M I L E T U S

Miletus Turkey

The ancient city of Miletus was once one of the biggest cities in Anatolia - bigger than Ephesus. It was located on the trade routes and it was for this reason that it became very prosperous and had many colonies. Having surrendered to the silting up of four harbors, the city's fate was much the same as that of Ephesus. Miletus gave the alphabet to the classical world and was also the breeding ground for many philosophers and scientists, including Thales, who calculated precisely the arrival of the solar eclipse. The archaeological site is notable for the great Roman Theatre and the Baths of Faustina, while a surprising quantity of remnants from the city's Classical, Hellenistic, and Roman eras remains for the most part buried or overgrown with bone-dry shrubbery.

Several maps and archaeological guides are available to help you walk through the ruins, including those sold at the entrance gate. Miletus is open daily 8:30am to 6:30pm in summer, and until 5:30pm in winter; admission is 10YTL ($8).