Priene, Miletus and Didyma are neighboring cities. Even in ancient times, the three regions were closely interrelated.What could be better than to visit the three fabled cities? On the following pages you will find moments and impressions of this fantastic ancient area.
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1. Priene, Miletus and Didyma are neighboring cities. Even in
ancient times, the three regions were closely interrelated. What
could be better than to visit the three fabled cit- ies? On the
following pages you will nd moments and impressions of this
fantastic ancient area. THE IDEA 1
2. PREFACE Hundreds of travel guide and travel accounts are
ooding the market. Printed or in electronic form, in part, very
extensive and detailed. But what if you are planning a short
vacation, or simply a round trip to and not nearly have the time to
work through hun- dreds of facts and details? All who wish to enjoy
the beauty of the region and the wonderful artwork this series of
books is dedicated to. The rst book deals with the Aegean Coast and
here in particular with the places Priene, Miletus and Didyma. 2
IDEE UND FOTOS RUDOLF J. STRUTZ
3. My books are illustrated companions indicating short and
concise history, region and the visual impressions. One or the
other tip in the region round the picture and help the reader to
gain a quick overview. The book can be experienced the best, using
an iPad, but there is also a version in Acrobat PDF le that has a
few limitations. If you have accepted the book on the iBookstore,
you will continuously re- ceive information from Apple, when in the
existing book changes oc- cur. Enjoy reading and exploring the
spectacular region of the Turkish Ae- gean, a journey that you can
take at any time. I look forward to your comments, suggestions and
comments. You can contact me either through my website:
jr-design.net using my email address [email protected]. A few
quick tips before you plunge into the matter: FOOTWEAR Remember
that the places described in this book are already several thousand
years old. The roads and sidewalks of yesteryear have be- come
rougher. As "standard visitor" you do not need hiking boots, but
your feet will be very grateful for your choice of a slightly more
stable shoe. RAIN-COVER If you visit the region in the winter,
meaning the more rain intense time, a rain protection - not
necessarily an umbrella - will be of great advantage. If you have a
camera, you should also remember to pro- tect this electronic
device from rain. DRINKS Don't forget to bring something to drink
along (water might be best), the roads are sometimes very difficult
and at a rest stop on a stone, you could treat yourself to a drink
from the bottle brought. GARBAGE It is understood that no garbage
should remind others of your visit. Even cigarette butts are trash!
ANIMALS In Turkey there are anywhere where tourists are traveling
many dogs and even more cats. Please remember whilst feeding these
animals, they are not necessarily cuddly toys. NO CLIMBING If you
visit a theater, you can of course go up into the highest ranks.
Caution should be exercised, because the stones could partly be
slippery and the spectator areas are relatively steep. That the
stairs have suffered a bit un- der the test of time, you will also
real- ize. In no case, however, you should climb on statues or
houses that can eas- ily go into the eye. RESTROOMS In most
archaeological sites, near the entrance there is either a pub- lic
restroom or a pub with a restroom. Dont forget the small change! In
the ancient places themselves are no toilets, so please think about
it in any way. 3
4. This historical map shows the wealth of mystical sites of
antiquity. Travelers to this mysterious region are easily falling
into dreams. Go with open eyes, and especially with an open mind on
the trip and let you inspire by the impres- sions. THE REGION
2
5. PRIENE - MILET - DIDYMA From Izmir, the third largest city
of Turkey, these three historic sites are easily accessible in a
day. The route from Izmir to the rst station Priene is about 130 km
long GOOGLE MAPS - INTERNET LINKS 5 Entire Route Asian Minor Map
Priene - Milet - Didyma
6. PRIENE Our journey begins in the ancient city of Priene,
which lies in the mountainous environment of Mycale Mountains.
INTERNET LINKS 6 Izmir - Priene Priene
7. MILET Along a mountain ridge, on which there is a national
park, it goes be- yond the meandering alluvial land to Miletus.
