History of Miletus

Ancient Port City Milet was the economic and cultural centre of the Eastern Aegean. This place is connected to Central Anatolia via Menderes Valley. It was the city of early eastern philosophers Thales and Anaximander. B.C. In the 5th century, the city was destroyed as a punishment when the rebellion attempted by the Ionian cities under the leadership of Miletus against Persian domination failed. Many flamboyant marble structures emerged in the city, which was rising again during the Hellenism and Roman Imperial periods, and the construction of the Temple of Apollo continued in Didyma, which was affiliated to Miletus. As a result of the Menderes Delta filled with alluviums in the Young Ancient Period, the connection of the city to the sea was only possible through Menderes. Since then, the centre of the ancient city has been flooded. Therefore, buildings from the Byzantine and Turkish periods were built in the higher parts of the city.

• Theatre
• Theater Fortress
• Four Column Mosque
• Hellenistic Heroon I
• Roman Hero III
• St. Michael's Church and the Temple of Dionysus
• Episcopal Palace
• Forty Stairs Mosque
• Harbor Monument
• Harbor Gallery
• Port Gate
• Delphinion
• Masjid and Mansion in Humeitepe
• Bath on Humeitepe
• Turkish Bath
• Kapito Bath
• Ionian Column Gallery
• Hellenistic Peristyle
• Nymphaeum (Monumental Fountain)
• The Proplyo
• Great Church
• Market Gate
• Bouleuterion
• Amber ve Latrine
• Temple of Serapis
• Byzantine City Walls
• İlyas Bey Complex
• Faustina Bath
• Have

Fortress and Settlement on Theater Hill

When new city walls were built in Milet in the 7th century, the theatre turned into a surrounded fortress. Although the urban fortifications in the Byzantine period were mostly destroyed during the excavations in the early 20th century, the last refuge fortress built during the period when the Turks tried to dominate the region can still be seen above the third part of the theatre. The fort served as a fortress surrounded by walls in the northeast of the theatre. This settlement, dated to the 12th century; It has a city gate with a tower on both sides, on the eastern slope of Theater Hill and above the Mosque with 4 Columns. The new city settlement on the Theater Hill has replaced the ancient city centre, which was long buried under the river's alluvial deposit. The ancient Miletus has lost its existence and this new city on the Theater Hill, It was named Ta Palatia because of its character resembling a majestic palace (palatial) of ancient ruins on the ground. During the reign of Turks, the name of the region changed to Balat.

If you want to discover the history of Miletus, you can take advantage of our Priene - Milet - Dydma Tour options.