Priene - Miletus - Didyma... Priene which is in Güllübahçe at a distance of 15 km from Söke, was carried to its present locality in the year 350 BC 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 5000 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 BC 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 BC. 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 BC. The sacred Stoa belonging to the 2nd century BC, 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 BC) 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. Miletos which is in the vicinity of Söke, was on the seashore in the ancient times. The Miletos people who had founded about 90 colonies in the Mediterranean and Black Sea regions, after 650 BC, had resisted the Persian invasions in Anatolia, but they were defeated finally and the city was destroyed by the Persians.

When you arrive at the zone of the ruins, the magnificent theater of the city appears in sight at first. The theater had been constructed during the Hellenistic period and, it acquired its present characteristics by means of the annexes made during the Roman period. The walls of the front facade of the theater, are 140 m long and 30 m high, and are an interesting example of stone workmanship. This theater was large enough to hold 15000 people, and a fortress was built upon it during the Byzantine period.

On the opposite side of the theater there is a Seljukian Caravanserai and the baths that Faustina the II., wife of Marcus Aurelius (161-180 AD) had caused to be constructed, are situated adjacent to the theater. The Temple of Serapis, belonging to the 3^rd century AD, is behind the baths. The rectangular buildings seen on one side, are warehouse buildings. The adjacent Southern Agora building which has dimensions of 164 x 196 m and is surrounded by stoas, belongs to the 2nd century AD and its southern gate is at the museum of Berlin today.

When you go out through the northern gate of the Agora, you see the Bishop's Church, Martyrion belonging to the 5^th century AD beside it, and the ceremonial road which is 100 m long and 28 m wide, extending in front of the Agora. On the east side of it, there is the fountain in the Public Square (Nymphaion) belonging to the 2^nd century AD, and Bouleuterion (the Senate Building) is situated opposite to it. It is known that this building had been constructed during the years 175-164 BC, and the Temple of Asklepios and the Sacred Place are situated at its side. At the side of these, the Northern Agora extends along the sacred road and at the right hand side of the sacred road, there is the Gymnasium belonging to the 2^nd century BC the entrance of which has been brought to an erect position at present.

The baths that Vergilius Capito had ordered to be constructed during the time of Claudius, are situated north of the Gymnasium; and some of these baths were used during the Seljukian Period. at the northern end of the Ceremonial Road, the Port Gate which was a passage with 16 columns is situated; and on the east of this road there is Delphinion which is a work of the Archaic period. When you go towards the north from here, the port stoa, the Port Monument built in the year 31 BC, the Small Port Monument and the Synagogue are located at the left hand side. The statues of the lions which watch over the port can be seen here; on the opposite side, the Roman Baths are seen.

The remains of the Stadium, Western Agora and the Temple of Athena belonging to the 5^th century BC, are located south of Miletos. The only ancient Turkish work in Miletos is the Mosque of Ilyas Bey. The mosque was built in the year 1404 A.D. and it can be visited today.

Didyma was a cult center for the city of Miletos. It is located in the present-day village of Yeniköy, about fifteen kilometers from the site of Miletos. In ancient times, it was connected to its mother city by a sacred road that had statues located on either side of it.

The Didymaion-the temple to Apollo and its oracle at Didyma-was of considerable repute among the ancients. German archaeologists excavating at the site have shown that the earliest sanctuary here was built in the 8th century BC and that it was enlarged into an enormous temple around 560 BC. After their bloody suppression of the Ionian rebellion, the Persians sacked and laid waste to Miletos (which they regarded as the instigator) and the Didymaion in 494 BC. It was during this assault that the temple's cult statue of Apollo was carried off to Ecbatana. After Alexander the Great defeated the Persians in 334 BC, the Ionin cities regained their independence and work was begun on reconstructing the Apollo temple. Around 300 BC, King Seleukos I of Syria, who then controlled western Anatolia, had the bronze statue of Apollo brought back from Ecbatana to be installed in the new temple, to whose construction he also provided monetary assistance. The new building was designed by the architects Paionios and Daphnis. The former was from Ephesos and was one of those who worked on the Artemision there.

The temple was planned on a much grander scale than the original sanctuary and indeed it was the third largest religious structure in the ancient world being surpassed only by the Ephesian Artemision and a temple on this island of Samos. The Hellenistic temple measured 109.34 by 51.13 meters and had a total of 124 columns.

It was set on a seven-stepped platform measuring 3.5 meters high and in the center of the east front there was a separate flight of fourteen steps.

The construction of so huge a building naturally took a long time and continued during the 3^rd and 2^nd centuries BC. One section was only completed in Roman times. While the temple suffered repeatedly from fires and earthquakes, it sustained the worst damage in an earthquake in 1493.

The columns still standing measure 2.40 meters in diameter and 19.70 meters in height. The double row of columns surrounding the temple was covered over with a marble roof as was the temple proper. The central courtyard measured 53.63 by 21.71 meters and was the site of the Archaic-period temple. During Hellenistic times, a small temple (called a naiskos) was built here to house the bronze statue of Apollo. Its surrounding walls were 25 meters in height and decorated with gryphons. The cella was unroofed. East of the adyton (sacred courtyard) is a great stairway of twenty-four steps measuring 15.20 meters wide. This flight of steps leads up to a windowless, three-doored hall where the oracle was written down and delivered. The hall measured 20 meters high and had a marble roof. East of the chamber, a door 5.63 meters wide and 14 meters high leads to the pronaos. The pronouncement of the oracles could only be listened to from outside the chamber. Stairways led to the upper floor. On either side of the entrance are doors measuring 2.25 meters high and 1.2 meters wide that each connects to a narrow, vaulted tunnel leading to the adyton. At the far end of each corridor is a small propylon-like room.

After viewing what is unquestionably one of the most impressive temples of the ancient world, with take our leave with amazement.