Milas is a municipality and

district A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municip ...

Muğla Province Muğla Province (, ) is a Provinces of Turkey, province and Metropolitan municipalities in Turkey, metropolitan municipality of Turkey, at the country's southwestern corner, on the Aegean Sea. Its area is 12,654 km2, and its population is 1 ...

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

. Its area is 2,067 km², and its population is 147,416 (2022). The city commands a region with an active economy and is very rich in history and ancient remains, the territory of Milas containing a remarkable twenty-seven

archaeological Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of Artifact (archaeology), artifacts, architecture, biofact (archaeology), biofacts or ecofacts, ...

sites of note. The city was the first capital of ancient

Caria Caria (; from Greek language, Greek: Καρία, ''Karia''; ) was a region of western Anatolia extending along the coast from mid-Ionia (Mycale) south to Lycia and east to Phrygia. The Carians were described by Herodotus as being Anatolian main ...

and of the

Anatolian beylik Anatolian or anatolica may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the region Anatolia * Ancient Anatolians, Anatolians, ancient Indo-European peoples who spoke the Anatolian languages * Anatolian High School, a type of Turkish educational in ...

of Menteşe in

mediaeval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and t ...

times. The nearby Mausoleum of Hecatomnus is classified as a tentative

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

World Heritage Site. Milas is focused on

agricultural Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created f ...

and aquacultural processing, related industrial activities, services, transportation (particularly since the opening of

Milas–Bodrum Airport Milas–Bodrum Airport is an international airport that serves the Turkey, Turkish towns of Bodrum and Milas. The airport is situated northeast of the town of Bodrum, and south of Milas. Airlines and destinations Traffic statistics ...

tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the Commerce, commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. World Tourism Organization, UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as ...

and culture. The centre lies about 20 km from the coast and is closer to the airport than

Bodrum Bodrum () is a town and district of Muğla Province, Turkey. About 200 thousand people live in the district, which covers 650 km2 and includes the town. It is a port town at the entrance to the Gulf of Gökova. Known in ancient times as Hal ...

itself, with many late arrival passengers of the high season increasingly opting to stay in Milas rather than in Bodrum where accommodation is likely to be difficult to find. Milas district has a total coastline length of 150 km, both to the north-west in the Gulf of Güllük and to the south along the

Gulf of Gökova Gulf of Gökova () or Gulf of Kerme (; ; , ; or Gulf of Cos), is a long (100 km), narrow gulf of the Aegean Sea between Bodrum and Datça peninsulas in south-west Turkey. Administratively, the Gulf of Gökova coastline includes portions o ...

, and to these should be added the shores of Lake Bafa in the north divided between the district area of Milas and that of

Aydın Aydın ( ''EYE-din''; ; formerly named ''Güzelhisar; Greek: Τράλλεις)'' is a city in and the seat of Aydın Province in Turkey's Aegean Region. The city is located at the heart of the lower valley of Büyük Menderes River (ancient ...

district of Söke. Along with the province seat of

Muğla Muğla () is a city in southwestern Turkey. The city is the center of the district of Menteşe, Muğla, Menteşe and Muğla Province, which stretches along Turkey's Aegean Sea, Aegean coast. Muğla's center is situated inland at an altitude of ...

and the province's southernmost district of

Fethiye Fethiye () is a municipality and Districts of Turkey, district of Muğla Province, Turkey. Its area is 875 km2, and its population is 177,702 (2022). It is one of the prominent tourist destinations in the Turkish Riviera. It was formerly k ...

, Milas is among the prominent settlements of south-west Turkey, these three centers being on a par with each other in terms of all-year population and the area their depending districts cover. Milas center is situated on a fertile plain at the foot of Mount Sodra, on and around which sizable quarries of white

marble Marble is a metamorphic rock consisting of carbonate minerals (most commonly calcite (CaCO3) or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2) that have recrystallized under the influence of heat and pressure. It has a crystalline texture, and is ty ...

are found and have been used since very ancient times.

