MILETOS

The remains of the city of Miletus is approximately 40 km to the south of Soke (a towncenter of Aydin City ). Infact Miletus was a port city 2,000 years ago. The aluvions caried into the bay by Buyuk Menderes river over a very long period of time filled the bay and the nearby coast and caused the city to loose touch with the sea. This brought the inevitable end of the city.

It is the most prominent of all Ionian cities. The original founders of the city is not known exactly. According to Homer, as he mentioned in IIliad, Miletus was founded by Carians. On the other hand, the famous geographer Strabon claimed that the founder of the city were Cretans. There are signs which indicate that the history of the settlement into the city goes back to the neolithic ages.

The great historian Herodotus was saying that the Ionians under the leadership of Neilos, conquered Miletus , whose inhabitants were Carians and Cretans, in the 11th century. This event points to the beginning of the recorded history of the city. In a short time Miletus became prosperous. As a port, commercial importance of the city growed immediately. The city people established 70 colonies around the various regions of Anatolia .

The city became an important Ionian center of arts, science and culture. The historians Anaximander, Aneximenes, the philosopher of the nature Thales ( mathematician, physicist and also a merchant), the geographers Kadmos and Hecataeus all lived in Miletus at the same time.

This first phase of the Miletan civilization was ended by Persians at 494 B.C. In 474 B.C. and onward it was reconstructed according to the plans of famous architect Hippodamos. In a short time Miletus became a prosperous place again.

Persians invaded Ionia and naturally Miletus once more in the 5th century. The destruction ruined the city until Alexander the Great claimed all Anatolia from Persians in the 4th century B.C. Miletus was reconstructed once more.

The city reached to another peak after 2nd century B.C. as it became an integral part of the Roman Empire . Emperors Augustus and Hadrian filled the city with monuments and statues. St. Paul gave sermons here and sailed to Jerusalem later.

During Byzantine age Miletus became a residence to archbishops. The small Byzantine castle called Castro Palation which is on the hill, beside the city was built at this time.

Seljuk Turks settled into the city in the 12th century A.D. and used Miletos as a port to trade with Venice .

Finally, Ottomans utilized the city as an harbour during their rule in Anatolia for a while. As the harbour became silted up, the city was abandoned.

APOLLON DELPHINION

The famous delphinion is situated to the east of stoa of Miletus . Delphis means dolphin in ancient Greek. This clever mammal of the seas was accepted by the people of Miletus as the symbol of god protecting sailors and their ships in heavy seas and thunderstorms.

In fact the first temple was built in the archaic times, on the other hand the existing one was initially built during the Hellenistic period and later renovated in the Roman period. It was surrounded by stoas on three sides. Delphinion was located inside a holy square named as "temenos". This temenos was a 50 x 60 metres large open area surrounded by the walls. There were three gates to the complex, all on the west. A monumental entrance was added to the temenos during the Roman period.

The stoa was in Doric style in Hellenistic period, but converted to Corinth style in the following Roman time.

A fixed altar, a round structure, three base stones and four pieces of removable altar are found in the site. The square shaped foundation, which is right in front of you as you enter the yard from the west direction, belongs to the altar of the temenos.

Various findings indicate that the altar was built in the second half of 6th century B.C. The removable altars belong to the archaic periods. One of them was devoted to goddess Hekate.

There is a round foundation found in the middle of the complex which is thought to be a heroon, in other words a monumental building devoted to the heroes of the city in antiquity.

THE TEMPLE OF ATHENA

This temple was built in the middle of the 5th century B.C. The stone workmanship of the temple was not spectacular. The size of the temple is 18 m x 30 m. The square area in the middle is the cella where the cult statues were kept. There are six columns in the front, seven at the back and ten on each side. It is a similiar construction to the temple of Artemis in Ephesos.

Unfortunately no ancient documents are found related to the temple. Our knowledge is limited to only the architectural remains.

THE BATH OF FAUSTINA

The biggest thermal complex in Miletus . It is only 150 m away from the theatre to the south. The main bath area is 2 m below the ground level. It was built by Faustina, Emperor Marcus Aurelius' wife in the 2nd century B.C. There is a gymnasium as an integral part of the bath complex.

It is clearly a typical Roman bath. There were three sections in the bath : tepidarium (warm bath), frigidarium (cold bath) and caldarium (hot bath). There was a swimming pool inside the frigidarium. After taking the bath, one could reach to sudatorium (sauna or steam room).

There exists a big courtyard with palaestra (colonades around) and dressing rooms in which a statue of Apollon stood.

The statues of Lyrile, Apollon and the armoured torsos excavated from the hall are now in Berlin . The statues of Muses and the statue of Aphrodite are in the Istanbul Archaelogy Museum now.

The bath does not match to the original plans of Miletus , drawn by famous architect Hippodamos. The structure was renovated and reopened during Anastasius era (early Byzantine Empire 491 -518 A.D.)

