Miletus was a very important port during the Hellenic and Roman days from about 700 BC to 700 AD. Hard to imagine that now as due to sedimentation and the changing Meander River, it is about 10 miles from the coastline. Back in the day, a couple of thousand years ago, the Greeks built a magnificent theater that held 16,000 spectators overlooking the sea where ships docked. This was expanded by the Romans, who conquered the Ionian city, and converted the size to a 25,000 seat theater. Imagine the surprise of a sheep farmer who discovered this ancient theater while digging on his land. You can still see sheep grazing about the nearby ruins waiting to be excavated. Such a beautiful theater to visit during our shore excursion from Celebrity Cruises. Ahmet from Tura Turizm was the perfect guide. So interesting to learn how the theater was built, the origin of tragedies and comedies and how names were carved into the marble to mark seats for individuals. Climb the stairs to get a stunning view of the ancient theater. The acoustics are still quite good. You can hear conversations from the base of the theater fairly clearly even today. Sit where the emperor of Rome sat. Explore the portals. Examine the carvings and stonework. One of the best preserved ancient Hellenic/Roman theaters in Turkey. A beautiful archeological site to visit in Miletus. read more

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