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| Miletus | ||
| province | Aydın | |
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| Residents | unknown | |
no value for residents on Wikidata:  | ||
| height | unknown | |
| no value for height on Wikidata: | ||
| no tourist info on Wikidata: | ||
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Miletus is an ancient ruin site in Aegean region in the Turkey.
background
According to legend, settlers came from here Crete came here and killed the Karer living here in order to start a new future with their wives. This is how the city is said to have been founded. There may be some truth in the saga here, but at least the story of Miletus is much more multifaceted than the saga suggests. The oldest finds go back to the 4th millennium, but do not reveal any contiguous settlement. About a thousand years later, it will be different when it comes to a first settlement with strong local traits. Around 2000 BC Strong Minoan influence prevails. A fire disaster destroys the whole village, but the immediate reconstruction bears Minoan features again, whereby a large Carian share could be proven especially in the normal population. Around 1450 BC BC this was also destroyed and a Mycenaean city emerged here. This only lasted about a hundred years before the Hittites came out Hattuşa burned the Minoan city and built a new city on the ruins, which of course had strong Hittite features. The lion sculptures at the harbor still bear witness to this today. This city also flourished due to its good trading position and was able to hold its own against the general turmoil at the end of the Bronze Age. While metropolises like Hattusa or Troy were destroyed towards the end of the 13th century, the city was able to hold its own for over 100 years. It was not until the arrival of the Ionian settlers in 1053 BC. Chr. Led to a new upheaval. As a transshipment point for oil, wool and textiles, the place succeeded from the 8th century BC A renewed upswing, which intensified from the 6th century onwards with the introduction of coinage, especially since Miletus took on a pioneering role here. The city took on a supraregional leadership role and subsequently founded over 80 colonies, e.g. Sinop, Trabzon or Naukratis. But the expansion also created new opponents and so one was increasingly involved in armed conflicts. First the conquest by Croesus took place in the 6th century BC. BC, who gave the city full sovereignty. So the city naturally went to war against the Persians as an ally on Croesus side and was occupied by the Persians after his defeat. In the early 5th century, the Ionian cities rebelled against the Persian occupiers. When the Persians recaptured the city of Miletus in 494 BC BC this was completely destroyed. The city was rebuilt according to the plans of a citizen of the city named Hippodamos. The layout of the city is considered to be the Hippodamian system and was copied in many urban planning projects (e.g. in Piraeus). However, the city recovered quickly under Persian leadership and was found again on the side of Sparta in the Peloponnesian War in the late 5th century. When in the 4th century BC Alexander the Great, Miletus was again the most important and largest city in the region and while cities like Ephesus If Alexander the Great surrendered without a fight, Miletus did not want to lose his privilege and offered resistance to wait for Persian support. This came, but could not intervene decisively in the fighting due to a Greek blockade of the ports and Alexander the Great was able to take the city and devastated it heavily. Miletus recovered only very slowly and permanently lost his supremacy. Together with the entire region, they came in 133 BC. In the province of Asia in the Roman Empire. In the meantime, the city had a certain regional importance again and was further expanded under Roman rule, but Ephesus was now the provincial capital and the heart of the region. The city flourished until the 6th century AD, was a bishopric and was also mentioned in the Bible. But in the 7th century AD, raids, wars and epidemics followed and the population shrank. The city also expanded to include the theater. Residential houses were built in the theater and a castle on the highest point of the theater. When the area was conquered by the Turks, there was a brief boom in the 14th century when the Mentesche tribe relocated here for some time. But at that time the port was already completely silted up and many trade routes dried up and what was left of Miletus was languishing as the village of Balat. When this was badly damaged by an earthquake in 1955, a new Balat was built just outside the field of ruins. Since 1899 there has been excavation and research in Miletus and the surrounding area.
getting there
By plane
The nearest airport is in Selçuk (Selçuk Efes Havaalanı). However, this can only be approached with private aircraft. If you want to fall back on an airline, you will find in the north in Izmir and in the south in Bodrum the nearest airport. From there it continues on the road.
By train
By bus
who of Kuşadası should take the bus to Söke. From here a dolmuş drives to Balat. This passes the ruins and stops on request or a hand signal for the way back.
Of Didim there are several ways to get to Miletus. The shortest route is the Dolmuş to Balat. However, this only leaves the Altinkum twice a day. If you want to be more flexible, take the regular bus from Didim Seyahat in a northerly direction and get off in Söke and from here you go as usual with the dolmuş in the direction of Balat and just get off in Miletus beforehand.
Unfortunately, those who have stayed in Akköy to take advantage of the proximity to Miletus have to walk the 5 km or drive by car, as there is no connection here.
In the street
The D525 from Milas to Söke runs close to the excavation site. At Akköy you leave this in the direction of Akköy. In Akköy keep right in the direction of Balat. The excavation site is about 1km behind Balat.
By boat
mobility
Tourist Attractions
- theatre
- Lion statues
- Heroon
- Marketplace
- Northern agora
- Delphinion
- Capito baths
- high school
- Bouleterion
- Southern agora
- Temple of Serapis
- Stadion
- Western agora
- Temple of Athena
- City walls
- Ilyas Bey mosque