THE TEATHRE

The theatre was first built in the 4th century B.C. It was renovated and enlarged during the Hellenistic age and seating capacity reached to 5,300. Later on, during the Roman period (2nd century A.D.) it was reconstructed and mainly enlarged to 20,000 spectator capacity. The construction differences between Hellenistic and Roman architectural styles are still visible in the ruins of the theatre.

The theatre is supported by the hill behind. The front seats are still well preserved. The royal seats were marked with two pillars which were supported by a baldachino.

The archaic period city ramparts were buried under the front stage section of the theatre. The front rows of seats were usually allocated for influencial citizens of the city. There are still numerous inscriptions on some seats in the front rows indicating owners of the seats.

The stage of the theatre was 140 m wide. The auditorium was 40m high.

THE STADIUM

The stadium was built during the Hellenistic age (2nd century B.C.) to seat 15,000 people. The sports area was 191 m x 30 m, surrounded by the tribunes for the seats on each side.

During the Roman age the theatre was restored extensively. Eastern end to the field was closed with Corinthean style 16 columns and archs, connecting the columns at the top end.

The structure is a good example of the Hellinistic and Roman influence on the architecture of Miletos.

THE BOULETERION

The senate house was builtin the 2nd century B.C. by Timarchos and Heraklides of Miletus. The construction of the bouleterion was financed by the Syrian Emperor Antiochos IV.

It was built in the form of a round theatre facing a semi-circular meeting hall. The building was 56m long. There was a large courtyard accessed through a monumental gate. The courtyard was surrounded by 28 columns on both sides.

At the center of this courtyard there was an altar for Artemis.

The base of the meeting hall is still clearly visible. Only 19 of the steps exist today. The Bouleterion had seating for 1200 people. The whole structure was covered by a saddleback roof.

HELLENISTIC HEROON

This is a tomb made of carved stone and surrounded by cemeteries on the east and west sides. There is a hole in the middle of the grave, to contain the gifts for deceased person. There is some damage in the west side wall of the grave room.

There are some floor mosaics from the Byzantine age, 40 m away to the west and east of the inner fortress rampants.

ROMAN HEROON

This is a 46 m x 28 m. military tomb, situated on the eastern side of the theatre hill.

The entrance door opens to a courtyard which is surrounded by 38 columns. There is an altar in the middle of the courtyard. The altar room has two doors; one to the north and the other to the west.

There are four rooms in the base, accessed through the west side of the entrance door to the courtyard.

The walls of the altar room and the sarcophagus podium are the only surviving parts of the tomb.

IONIC STOA

The stoa was built during the Roman Emperor Cladius. It was standing alongside the Commemoration Road to the east, when walking to thec entre of the city.

Originally, there was a pavillion with 35 columns in the Ionic style. There were 6 steps between the ground and the platform all along the way. Also, there existed 19 shops to the east of the platform.

During the Seljuk period a bath was built where 18 columns of the Stoa was standing before and 3 of the shops were shifted to the north of the stoa. The site is still under restoration.

MOSQUE OF ILYAS BEY

This mosque was built by Ilyas Bey (a Seljuk ruler from Mentese) in 1404 A.D. It is a square building of 18.30 m. on each side. This was a mosque and a theological school complex with a library, a dormitory, a training hall and a bath inside.

There are four windows in the Mecca direction. The inside and outside walls are covered with marble. The stone and marble workmanship is spectacular. Its marble prayer niche is a rare item and definitely worth to see. The sections consisting of marvellous plant motives done with relief technique, decorating the doors and the windows next to the doors, have been damaged but still visible.

The marble window meshes and the geometrical motives of coloured marbles above the door and the windows are unique in quality and detail.

THE NORTH AGORA

The North Agora was one of the two agoras of Miletus . Its construction started in the 5th century B.C. and took 800 years to reach to its final form.

It is located to the north of the city and near the Lion Harbour . This was the smaller of the two agoras in Miletus . .

THE WEST AGORA

This agora is still buried under the ground. The plans are found by using advanced sounding techniques. It is now known that it lies in the northwest - southeast direction.

There is an Ottoman cemetery on top of the agora today.

THE SOUTH AGORA

The North Gate was revealed during the first excavations. The top section of the gate was taken to Germany in 1908 and displayed in the Pergamon Museum ( Berlin ) today.

There were gates on 3 sides. It accomodated 78 shops. The south agora was the biggest market-place of ancient times.

It covered an area of 196 m x 164 m. and built during the Hellenistic age (3th century B.C.). The construction took 500 years to reach to its final form. The south Agora was reconstructed during the Roman age. North and southeast gates were renovated in monumental form.

THE NYMPHAEUM

The holy fountain (nymphaeum) was built during the Roman age (2nd century A.D.). The structure consisted of numerous statues of gods, goddesses and nympheas. There was a pool in front of the west facade. The building was three storey and 20 m. wide with plenty of amphoras where water was pouring into the pool on the front wall and also from the mouths of fishes on the side walls.

There are many statues from the nymphaeum on display in Pergamon museum in Berlin today. Also, Istanbul Archaelogy Museum keeps a number of statues and inscriptions of the holy fountain.