MILETUS...continued

This theatre was built during the Hellenistic period, but was enlarged and modernised during the 2 century A.D. Because of this, we may call it a Roman building. South of the theatre lies the ruins of the baths of Faustina. Today, a flight of steps leads to the baths, 150m. away from the theatre. This has obviously been built at a later date to ease entrance to the theatre. This square-planned room is the room of Muses. Niches situated in the walls once housed statues of Telesphoros, Asklepios, Apollon and the armoured torso. Apart from the armoured torso, which is in the Berlin Museum, all the other statues are in the Archaeological Museum in Istanbul. Since this room contained these statues. This room leads through a wide portal into a long rectangular hall. This is called the apoditerium, and here the changing rooms were located. An inscription lying on the left hand-side of the portal can be seen. 13 cubicles facing each other are contained within these chambers. Ten of these were changing rooms, and had banks for changing. The floor of the baths was paved with marble, of which some small fragments of its ancient beauty remain. A passage on the right hand side of the room led into the palaestra. This is a square-shaped building, measuring 77.5 x 79.41 m, and is framed on both sides by a row of Corinthian columns. We had seen these columns as we were descending the steps, they served to enclose the courtyard.

The frigidarium is entered through a door in the changing room. This is the cold section of the baths. It is in the form of three chambers. The large central room has a pool. The statue of a river god and another of a lion can still be seen in their original positions. A pipe running underneath the statue of the river god brought water to the pool, and the lions's jaws served as a fountain. One entered the pool via three steps beside the deity, and three steps were situated on each of the other corners. Some of the seats of the pool are still in position. A room leading from the frigidarium behind the river god is now closed off. This room led to the calderium, or luke-warm room. This section was connected to the changing rooms, and was entered through a spacious portal.

The Roman baths constitute a whole complex, with sporting arenas, frgidarium, calderium, tepiderium and other spacious rooms. The baths were a place here lifes troubles were shed, feasts were held, and had a life of its own. One took the baths according to a set procedure. A person in good health first of all allowed himself into a sweat chamber heated by steam, from here to the tepidarium, where vario is creams were applied to their body, and there is massaged. East of the slope on which the theatre is built can be seen a monumental tomb known as the Horoon. The stone work of this tomb is extremely fine. It was built during the Hellenistic period in honour of a famous warrior. The tomb had a courtyard in front of it. The irregular paved interior of the tomb contained five graves.

Beyond this point, the path takes us to the Harbour monument. This was erected on the northern side of the once important harbour of Miletus. It was set up in honour of an emperor, very probably Augustus, on the occasion of a naval victory of his, The triple stepped circular base of the structure has some reliefs of Tritons and dolphins. The remaining reliefs of the Trotons reveal them as a figure part man, part fish part horse. An inscription stands over this relief and above it a tripod basedpot. The total height of the monument was 7.5m. A little further on, there used to stand another monument of which now only a triangular base remains.

The column to be seen on the face of thit monument overlooking the theatre are the remains of the northern agora, which used to extend as for as this point. The agora was first erected during the classical period, and its area extended during the Hellenistic period, with various additions during the Roman period. Under a roof supported by 64 Doric columns used to be houses 30 shops. These sliops, which were 31.78m in length were reached by two steps. The small agora was in the form a square courtyard. On four sides of this courtyard were stoas.

The four doors set between the shops opened out onto the small market place. During the Roman period a toilet with a capacity of forty was built on the south west corner of the stoa. This indicates how important the stoa and busy the harbour was during that period The main agora is rectangular in shape, and had a temple built in the Ionic order. The busy harbour of Miletus had two imposing statues of lions, one on either flank, and hence the name, the harbour of lions. These great lions still stand in their original place today, and although partially destroyed and covered with soil, they still guard the harbour.

Moving away from the harbour, ahead we see, on the left, the remains of a bath. Further on are the group of buildings which used to be the centre of Miletus. These are the delphinion, the Ionic stoa, the Bouleterion and other buildings lining the processional road. The columns we see as we are approaching the Delphinion are the remains of the gateway to the harbour. This gateway was built on the road leading to the ceremonial way to the harbour, during the Roman period.

