MILETOS;
Miletos which is in the vicinity of Söke,
was on the seashore in the ancient times. The
Miletos people who had founded about 90
colonies in the Mediterranean and Black Sea
regions, after 650 B.C, had resisted the
Persian invasions in Anatolia, but they were
defeated finally and the city was destroyed by
the Persians.
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When
you arrive at the zone of the ruins, the
magnificent theater of the city appears in
sight at first. The theater had been
constructed during the Hellenistic period and,
it acquired its present characteristics by
means of the annexes made during the Roman
period. The walls of the front facade of the
theater, are 140 m long and 30 m high, and are
an interesting example of stone workmanship.
This theater was large enough to hold 15.000
people, and a fortress was built upon it
during the Byzantine period.
On
the opposite side of the theater there is a
Seljukian Caravanserai and the baths that
Faustina the II., wife of Marcus Aurelius
(161-180 A.D.) had caused to be constructed,
are situated adjacent to the theater. The
Temple of Serapis, belonging to the 3rd
century A.D., is behind the baths. The
rectangular buildings seen on one side, are
warehouse buildings. The adjacent Southern
Agora building which has dimensions of 164 x
196 m and is surrounded by stoas, belongs to
the 2nd century A.D. and its southern gate is
at the museum of Berlin today.
When
you go out through the northern gate of the
Agora, you see the Bishop's Church, Martyrion
belonging to the 5th century A.D. beside it,
and the ceremonial road which is 100 m long
and 28 m wide, extending in front of the
Agora. On the east side of it, there is the
fountain in the Public Square (Nymphaion)
belonging to the 2nd century A.D., and
Bouleuterion (the Senate Building) is situated
opposite to it. It is known that this building
had been constructed during the years 175-164
B.C., and the Temple of Asklepios and the
Sacred Place are situated at its side. At the
side of these, the Northern Agora extends
along the sacred road and at the right hand
side of the sacred road, there is the
Gymnasium belonging to the 2nd century B.C.
the entrance of which has been brought to an
erect position at present.
The baths that Vergilius Capito had
ordered to be constructed during the time of
Claudius, are situated north of the Gymnasium;
and some of these baths were used during the
Seljukian Period. at the northern end of the
Ceremonial Road, the Port Gate which was a
passage with 16 columns is situated; and on
the east of this road there is Delphinion
which is a work of the Archaic period. When
you go towards the north from here, the port
stoa, the Port Monument built in the year 31
B.C., the Small Port Monument and the
Synagogue are located at the left hand side.
The statues of the lions which watch over the
port can be seen here; on the opposite side,
the Roman Baths are seen.
The
remains of the Stadium, Western Agora and the
Temple of Athena belonging to the 5th century
B.C., are located south of Miletos. The only
ancient Turkish work in Miletos is the Mosque
of Ilyas Bey. The mosque was built in the year
1404 A.D. and it can be visited today.
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