Etymology

The name ''Mylasa'' ((), with the old

Anatolia Anatolia (), also known as Asia Minor, is a peninsula in West Asia that makes up the majority of the land area of Turkey. It is the westernmost protrusion of Asia and is geographically bounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the south, the Aegean ...

n ending in -asa is evidence of very early foundation. On the basis of the ''-mil'' syllable found also in the name the

Lycians Lycians () is the name of various peoples who lived, at different times, in Lycia, a geopolitical area in Anatolia (also known as Asia Minor). History The earliest known inhabitants of the area were the ''Solymoi'' (or ''Solymi''), also kn ...

called themselves ''Trmili'', a theory connects the name of Mylasa with the passage of the Lycians from

Miletus Miletus (Ancient Greek: Μίλητος, Mílētos) was an influential ancient Greek city on the western coast of Anatolia, near the mouth of the Maeander River in present day Turkey. Renowned in antiquity for its wealth, maritime power, and ex ...

, also claimed to be a Lycian foundation under the name Millawanda by Ephorus, to their final home in the south. But there is nothing else to suggest a Lycian origin for the name Mylasa.

Stephanus of Byzantium Stephanus or Stephen of Byzantium (; , ''Stéphanos Byzántios''; centuryAD) was a Byzantine grammarian and the author of an important geographical dictionary entitled ''Ethnica'' (). Only meagre fragments of the dictionary survive, but the epit ...

in his ''Ethnica'' says that the city took its name from a certain Mylasus, son of

Chrysaor In Greek mythology, Chrysaor (, gen. ), "he who has a golden sword" (from "golden" and "sword"]) was the brother of the winged horse Pegasus, often depicted as a young man, the son of Poseidon and Medusa, born when Perseus decapitated the Gorg ...

and a descendant of

Sisyphus In Greek mythology, Sisyphus or Sisyphos (; Ancient Greek: Σίσυφος ''Sísyphos'') was the founder and king of Ancient Corinth, Ephyra (now known as Corinth). He reveals Zeus's abduction of Aegina (mythology), Aegina to the river god As ...

and Aeolus, an explanation some sources deem unsubstantial for a Carian city.

History

Zeus Labraundos Temple on a Roman coin of Geta from Mylasa

Iron Age

The city's earliest historical mention is at the beginning of the 7th century BC, when a Carian leader from Mylasa by name Arselis is recorded to have helped Gyges of Lydia in his contest for the Lydian throne. The same episode is at the origin of the accounts surrounding the beginning of the cult for and the erection of the statue of Labrandean Zeus in the neighboring sanctuary of

Labranda Labraunda ( ''Labranda'' or Λάβραυνδα ''Labraunda'') is an ancient archaeological site five kilometers west of Ortaköy, Muğla Province, Turkey, in the mountains near the coast of Caria. In ancient times, it was held sacred by Carians ...

, held sacred by peoples across western Anatolia, with the statue holding the

labrys ''Labrys'' () is, according to Plutarch (''Quaestiones Graecae'' 2.302a), the Lydian language, Lydian word for the Axe#Components, double-bitted axe. In Greek it was called (''pélekys''). The plural of ''labrys'' is ''labryes'' (). Etymology ...

brought over by Arselis from

Lydia Lydia (; ) was an Iron Age Monarchy, kingdom situated in western Anatolia, in modern-day Turkey. Later, it became an important province of the Achaemenid Empire and then the Roman Empire. Its capital was Sardis. At some point before 800 BC, ...

. Labrandean Zeus (''sometimes also named "Zeus Stratios"'') was one of the three deities proper to Mylasa, all named Zeus but each bearing indigenous characteristics. Of these, the cult of Zeus Carius (''Carian Zeus'') was also notable in being exclusively reserved, aside from the Carians, to their Lydian and

Mysian Mysians (; , ''Mysoí'') were the inhabitants of Mysia, a region in northwestern Asia Minor. Origins according to ancient authors Their first mention is by Homer, in his list of Troy, Trojans allies in the Iliad, and according to whom the Mysia ...

kinsmen. One of the finest temples was also the one dedicated to Zeus Osogoa (originally, just ''Osogoa''), Milas_Museum_4987