The open sanctuary of Apollo, known as the delphinion, may be considered to have been given this name as a result of the merging of the names of Apollo, the protector of this sea-side town, and the sea. The dimensions of this temple measure 50 x 60m. It is enclosed by stoas on three sides, which were later restored during the Roman period, the columns being replaced with those of Corinthian style. As can be seen from the ruins, the temple was entered from the west, through three portals. Within the courtyard were square altars, semi-circular stone shrines and exedrae. Since the state archives of Miletus were found here it is also assumed that this also served as the site where legislative matters were dealt with. The inscriptions which have been found connected to it, reveal that these was so up to the Roman period.

The name delphinion refers to the relationship between the god Apollo, who was the patron of the town, and the dolphin, the intelligent, music-loving fish said to he sacred to Apollo.

The building still erect near the delphinion is the Seljuk baths. Behind this is the Capito bath which had been erected during the Roman period. The temenos still visible is the palaestra of the baths, the pool of which can still be seen.

The road strecching away in front of us is the processional route of the city.

On the eastern side of this street, which is 100m. long, 28m. wide, is an ionic stoa, and on the west of the gymnasium is the northern agora and the bouleuterion. The northern side of the street was facing the harbour gate and on the southern side was on both sides of the street. The complex sewer system of the town was contained beneath the paved road, over which ran carriages. The street obtained its name as it was here that visitors coming from the harbour were greeted and ceremonies held. The street of ceremonies contains many important ruins. Now let us visit them one by one.

Ionic Stoa: The ionic stoa was built during 50 A.D. by Capito V, who was a high ranking official during the reign of Claudius, a Roman emperor. A stoa was erected by the assembly on a dais reached by six steps. This was supported by Ionic columns, and behin it lay the shops. Today this magnificent stoa is being restored. Miletus, during winter and spring is left under a shallow layer of flood water, but is quite dry during the summer.

Gymnasium: Behind the Ionic stoa, the gymnasium and the baths of Capito is situated. The gymnasium, built during the Hellenistic period is square in plan, and is entered through a portal on the southern facade. During the century following the building of the gymnasium, the Ionic stoa was added to the processional way, and on the entrance facade the Nympaion (fountain). The entrance to the gymnasium was by four steps, which were decorated by four columns. The propylon, which projected 6m. from the facade of the building led into the palaestra. The gymnasium was closed on all four sides. To the north, it is decorated with Ionic columns, and to the south by the Doric order. They were spaced 2.21 m apart. Behind was the main building. Since these buildings were places of mental, as well as physical training, a large hall was set aside for study, with two reading rooms on both sides. Nearby were the baths.

Nyphaion: The fountain or Nymphaion is situated further along the rout, after the Ionic stoa. It is 17m high and 20m wide, and was built during the 2 century A.D. A great deal of the Nymphaion is still standing and some pragments are seen to be lying around the site. The walls surrounding it were faced with marble and decorated with fine columns. Niches between these columns contained statues of the gods. Water carried by earthen pipes from the village of Balat used to flow from the mouths of fish into the pool of this monument. Only such a processional way, onto which looked so many magnificent buildings was worthy of such a beautiful fountain.

If we continue along our route, we will come upon the entrance to the Asklepios temple, which was built in the Roman period, in III century A.D. The entrance had four marble steps, and a richly ornamented architrave supported by Corinthian columns. Not much is left of this grandious building, save the portal, which is easily identified by the great marble slabs. During the Byzantine period, the temple of Asklepion was converted into a basilica.

Southern Agora: Continuing onwards from the Asklepios temple, just opposite the Processional route, we are faced by the entrance to the southern agora. The southern agora was the largest agora in Miletus, erected by the citizens in nearly the centre of the town. The agora, which measured 164 x 196m was rectangular in shape, and the entrances to it opened onto the great road. The side opening onto the road formed a narrow street, together with the Boueterion, running parallel to the processional road. As can be seen from the plan of the Hellenistic agora, 39 shops with double entrances were situated on its eastern side. Some shops had their own entrances. There were no traces of any shops to be found on the west and northern side. The courtyard itself, which covered an area of 20,500 m2 had Doric columns on all sides. These formed an enclosed area both on the sides including the rows of shops and the clear sides.

During the Roman period, in 2 century A.D., the agora underwent some transformation. The covered section in front of the shops, which was supported on a column was enlarged, with the addition of one column more. The second important change was the addition of a magnificent gateway, in the form of a portal on the northern side of the agora, overlooking the processional road. Apart from this, there were two other entrances, through portals on the west and south.

