Priene - Miletos - Didyma Tour

The historical town of Priene is located near the village of Güllübahçe, 16 kms from Söke. This town, a member of the Ionian Confederation, especially prospered during the Hellenistic period. The beautiful houses, public buildings and temples are the most important parts of this ancient city. The city walls surrounding Priene were 2 meters wide and 6 meters high. The front and rear faces of the walls were built of squared stone blocks while the space in between was filled up with rubble and mud. This construction technique, called "emplekton" is characteristic of the Hellenistic period. The Athena Temple, located on the culminating point of the city, was the oldest, most important and magnificent building in Priene. The architect of the building was Pythius, who also constructed the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, counted as one of the Seven Wonders of the world. The temple is accepted as being a classical example of the Anatolian-Ionian architectural style.

Miletus is 42 km away from Söke town, a county of the province Aydin. This place initially was founded during the 2nd Millenium B.C. on the coast of the Latmic Gulf (now Lake Bafa). The town became one of the most important of the twelve cities bordering the Aegean Sea, which formed the Ionian Confederation. The Theatre, erected on the south-west slopes of the hill of Kaletepe, profiting from the natural inclination, is the best-preserved building of Miletus. First erected in the 4th century BC it has taken its present form by later alterations undergone in the Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine periods. The theatre, which could seat 5,300 spectators in the Hellenistic period, reached a capacity of 25,000 seats in the Roman period. The Caravanserai was built in the 15th century during the period of the Principality of Menteş. It comprises a courtyard and rooms for lodging. The lower floor of the two stored building was used as stables, and the upper floor to lodge travellers.

The Apollo Temple of Didyma was known as a sanctuary and seat of an oracle attached to Miletus. Recent excavations revealed remains which showed that Didyma was not only a seat of an oracle but also the site of dense settlement. The research concerning the origins of the names of Didyma and Didymaion has been a subject of discussion. Along with several other myths, it was thought that the name Didymaion, which meant "twin temples", was related to Artemis, the twin sister of Apollo. However, as no definite evidence could be found, this theory also remains as a myth. The first excavations in Didyma were made in 1858. The area excavated was the Sacred Road. From the excavations, it was understood that the road was 16,5km long. The width of the road which was made of stone blocks, changed between 5 and 7 metres. On both sides of it were rows of shops, votive fountains, monumental tombs, baths, and the area for the cult of Artemis.