Persian period

Under

Achaemenid The Achaemenid Empire or Achaemenian Empire, also known as the Persian Empire or First Persian Empire (; , , ), was an Iranian empire founded by Cyrus the Great of the Achaemenid dynasty in 550 BC. Based in modern-day Iran, it was the large ...

rule Mylasa was the chief city of Caria. A ruler appointed by the Persian Emperor (

satrap A satrap () was a governor of the provinces of the ancient Median kingdom, Median and Achaemenid Empire, Persian (Achaemenid) Empires and in several of their successors, such as in the Sasanian Empire and the Hellenistic period, Hellenistic empi ...

) ruled the city in varying degrees of allegiance to the emperor.

Lygdamid dynasty

The first dynasty of rulers under the Achaemenid Empire was the Lygdamid dynasty (520-450 BCE). Between 460-450 BC, Mylasa was a regionally prominent member of the

Delian League The Delian League was a confederacy of Polis, Greek city-states, numbering between 150 and 330, founded in 478 BC under the leadership (hegemony) of Classical Athens, Athens, whose purpose was to continue fighting the Achaemenid Empire, Persian ...

, like most Carian cities, but the Persian rule was restored towards the end of the same century.

Hecatomnid dynasty

The Hecatomnids, the dynasty founded by Hecatomnus, were officially

s of the

Persian Empire The Achaemenid Empire or Achaemenian Empire, also known as the Persian Empire or First Persian Empire (; , , ), was an Iranian empire founded by Cyrus the Great of the Achaemenid dynasty in 550 BC. Based in modern-day Iran, it was the larg ...

but Greek in language and culture, as their inscriptions and coins witness. Mylasa was their capital and the mausoleum of Hecatomnus can still be seen today which served as an architectural precedent from which the later mausolea of the dynasty developed. During the long and striking reign of

Mausolus Mausolus ( or , ''Mauśoλ'') was a ruler of Caria (377–353 Common Era, BCE) and a satrap of the Achaemenid Empire. He enjoyed the status of king or dynast by virtue of the powerful position created by his father Hecatomnus ( ), who was the fi ...

, they became virtual rulers of

and of a sizable surrounding region between 377-352 BC. During Mausolus's reign the capital was moved to

Halicarnassus Halicarnassus ( ; Latin: ''Halicarnassus'' or ''Halicarnāsus''; ''Halikarnāssós''; ; Carian language, Carian: 𐊠𐊣𐊫𐊰 𐊴𐊠𐊥𐊵𐊫𐊰 ''alos k̂arnos'') was an ancient Greece, ancient Greek city in Caria, in Anatolia.

, but Mylasa retained its importance. Mausolus was the builder of the famous Ancient Wonder of the World, the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus.

Roman period

In 40 BCE Mylasa suffered great damage when it was taken by Labienus in the

Roman Civil War This list of Roman civil wars and revolts includes civil wars and organized civil disorder, revolts, and rebellions in ancient Rome (Roman Kingdom, Roman Republic, and Roman Empire) until the fall of the Western Roman Empire (753 BC – AD 476). ...

. In the Greco-Roman period, though the city was contested among the successors of Alexander, it enjoyed a season of brilliant prosperity, and the three neighbouring towns of Euromus, Olymos and

were included within its limits. Mylasa is frequently mentioned by ancient writers. At the time of Strabo (the first century BCE), the city boasted two remarkable orators, Euthydemos (in Greek Εὐθύδημος) and Hybreas (Ὑβρέας), whose relationship gave rise to the adage "necessary evil". Euthydemos and Hybreas were antagonistic politicians, and when Euthydemos died, Hybreas spoke at his funeral, where he noted, ”You are a necessary evil: we can live neither with you nor without you." Various inscriptions tell us that the

Phrygia In classical antiquity, Phrygia ( ; , ''Phrygía'') was a kingdom in the west-central part of Anatolia, in what is now Asian Turkey, centered on the Sangarios River. Stories of the heroic age of Greek mythology tell of several legendary Ph ...

n cults were represented here by the worship of Sabazios; the Egyptian, by that of

Isis Isis was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. Isis was first mentioned in the Old Kingdom () as one of the main characters of the Osiris myth, in which she resurrects her sla ...

and

Osiris Osiris (, from Egyptian ''wikt:wsjr, wsjr'') was the ancient Egyptian deities, god of fertility, agriculture, the Ancient Egyptian religion#Afterlife, afterlife, the dead, resurrection, life, and vegetation in ancient Egyptian religion. He was ...

