MILET ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE

Most travelers limit their visit to the theater, the major attraction of the site. The Roman construction visible today, built on the site of a 4th century Greek theater, could hold 20,000 spectators. The magnificent galleries of circulation, very well preserved, gave access to the terraces. From the top of the hill of the theater, you can realize the geographical situation of the ancient city of which you distinguish the vestiges. Miletus extended then on a peninsula which formed two ports: that of the Theater and that of the Lions. The Byzantine castle whose ruins you see is built with stones of the theater. If you take the path to the right of the theater, you will come to the baths of Faustina, wife of Marcus Aurelius (150 AD). Next to a pool of cold water stands a decapitated statue of the river Meander. A few meters further on, you can see the mosque of Ilyas Bey which dates from the beginning of the 15th century. The earthquake of 1958 deprived it of its minaret, but its mihrâb is beautifully carved and the interior squatted by storks. Passing the southern agora, you arrive at the bouleutêrion, the Senate which, as an inscription proves, was built in the 2nd century B.C. by Tinarchos and Heracleidos in honor of the Syrian king Antiochos IV. Opposite, was the nymphaeum, a sanctuary dedicated to the nymphs, dating from the 1st century AD. On the right, stood the temple of Aesculapius on which, in the^5th century, was built a Byzantine church now in ruins. A little further on was the most important monument of the city, the delphinion, sanctuary of Apollo, protector of the harbors and the ships, after the agora of the north, above the port of the Lions (so named because of the two marble fawns which guarded its entry).

Outside the summer period, the site beyond the theater is often difficult to explore because the rain turns the land into swamp. But when the waters recede, the spectacle is surreal. Not to be missed.

The museum is located1 km from the main entrance of the site.

Idea for a lunch break in Karin: an excellent fish lunch in a soothing setting, much more pleasant than on the side of the road, or at the foot of a site overcrowded with people. Between Milet and Priene, follow the direction of Priene, then take a left towards Doğanbey and go to the very end of the road.