GOOGLE MAPS - INTERNET LINKS 7 MiletPriene - Milet
8. DIDYMA A few kilometers away in Didyma, lies the very
impressive Temple of Apollo, which is under the management of
Miletus. GOOGLE MAPS - INTERNET LINKS These links will only work if
your device is connected to the Internet. The links will open its
own window outside of this book! Double-click on the start button
of the iPad and you can return to the book. 8 DidymaMilet -
Didyma
9. 9
10. Priene is located in the north of Miletus on the moun-
tainous peninsula of Mycale. The steep mountain is up to 1,265m
high. The rugged rising Mykale mountains poses because of its steep
slopes and difcult passages are still holding some secrets from
ancient times. PRIENE 3
11. FIRST IMPRESSIONS It is not known exactly where the rst
settlement of Priene lies. It is clear that Priene was part of the
Ionian cities and fullled the role as protector of the federal
sanctuary Panionion. The Panionion lies north of Priene in Mykale
Mountains on a sea level of about 750 meters. Discovered was that
famous and often mentioned sanctuary in 2004 by German
archaeologists. 11
12. THE 7 SAGES OF GREECE Thales of Milet Pittakos of Mytilene
Bias of Priene Solon of Athen Kleobulos of Lindos Myson of Chenai
(or Chen) Chilon of Sparta According to Platon's Protagoras (343a).
Bias of Priene lived about 590-530 BC and at that time, he was a
leading gure in Priene. He enjoyed a high reputation and was very
elo- quent and persuasive. As Thales of Miletus belonged to Bias of
Priene xed canon of the Seven Sages of Greece. One of his key
phrases was "the best de- mocracy is one in which all fear the law
as a ty- rant." There are many legends about bias: for examp- le he
chased two fatted mules through the camp of the Lydians, who
besieged the city, so they drew the conclusion that Priene had
great reserves of food. He also stacked piles of sand that he
covered with grain. The enemy scouts assumed that these are
enormous food supp- lies. A peace treaty with King Alyattes, who
besie- ged the city, was the result. 12
13. THE ATHENA TEMPLE One of the few buildings of antiquity
from which the name of the architect has been recorded: Pytheos
(also Pythis) lived about 390 BC and was a Greek sculptor and
architect. Among other things, he built next to the temple of
Athena also the Mausoleion of Halikamass and inuenced the entire
Ionic temple architecture. The model created by Pytheos considered
especially the organi- zation and the proportion of the structures
was hence on used as a blue print for future buildings. 13
14. Priene can look back on a very exciting, warlike and
cunning history. It was also part of the Ionian Cities and Towns.
The city-state covered an area of about 400 square kilometers, the
actual urban area accounted for about 37 hectares, of which only 15
hectares were cultivated. The re- maining area offered in the case
of sieges surrounding population refuge. A city wall with three
gates protected the city. On the 300 m high hill behind the Athena
Temple there was the Acropolis. As Priene was newly established in
the 3rd Century BC, despite the steep hillside they realized a
rectangular street pattern. This form of urban development has been
de- scribed as hippodamian. Priene is a good example of how a mid-
sized urban regular Polis looked. The city- state had about 5,000
inhabitants, it was never of particular political or historical im-
portance, but there is lots of evidence of brisk trade operations.
14
15. THE AGORA The Agora of Priene was an open meeting area for
all residents of the city. Here, festivals and events were held; it
was the social center of the city. In addition to the Agora was the
Bouleuterion, which is similar to our present parliament. The Greek
writer, historian and geogra- pher Pausanias (about 115 to 180 AD.)