. There was also a temple of

Nemesis In ancient Greek religion and myth, Nemesis (; ) also called Rhamnousia (or Rhamnusia; ), was the goddess who personified retribution for the sin of hubris: arrogance before the gods. Etymology The name ''Nemesis'' is derived from the Greek ...

. An inscription from Mylasa provided one of the few certain data about the life of Cornelius Tacitus, identifying him as governor of

Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...

in 112-13.

Christian era

Among the ancient

bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

s of Mylasa was

Saint Ephrem Ephrem the Syrian (; ), also known as Ephraem the Deacon, Ephrem of Edessa or Aprem of Nisibis, (Syriac: ܡܪܝ ܐܦܪܝܡ ܣܘܪܝܝܐ — ''Mâr Aphrêm Sûryâyâ)'' was a prominent Christian theology, Christian theologian and Christian literat ...

(fifth century), whose feast was kept on January 23, and whose relics were venerated in neighbouring city of Leuke. Cyril and his successor, Paul, are mentioned by Nicephorus Callistus and in the ''Life of Saint Xene''.

Michel Le Quien Michel Le Quien (8 October 1661, Boulogne-sur-Mer – 12 March 1733, Paris) was a French historian and theologian. Biography Le Quien studied at , Paris, and at twenty entered the Dominican convent in Faubourg Saint-Germain, where he made ...

mentioned the names of three other bishops, and since his time the inscriptions discovered refer to two others, one anonymous, the other named Basil, who built a church in honour of

Saint Stephen Stephen (; ) is traditionally venerated as the protomartyr or first martyr of Christianity."St ...

. The Saint Xene referred to above was a Roman noblewoman who, to escape the marriage which her parents wished to force upon her, donned male attire, left her country, changed her name from Eusebia to Xene ("stranger"), and lived first on the island of Cos, then at Mylasa. Since the

Fourth Crusade The Fourth Crusade (1202–1204) was a Latin Christian armed expedition called by Pope Innocent III. The stated intent of the expedition was to recapture the Muslim-controlled city of Jerusalem, by first defeating the powerful Egyptian Ayyubid S ...

, Mylasa has remained a

titular see A titular see in various churches is an episcopal see of a former diocese that no longer functions, sometimes called a "dead diocese". The ordinary or hierarch of such a see may be styled a "titular metropolitan" (highest rank), "titular archbi ...

of the

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

, ''Mylasensis''; the seat has been vacant since the death of the last bishop in 1966.

Turkish era

Beys of Menteşe

Milas and the surrounding region (the Byzantine

theme Theme or themes may refer to: * Theme (Byzantine district), an administrative district in the Byzantine Empire governed by a Strategos * Theme (computing), a custom graphical appearance for certain software. * Theme (linguistics), topic * Theme ( ...

of Mylasa and Melanoudion) was taken over by the Turks under the command of Menteşe Bey in the late thirteenth century, who gave his name to the beylik ( Menteşe) that established its capital in the city. The administrative center of his descendants was the castle of Beçin located in the contemporary dependant township of the same name at a distance of from Milas and which was easier to defend.

