The history of Miletus, located in the province of Aydın, goes back to the polished stone age. The city, which shined with maritime in the Archaic period, was cut off from the connection of Miletus with the Aegean Sea as a result of the rise of the waters in the Aegean, the change of the mouth of the Büyük Menderes, and the filling of the land with alluvium. It is also known that rational thought, geometry, astronomy, and philosophy started in this city, far inside the sea.

The name Miletus is related to Apollo in terms of mythology. Miletus is the son of Akakallis, the daughter of Apollo and Minos. Akakallis hides his son in the forest to protect him from his father's wrath. Apollo also orders a female wolf to feed him. Wolves raise Miletus. It is said that a shepherd later found him and brought him home and raised him. When Miletus becomes an adult, he leaves Crete and Karia comes. He marries Kyane, the daughter of the Menderes river, and establishes Miletus. It is said that the name Miletus came from here.

Miletus gained its autonomy with Roman emperors' special attention in 38 BC and reached the metropolitan level among Ion cities, was built on an extensive area. At the first entrance to the city, you will be greeted by the theater of Milet, one of the most beautiful examples of the Greek-Roman style. The theater, which was built for 5300 people in the Hellenistic period, was increased to 15 thousand people in the Roman period. The surviving parts of the stage and the galleries between the floors keep the theater atmosphere alive. The vaulted passageways in the theater are very well preserved, and you can reach the harbor behind it by passing through the passages in the theater. The city has 4 major harbors. The first two are the Lion harbor, which can be closed with a chain connected between 2 lion statues. The third port is known as Athena port due to its proximity to the Athena temple. The beach in the east of the city became the fourth port.

Again, a little further from the Theater, there is the Senate building and Nymphaion, which provides water distribution to the city. Nymphaion is known as the public pool and fountain consisting of three floors resembled with sculptures. Nymphaion is positioned on three niches. The water reaching through the aqueducts located at the back of the building was accumulated in the reservoirs and both feeding the Nymphaion fountain and distributing water to various parts of the city through channels.

One of the buildings noticed at the ruins entrance is the Faustina bath, which was built for Faustina, the aunt of Marcus Aurelius, wife of Antoninus Pius. The bath, which is one of the largest Roman baths in Anatolia, it is cold, warm, and warm parts, changing rooms and the bath, where the pool can be easily observed, has a statue of Meandros, the god of the river, and a replica of the lion figures. The original of his lion sculpture is exhibited in the Paris Louvre museum.

The most important religious center is Delphinon to the west of the stoa. This was the temple location for Apollo Delphinios. Delphis (dolphin) was considered an animal devoted to Apollo because it was a clever and music-loving fish. This god was the protector of sailors and ships. The main temple was in Didymaion, a few miles south of the city. This is a good example of the unpretentious nature of its temples. Bouleuterion (parliament building) was built in 175-164 BC and was dedicated to Apollo, Hestia, and Demos. The seating is in the form of a wide semicircle like the theater and has 1500 people capacity. It is the most magnificent of its kind, and a stage was added to this structure later.

------------------------------------

Would you like us to tailor you a private itinerary including Miletus Ancient City? Benefit from our expertise. We offer tailor-made tours to Turkey for all interests and desires, from romantic honeymoons and scenic self-drive road trips to photo tours with experienced photographers and cultural tours in major destinations. We arrange everything for your Turkey Tours, including hotel bookings, airport transfers, guided tours, and top-notch experiences. We want you to have a great time in Turkey and make sure your trip is a memorable one as we have escorted so many tours in Turkey personally. Imagine dealing with only one person for all your travel details, receiving customized itineraries and recommendations which will suit exactly your travel interests. Contact Turkey Tour Organizer to get a personalized day by day itinerary for your trip to Turkey.