Miletus Ancient City – Places To Visit In Didim
The ancient city and museum of Miletus is one of the historical places in the Didim district of Aydın and is one of the places where tourists are especially interested. It is one of the touristic places in Didim and is located within walking distance to the center of Didim. If you want to visit the ancient city and the museum, you can walk or take a bus from the center of Didim.
Didim, located in the Aegean region, is home to extremely important historical artifacts as well as the beauty of its beaches and beaches. An important part of these historical artifacts are also in the Miletus Ancient Theater. This port city, which was established very close to the river called Büyük Menderes today, It is a residential area from ancient times.
Table of Contents
Miletus Ancient Theater History
Miletus Ancient Theater is known to have a history dating back to ancient times. The first settlement in the region BC. It dates back to 3500 years. Looking at these dates, it is seen that it was a settlement starting from the stone age.
Although it is known that there has been life in the region since the Stone Age, the findings of these periods are unfortunately not available because these artifacts were both submerged by the rise of the sea and are not accessible due to the effect of the meander.
By looking at the geography of the region, it is assumed that the inhabitants living in the region during this period made a living from animal husbandry and sea products, and at the same time evaluated this because the structure of the region was easily defensible. It is known in the light of the evidence found that there were relations with Crete in the region in the early periods.
Although there are many different stories about the first settlement in the region and the first settlers, one of the most dominant influences in the region is the effects of Hellenistic culture after Alexander the Great conquered Miletus. In the following periods, the city was connected to Rome and remained as Roman territory from here until the Byzantine period.
Miletus Ancient Theater: Philosophers
Another name used for Miletus Ancient Theater is the city of philosophers. The city deserves this title because of the famous philosophers it has in different periods. Apart from philosophers such as Anaximenes and Anaximandros, of course, the most important philosopher who lived in the city appears as Thales. Even today, the legacy he left in the field of geometry is still very valuable and is used actively.
Excavations in the City, Information About the City
Excavations in the area first started in 1873. This excavation, started by French archaeologists, was taken over by the Germans and is still organized by the Germans today. Although the excavations have continued since this date, they were stopped many times due to wars and financial difficulties in different periods.
Museum
Although the museum was first opened in 1973, it was later closed for editing. This arrangement also includes the organization of the artifacts obtained from the ancient city of Priene and the Temple of Apollo in the vicinity and their exhibition in this museum.
Miletus Ancient Theater was the central city of the region for many years. Apart from this, the information obtained is missing in many points, but it is known that there are many different settlements around the city. These settlements were also connected to the Miletus Ancient Theater in different ways, because the city was the largest port city in the region, the majority of the needs of the region were met through the city.