Called the Agora of Pri- ene "as a typical example of an ionic
Agora". Built in the 3rd Cen- tury BC. It was created in a
horseshoe shape. 15
16. CITY CENTRE The Agora was the administrative and social
meeting point and the centre of the the Polis. Places like the
Agora could be found in every hellenistic City. East and west of
the Agora was supported by 18 columns and in the south 30 columns
were the conclusion. Around the Agora, there were administrative
buildings, the Bouleuterion - this was the meet- ing place of the
Bule, the Council of the City - and next to the Prytaneion, (we
would call today a seat of government). In Prytaneion the holy re
of Hestia, goddess of the hearth, burned. The central altar was 6.2
m long and 5.15 m high, and dedicated to the god Hermes. The "small
Agora" on the left side was the market- place, as evidenced by
excavations that brought to light many objects, which can be close
to the products offered. 16
17. THE THEATER The Theater of Priene has excellent acoustics
and because of the capacity of 6,500 visitors, all inhabitants of
Priene could go to there at the same time. The seats of the
spectators were built directly into the hillside. It formed three
sections. As protection for the scorching summer sun postholes in
the stones are embedded. In the middle of the fth row was the
"Royal Box", which, however, was not part of the original
construction. 17
18. IONIC THEATER The typical Ionic Theater was a
horseshoe-shaped open-air thea- ter, which mostly used the natural
environment e.g. a slope. The stage was formed initially with a
wooden stage area, where the actors acted. Scenes and backdrops
were located be- tween the columns of Prokerions. A - Thymle
(altar-shaped elevation on which the choir leaders conducted) B -
Prohedrie (seats of dignitaries) C - Diazomata (wide steps, the
seats are di- vided into ranks) D - Klimakes (steps and stairs) E -
Paradoi (lateral Visitor Arrivals) F - Analemmata (outside walls of
the Tribune) G - Kerkides (wedge-shaped box) H - Scene (stage area)
I - Proskerion (front stage) J - Pinakes (space within the pillars
of Proskerion) K - Orchestra (circular of the stage, playing area
for Orchestra and Cast) 18 A B C D E F G H I J K
19. Miletus (Turkish: Milet) suffered the same fate as many
other cities of the Aegean. Because of 4 ports Miletus, once an
economically important city, but because of the ongoing siltation
over the centuries by the river me- anders (Turkish: Byk Menderes)
Milet is far inland to- day. MILETUS 4
20. FIRST IMPRESSIONS Arriving at Miletus one is immediately
struck by the huge plant with the open theater. You can see how the
theater served over time as a fortress, which simply, like a
penthouse was built on top of the existing building. 20
21. NEW YORK ANTIQUTITY Creating modern cities, as for e-
xample New York, has its roots in the historical walls of Miletus
Also in geometry, one is constantly reminded of Miletus. Today we
think about after recycling of building materials, already
thousands of years ago, this was common. But not only was recycling
long before our era, in the Aegean already common, especially in
Mi- letus impressive developments took place, they are valid up to
the present time, valid and in use: Hippodamus of Miletus lived in
the 5th Century BC and was the founder of "Hippodamian sys- tem".
Isidore of Miletus was one of the co-architects of the Hagia
Sophia. Thales of Millet, a merchant, who acquired great knowledge
in geometry. He was one of the Seven Sages of Greece 21
22. THE THEATER Looking through the entrance arch of the
theater of Miletus. In the background, the reborn caravanserai,
which invites you to stop by today. 22
23. The impressive theater of Miletus shows which important
value art (and communica- tion) had in the ancient world.
Particularly noteworthy are the many well- preserved reliefs. The
theater had a capacity of about 25,000 visitors. The Roman Emperor
Trajan built the theater in the year 100. The Byzantine added a
special feature in 7th and 8 Century; they built a fort over the
theater. From that time, the theater was used mostly as a fortied
shelter for the inhabitants of Miletus. 23 THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES
The Book of Acts (# 20) tells us that the Apostle Paul has held a
farewell speech at Miletus. He attended Miletus on his last journey
to Jerusalem. The story goes on to say that he sent for the
Ephesian elders about to an- nounce to them his martyrdom.
24. THE INNER CITY Because of the high water table and during
heavy rains, the cen- ter of the city of Miletus is unfortunately
not passable. But from the hill behind the theater, you can see the
impressive silhouette of the former economic hub. 24
25. Although a large part of Miletus is in the winter months
under water, Miletus is de- nitely worth a visit. The area around
the city center is used mostly for agriculture and there are also
no excavations. 25 IONIAN LEAGUE According to Herodotus, the Ionian
League wasfound in the 7thCentury BC, it includ- ed12 cities
andislands: Phocaea Clazomenae Erythrai Teos Lebedos Colophon
Ephesus Priene Miletus Myus Chios Samos Allegedlythere wasalso a
13thCity, Meli- tain the covenant,butbecause of thearro- ganceof
its citizens, Melita was againruled outandreplaced withSmyrna.
