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PRIENE;
Priene which is in Güllübahçe at a distance
of 15 km from Söke, was carried to its
present locality in the year 350 B.C. from the
original place where it had been founded
earlier.
At the point
of entrance of the ruins, a road on the right
leads us to the Theater of Priene.The theater
had been built during the Hellenistic period,
and underwent modifications during the Roman
period.
The theater consists of 50 rows of
seats and is capable of holding 5.000 people
and, in the section of the orchestra of the
theater, there are marble armchairs reserved
for eminent people. On the right side of the
theater, the Themenos of Egyptian Gods is
situated. The upper Gymnasium is in front of
the theater and the Byzantine church is at its
side. You pass to the famous Temple of Athena
from here. The Temple of Athena belongs to the
4th century B.C. and it is the work of the
architect Pytheos. The temple, with 6 x 11
columns, has dimensions of 19.55 x 37.20 m. A
few columns of the temple, which is a
classical example of Ionian architecture, have
been erected.
Alexander the Great had the
eastern half of the temple completed. The
altar in the front was decorated with high
reliefs in the past, and it belongs to the 2nd
century B.C. The Stoa that displays a graceful
example of stone-workmanship, is on the south
of the Temple of Athena. When you go downwards
from the temple, you see the Agora of Priene
which belongs to the 3rd century
B.C. The
sacred Stoa belonging to the 2nd century B.C.,
is situated north of the Agora. Bauleuterion (the
assembly building) which looks like a small
theater, with dimensions of 20 x 21 m and
capacity for 640 people, is adjacent to the
Stoa and, adjacent to it, there is Prytaneion
(2nd century B.C.) where the sacred fire used
to burn. Temenos of Zeus Olympios and the food
market are situated east and west of the Agora
respectively. There are houses on two sides of
the avenue which connects the Agora to the
western gate. Temenos of Kybele and the house
of Alexander the Great, are situated at the
western gate side of the avenue. In the
extreme south of Priene, the lower Gymnasium
and the Stadium are situated.
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