MILETOS
The Hometown of Olympic Games

Miletos, which had nearly 90 colonies, was one of the greatest and richest of all the Greek cities. It was the main trade center in Anatolia for a long time, and was also rich in culture; science, philosophy and architecture. The city was the home town of the famous philosophers of nature such as Thales, Aneximender, Aneximenes, Hekataios and also, the great city planner Hippodomus who was the first to try the grid city plan in Miletos. Also, we know that Miletos was known for athletics, very similar to the Olympic games. Moreover, the symbol of the Olympic games, the tripod with a fire, originates from the Lighthouse at the biggest harbor of Miletos. The Theater where St. Paul gave his emotional good-bye message to the elders of Ephesus, the Faustina Baths, The Harbour Monument and the Ilyas Bey Mosque are the highlights of the site.

DIDYMA
The Home of a God

Didyma was not a city but one of the three oracle places. It was a center of the cult of Apollo, the god of divination. Divination was always popular and Apollo Temple had been a very important place for the Paganist people until Christianity gave a fatal blow to paganism. Words are not enough to describe Apollo Temple because of its amazing dimensions. It measured 118 meters by 60 meters,which is slightly larger than a football field. There were 128 finely decorated columns, some of which are 19.50 meters high.

PRIENE
The Favorite Home of Alexander The Great

Priene has one of the best settings of any of the cities of the ancient world. It was established in 350 BC. Being ruled by the Ionians, Lydians and the Persians, the city eventually came under the domain of Alexander the Great. Priene was so beautiful that it became Alexander's favorite place to stay in Asia Minor. After 200 years of Pergamon Kingdom rule, it became first a Roman city and then a Byzantine city. Finally an earthquake and malaria became two major reasons for the end of the city's inhabitation. The IVth century BC Athena Temple, Parliamentary Building, Fish Market, The Theater and the city walls are the best remains to be seen in the city. .