26. FAUSTINA BATH The Faustina baths are among the most
important buildings of Mil- let. The baths were of the Roman Empire
through to the Byzantine era in use. 26
27. The Faustian Thermal Bath located in the center of the
ancient city complex, be- tween the stadium and the south market.
There were no hot springs, the bath had to be heated by re all year
round. The particular degree of preservation of the buildings show
impressively how people eased up in the ancient world. The high
number of sculptures shows how the public spaces were designed and
em- bellished. As with many ancient excavations the origi- nals
usually are not to be seen, where they actually were found. They
are in many mu- seums around the world. Particularly many found
objects of Miletus found are in Berlin now. 27 ONE TIP Right next
to the cara- vanserai freshly squee- zed pomegranate juice is sold.
In Greek mythology, the pomegranate has been attributed to the gods
of the underworld, Hades and Perse- phone. So do not drink too
much, otherwi- se the gods might take revenge.
28. The ancient sanctuary Didyma houses an important oracle of
Apollo. The Hellenistic Temple of Apollo in size only surpassed in
Greece by the temple of Hera in the Heraion of Samos and the Temple
of Artemis at Ephesus. The Temple of Apollo is one of the best pre-
served of the ancient sanctuaries. DIDYMA 5
29. FIRST IMPRESSIONS Overwhelmed by the huge proportions of
the Apollo Temple, one of the most important Hellenistic
sanctuaries, one enters the exca- vation site of Didyma. Visitors
are only aware of the true dimensions of the huge pillars, when
they stand in front of one of the monuments. The cities of Didyma
and Miletus were connected with the "Sa- cred Way". This paved and
with statues decorated procession route was 16.2 km long.
Unfortunately, today only a few remnants of this magnicent street
are visible. 29
30. The Apollo temple of Didyma is built in the Ionic style.
The columns - there were 122 pieces - were both 19.7 m high and
have a diameter of 1.96 m. Although 600 years was built on the tem-
ple, it was never nished. On the walls there are still carved in
marble slips, suggesting that for a column 40,000 drachmas were
paid wages, which is about USD 200,000. At 122 columns you can
guess how important this building must have been. 30 ... AND WHO
WAS APOLLO? Apollo was the son of Zeus and Leto. He was a twin
brother of Artemis and is one of the supreme gods of antiquity. He
was the main god of prophetic predic- tions, the arts, music and
the patron saint of medicine.
31. RELIEFS - MEDUSAS HEAD Didyma was with Delphi, Dodona and
Claros of the most impor- tant Greek oracles. Located at the end of
over 12 km long Sacred Way, Didyma was an extremely rened and
elegant place, the center was the enor- mous Temple of Apollo.
31
32. The numerous reliefs and statues testify the importance of
this holy place. The sculptures were the completion of the 122
Ionic columns. Above the architrave an elaborate frieze of foliage,
gures of lions and medusa heads was created. Because the
construction of the Hellenistic homage plant began about 330 BC, it
is of- ten associated with the visit of Alexander the Great at
Miletus in 334 BC. The Milesian builders and architects Daph- nis
of Miletus and Painios of Ephesus per- formed the design of the
temple. The Temple was under construction until 200 AD, but it was
never completed. 32
33. THE ORACLE Visitors enter the temple over 14 steps. The
temple base, called the Pronaos, impressed by 12 columns and ornate
walls. The Temple of Apollo was in his time a very sophisticated
and ele- gant place. The oracle had a very important role in the
ancient world and a lot of very important decisions based on the
sayings that came from the oracle priests. The oracle could only be
entered through two tunnel corridors. 33
34. THE NAME DIDYMA The origin of the name Didyma is disputed;
either it comes from the Kara or the Greek (didymos means "twin",
it could be meant Apollo and Artemis). On the back there are three
doors. The door in the middle is about 6.5 m wide and 14 m high.
