR BLACK MICROORGANISMS

Abstract

Turkey is the land of ancient cultures which have lots of ancient monuments, temples and forts. Monuments have continuously been unprotected against physical, chemical and biological deterioration agents. The Temple of Apollo is one of the best preserved temples of Side antique city (Antalya, Turkey), which is important for tourism. However, this temple is a host for biodeterioration agents, which are called black microcolonial fungi causing blackish brown appearance on and within the monument, that, it‟s considerable for continuity of historical monuments.