Priene Archaeological Site

Priene stands near Güllübahçe in Aydın province, and the German Archaeological Institute still excavates and studies it. The settlement goes back to the 2nd millennium BC, though what we know about its first foundation is still largely assumption. In the Hellenistic period it passed between the Ptolemaic and Seleucid kingdoms and Pergamon. After the death of Attalus II in 133 BC it joined Rome by his will. In Byzantine times it was a bishopric, and then was abandoned for good.

What makes Priene special is its plan. It is often called the finest example of ancient town planning: the streets follow the grid system developed by the Milesian architect Hippodamos, and because the ground slopes, the side streets, mostly about 3.5 metres wide, are stepped. Public buildings stand on terraces above.

The Athena Sanctuary is entered through a monumental gate, with an altar of the 2nd century BC and the temple beyond, where only the base of the cult statue survives. The architect Pytheos designed it using a single module for every measurement, a new idea in temple building. The theatre is the only one in western Anatolia that did not receive major additions in Roman times, and the altar of Dionysus still stands there.