Here was the oracle. Only the chosen ones the, like the priests
love to call themselves, understood and interpreted the encrypted
sounds of the oracle. The priests used to apply similar techniques
as in tricks of our times, in which magicians "are guessing"
information about visitors. Unlike to- day, where this art is for
enjoyment, at that time especially before any important decisions
the oracle was asked, and therefore had an over- whelming inuence
on the events of Asia Minor. The exact sequence of oracle
ceremonies has unfortunately not been documented; the priests
created the verses of the oracles themselves. The Oracle was still
very popular in the 1st and second Century. 34
35. TODAYS DIDYMA Over the ruins of antiquity are ruins of the
now. Many residents started to settle down right on the excavation
site, these settle- ments were dissolved now and again forfeited
thus also slow. 35
36. To reach Apollo's Temple you can either use a beautiful
promenade, which is lined with a several shops. Alternatively there
is street a few meters on the right, and walk past the 'new' ruins.
Didyma is always worth a visit. You simply have to take the time
and espe- cially around the temple go to e.g. see on the back of
the fallen columns and thus to obtain an insight how these blocks
were as- sembled. To search the area with open eyes is also pays
off, because you can see the ne de- tail of the sculptures and
marbles state- ments closely. 36
37. The two rivers - the Large and Small Meander - Turkish they
are called the Menderes rivers, ow through west- ern Turkey. They
stand responsible for many of the ancient ports today are far
inland and the islands come steadily closer to the mainland.
MEANDER 6
38. THE CURVES OF THE MEANDERS Large meander (Byk Menderes) 550
km length Small Meander (Kk Menderes) 200 km length GOOGLE MAPS -
INTERNET LINKS 38 The Rivers Wikimedia Map
39. The Great Meander rises in the mountains of Phrygia and ows
near the ancient city of Miletus in the Aegean Sea. The Little
Meander ows parallel to the lower reaches of the Great Meander,
about 30 km north. The river rises about 2,000 m east of the Boz Da
and ows in the city of Ephesus in the Aegean Sea. The two rivers
provide the high percentage of suspended solids that the mouths are
in- creasingly silted. The winding course of the meander has be-
come proverbial, and rivers, which have a similar course called
"meandering". The map shows how the sea has silted up over the
centuries more and once thriving port cities are now found far
inland. 39
40. Here you will nd a collection of photographs from the
region Priene, Miletus and Didyma. More information about our
cultural heritage in the Ae- gean Sea you'll nd on the Internet -
or simply make the tour of the impressions themselves and
experience on site. PLANET AEGEAN 7
41. PRIENE The area in which Priene lies is very hilly and the
city-state was still applied geometrically precise 41
42. MILETUS The environment of Miletus is used for agriculture.
In the wet season and after heavy rain, the center of Miletus is
usually ooded. 42
43. FINE STONES In the courtyard of the temple of Apollo, in
the oracle, one can make the conclusion of stones and bead- ing a
picture. The high-quality work to show how important the people in
ancient times this place was. 43
44. Quite contrary to the arduous journeys of antiquity it is
now very comfortable and safe to travel on the very good Turkish
road-network, using modern buses. When traveling to ancient sites,
it is very useful if you have an understanding and knowledgeable
guide (which talks a language you understand) CONCLUSION 8
45. PLANNING NEVER FAILS Unlike pure bath vacations, is a
journey into the Aegean Sea, with the purpose to visit the ancient
sites, something very special. If you plan your journey ahead, you
have more fun and will better understand the places and just get a
deeper insight into the his- tory of the Aegean. 45
46. 2013 Copyright JR-Design & Rudolf J. Strutz All
material in this book may be not being repro- duced without prior
written permission from the author . COPYRIGHT 46
47. RESOURCES Photographs and texts Rudolf Strutz -
jr-design.net Miletus Bay Evolutions, Siliting Map Wikimedia
Commons Map of Asia Minor Wikimedia Commons Maps and Satellite
Images Google Maps & Google Earth INTERNET LINKS If you want to
use the links in this book, your device must be connected to the
Internet. The links are used primarily to that you do not have to
search each location on the map, but just get a button there. MORE
BOOKS BY RUDOLF J. STRUTZ 47 Streetlife Vienna #1 Reections All
books free of Charge on the iBookstore, btw. there is also a german
version of this book avail- able in the iBookstore.