The ancient city of Miletus has been inhabited since early history. After the Mycenaean and Achaean colonies, the city was inhabited during the Archaic, Classical, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Menteşe Principality and Ottoman periods respectively. During the Archaic Age, the city had a busy harbour and served as the capital of the Ionian Confederation. Following the recession of the sea, the harbour became dysfunctional, resulting in the city losing its significance. In 1261, Orhan Bey, one of the Menteşe Beys, had coins minted in his name in Miletus, and the city was renamed Palatia. Subsequently, the city was known as Balat. Balat remained a village settlement until the 1955 earthquake. The Miletus Museum is situated in the Ancient City of Miletus, near Balat Village in the Didim District of Aydın Province. The museum opened in 1973 and displays artefacts excavated from the ancient cities of Miletus, Didim, and Priene. The Miletus City section features exhibits on Minoan cuisine, ceramic vessels from Minoan and Mycenaean cultures, finds from the Aphrodite Sanctuary, and Hellenistic and Roman Kazartepe grave finds. The Didim City section displays brankhid and sphinxes, vessels from the Didim excavations, and finds from the Temple of Apollo. The Priene City section exhibits small finds from the Hellenistic Period and architectural fragments of the Temple of Athena. The middle hall showcases pots, terracotta figurines, bronze artefacts, glass, jewellery, and coins from the Ilyas Bey Complex. The museum garden is an open exhibition where large marble artefacts, inscriptions, sarcophagi, and architectural pieces are displayed.
MILETUS MUSEUM
