Nation

Nation, former important port on the Aegean coast, today it is almost 8 km. As in the case of Priene, the gradual silting of the delta by the Grand Meander led to the collapse of the port, but unlike its neighbor, Miletus was in ancient times a very important economic and cultural center of the region. The ruins lie on a swampy one, wetland, which is difficult to penetrate in the winter and spring months, because simply in the world a city is under water (but then there are the best conditions for taking interesting photos). Miletus looks much better than Priene, if only that is why, that we have more ruins here in a more satisfactory condition. Besides, the city was a much more important cultural center, science and trade from Priene, making all the buildings more significant and beautiful. After all, Miletus was the most important city of the Ionian Union and it was from here that the colonists set out to the coast of the Black Sea or Egypt, to establish trading posts and harbors. This is where the famous Greek philosopher and mathematician Thales came from, and the no less famous Anaximander and Anaximenes. In Miletus also stayed briefly St. Paul.

The beginnings of settlement date back halfway 11 millennium BC, when the Mykene and the Minoans came to these areas, but they did not establish a specific city, but only a trading base with a large port. Newcomers from Anatolia settled here even earlier, which they replaced, murdering men and marrying their women; Ionian colonists first came here 1 millennium BC.

They were the founders of the city of Miletus. The colony was developing rapidly, ahead of other cities on the Aegean coast. It soon became an important commercial and cultural center in Asia Minor and a most important member, maybe even a founder, Ionian union. Miletus led the erupting village of 499 r. p.n.e. revolt against Persian rule. Unfortunately, it ended tragically for him, because after the lost sea battle the city was captured by the Persians and burned to the ground. Miletus was soon resettled and rebuilt, but another misfortune came in the form of the Persian king Xerxes, who destroyed the city again in 479 r. p.n.e. However, the refugees did not give up easily, they returned to the ruins and began to rebuild the city again, according to the plan of Hippodomus himself, which thus created the archetype used in city planning to this day. In this way, the Milesians did not inhabit randomly built houses, only set by specific, checkerboard plan.

For the following centuries, Miletus was the main element in the game between Persia and Athens, then Alexander the Great stayed here for some time. Then Miletus fell into the hands of the Romans, Byzantines and finally Turks. Only the river was something permanent, silting slowly, but effective, port and surroundings. At last, in the early Byzantine Empire, residents were forced to build a canal connecting the city with the sea. Then, as a result of constant invasions by Arabs and Turkmen tribes, the city fell into disrepair, and the residential district focused around the theater, where the. I say, simply called Palatia ("palace"). Eventually, Miletus was conquered by the Turks and the small village of Balat was built on this site, which took its name precisely from the Palatia. W XIV i XV w. Balata was one of the cities belonging to the emirate of Mentese, whose headquarters were near Milas.