In the centrosymmetric binuclear title complex, [Dy(2)(C(9)H(9)O(3))(6)(C(12)H(8)N(2))(2)], the two Dy(III) ions are linked by four 2-phen-oxy-propionate (L) groups through their bi- and tridentate bridging modes. Each Dy(III) ion is nine-coordinated by one 1,10-phenanthroline mol-ecule, one bidentate carboxyl-ate group and four bridging carboxyl-ate groups in a distorted DyN(2)O(7) monocapped square-anti-prismatic geometry. The title compound is isotypic with its terbium-containing analogue.