← back to the atlas
Miletus
Miletus

📷 Wikimedia Commons · CC

Where in the world

Türkiye

The site

Miletus is an ancient Greek city on the western coast of Anatolia, near the mouth of the Maeander River in modern Turkey, renowned in antiquity for its wealth and maritime power. It founded dozens of colonies across the Mediterranean and Black Sea and gave rise to the Milesian school of philosophy, home to Thales, Anaximander and Anaximenes. Its ruins still show a distinctive grid plan and the nearby sanctuary of Apollo at Didyma.

Field notes

civilizations
Greek
types
City
built
1,100 BCE
occupied
1,100 BCE — 1,500 CE
country
Türkiye

See it in 3D

3D capture Reconstructed Model of Miletus Moshe Caine ↗

Notable finds

Renowned pieces unearthed at Miletus — and where they are today

Market Gate of Miletusportal
Market Gate of Miletusmarble · 220 CE▸Antikensammlung Berlin

Figures of this place

Laid to rest, born or died at Miletus

Thales✶
Thalesborn hereancient Greek philosopher and mathematician
Democritus✶
Democritusborn hereGreek philosopher (c. 460–c. 370 BC)
Anaximander✶
Anaximanderborn herepre-Socratic Greek philosopher
Anaximenes of Miletus✶
Anaximenes of Miletusborn hereGreek Ionian Pre-Socratic philosopher (c.586–c.526 BC)
Leucippus✶
Leucippusborn here5th-century BCE Greek philosopher
Aspasia✶
Aspasiaborn here5th-century BC partner of Athenian statesman Pericles
Isidore of Miletus✶
Isidore of Miletusborn hereByzantine Greek architect
Aristagoras✶
Aristagorasborn hereGreek tyrant of the Ionian city of Miletus (died 497/6 BC)

Chronicle

What happened at Miletus

  1. 411 BCEBattle of Milet
  2. 333 BCESiege of Miletus
  3. 200 BCEBattle of Lade

Nearby sites

Ephesus ~46 km
Ephesus Türkiye
Sardis ~126 km
Sardis Türkiye
Aphrodisias ~129 km
Aphrodisias Türkiye
Hierapolis ~169 km
Hierapolis Türkiye
Official site ↗