Bouieuterion: The Senate House, or Bouleuterion lies on the right side of the southern agora. It consists of an auditorium and a courtyard in front of it. In ancient times the auditorium was closed, today only the galleries of seats remain. The entrance to the bouleuterium was approached from the processional roda. One reached it via three steps, and it was supported by four Corinthian columns. The propylon frieze is a small replica of the relief showing the king of Pergamon, Eumenes II, in victory against the Galatians. Doric order stoas strectched along the sides of the courtyard. The tomb in the centre of the courtyard dated from the Roman period. The auditorium opened onto the courtyard through for doors. It had a seating capacity of 1500, and was covered with a wooden roof, supported on the walls of the courtyard and by four Ionic columns in the centre. The building gave the impression of being double-storeyed. The lower part of the building and the outer wall of the courtyard displayed the beautiful stonework of the Hellenistic period. Half-columns cover the upper half of the exterior walls, and the broad windows and blazon reliefs give the building an architectonic plasticity. An inscription on the architrave of the bouleuterion states that the building was constructed at the command of Antiachos Epiphanes, king of Syria. Relying on this inscription, we conclude that the building was constructed during the year 175 B.C. Besides this, the architectural style of the building itself would tend to take us to that period.

North of the Bouleutarion, to the rear of a small temple set up in honour of the Roman emperor Augustus stood another temple, named the temple of Asklepios. Further on, overlooking the processional route and stretching all the way up to the harbour monument are the ruins of the northern agora.

Now let us carry on along the path around the walls of the southern agora to visit the temple of Serapis, and the baths of Faustina. When we corner the walls, we see the remains of the store-house built during the Hellenistic period. On our left is the colonnaded courtyard of the southern agora. Where the store-house meets the western gate of the agora are also to be found the ruins of the Serapis temple. Serapis, who was an Egyptian god, must have been introduced into Anatolia during the period of the Ptolemians. While the latter were powerful on the coasts of Anatolia, the religious culture of Egypt must have infiltrated.

It is reached by an open entrance of four steps, and now various fragments of the temple are strewn about. The facade of the building consist of a trian gular architrave supported on four Corinthian columns. In the centre of the facade, the frieze of Hellios Serapis is situated. The symbol of the god, to be seen there is a cross illuminated by the rays of the sun. The inscription on the architrave states that the temple was presented to Hellios Serapis. The inner sanctuary is constructed of dressed stone, and quite undecorated. The style of the portal allows us to date it to the 3 century A.D. Since the building dates before that, it is plain that the portal was a later addition.
If we follow the path from the temple of Serapis we come to the collosal ruin of the Faustina baths. The entrance to the bath is to the south.

In order to visit the baths, after leaving the theatre we crossed straight over to the chamber of the Muses in the baths, and began our tour of the baths from there, the simplest method possible.

The mosque of Ilyas Bey: Those who may be interested in visiting the mosque built by Isa Bey of the Menteshe emirate may do so by followin a path which leads in the direction of the mosque. The mosque, which was erected in 1404 is quite intact, with only the minaret incomplete. It measures 18x 18m in all, and is a domed construction over a square plan. The most striking part of the mosque is the marble mihrab. This finely decorated niche consists of stalactite decoration within the niche, framed by bands of decoration andmiarble relief inscriptions from the Quran in relief. The finest examples of Seljuk interlace motifs are to be seen on the entrance portal. It was restored in 1958.

The Stadium: A little further on, as we pass the baths of Faustina we will encounter the stadium. This was a building measuring 191x29m. capable of seating 14,400 people, and was built during the Hellenistic period. Now there is little left of this construction.

On the summit of Kalabak hill, on the right hand side of the road opposite the theatre is the temple of Athena. Those who have time to spare may wish to visit this. Prof. Von Gerkan has excavated this site, uncovering the temple of Athena and other remains. The material unearthed during excavations shows that this spot was also inhabited during the archaic period. Not much has been left over from the temple of Athena, but we do know that during the archaic period the temple was entered via flight of steps, and that it was et set up facing the south west, with columns in the Ionic order.

The land walls surrounding Miletus begin at Kalabak hill and completely encircle Miletus, is lating it on the peninsula. They were built during the Hellenistic period, and repaired during the Roman period. The walls, which had a with of 5-10m. were very built. Three large portals on the eastern wall had two towers each. The portals on the western side were re-infsrced by seven towers. During 538A.D. the Byzantians erected another tower at the southern wall of city.