Ottoman rule

Milas, together with the entire

Bey Bey, also spelled as Baig, Bayg, Beigh, Beig, Bek, Baeg, Begh, or Beg, is a Turkic title for a chieftain, and a royal, aristocratic title traditionally applied to people with special lineages to the leaders or rulers of variously sized areas in ...

lik of Menteşe was taken over by the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

in 1390. However, just twelve years later,

Tamerlane Timur, also known as Tamerlane (1320s17/18 February 1405), was a Turco-Mongol tradition, Turco-Mongol conqueror who founded the Timurid Empire in and around modern-day Afghanistan, Iran, and Central Asia, becoming the first ruler of the Timuri ...

and his forces overcame the Ottomans in the Battle of Ankara, and returned control of this region to its former rulers, the Menteşe

s, as he did for other

Anatolian beyliks Anatolian beyliks (, Ottoman Turkish: ''Tavâif-i mülûk'', ''Beylik''; ) were Turkish principalities (or petty kingdoms) in Anatolia governed by ''beys'', the first of which were founded at the end of the 11th century. A second and more exte ...

. Milas was brought back under Ottoman control, this time in 1420 by the Sultan

Mehmed I Mehmed I (; – 26 May 1421), also known as Mehmed Çelebi (, "the noble-born") or ''Kirişçi'' (, "lord's son"), was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1413 to 1421. Son of Sultan Bayezid I and his concubine Devlet Hatun, he fought with hi ...

. One of the first acts of the Ottomans was to transfer the regional administrative seat to

. From 1867 until 1922, Milas was part of the Aidin Vilayet of the

. At the turn of the twentieth century, according to 1912 figures, Milas' urban center had a population of 9,000, of whom some 2,900 were

Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...

, a thousand or so

Jew Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, religion, and community are highly inte ...

ish, and the remaining majority were Turkish. The Greeks of Milas were exchanged with Turks living in

Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...

under the 1923 agreement for the exchange of Greek and Turkish populations between the two countries, while the sizable Jewish community remained as a presence till the 1950s, at which time they emigrated to

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

; Jews formerly of Milas still visit frequently to this day.

Climate

Milas has a

hot-summer Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate ( ), also called a dry summer climate, described by Köppen and Trewartha as ''Cs'', is a temperate climate type that occurs in the lower mid-latitudes (normally 30 to 44 north and south latitude). Such climates typic ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

: ''Csa''), with very hot, dry summers and mild, rainy winters.

Sights of interest

The Mausoleum of Hecatomnus was discovered in 2010 when men were arrested for illegal digging for antiquities. A marble sarcophagus and numerous frescoes were discovered in the tomb, although it was believed many relics had already been taken from the tomb and sold on the black market. Recently a golden crown from the tomb has been identified and agreed to be returned to Turkey. The tomb is very important for understanding of Carian art and craftsmanship as it was built by their best architects and sculptors and was a predecessor of the magnificent Mausoleum at Halicarnassus. The walls surrounding the ''

temenos A ''temenos'' ( Greek: ; plural: , ''temenē''). is a piece of land cut off and assigned as an official domain, especially to kings and chiefs, or a piece of land marked off from common uses and dedicated to a god, such as a sanctuary, holy g ...

'' of one of the temples dedicated to one of the

Zeus Zeus (, ) is the chief deity of the List of Greek deities, Greek pantheon. He is a sky father, sky and thunder god in ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, who rules as king of the gods on Mount Olympus. Zeus is the child ...

(''probably Zeus Osogoa'' and built in the first century BC) are still visible, as well as a row of columns. File:Bafa_Gölü_ve_Latmos_Dağı.jpg, Shores of Lake Bafa under the western flank of Mount Beşparmak, the ancient

Mount Latmus Mount is often used as part of the name of specific mountains, e.g. Mount Everest. Mount or Mounts may also refer to: Places * Mount, Cornwall, a village in Warleggan parish, England * Mount, Perranzabuloe, a hamlet in Perranzabuloe parish, ...

. File:Kızıl Han (49131245858).jpg, The Kızıl Han, a caravanserai, is a two story structure and one of two hans surviving in Beçin. It is plain and unimposing, and is partially ruined with its upper floor collapsed. File:Dörttepe_Evleri_-_panoramio.jpg, Milas Dörttepe coast File:Unnamed_Road,_48220_Kultak-Milas-Muğla,_Turkey_-_panoramio_(4).jpg, Kutlak in Milas File:Unnamed_Road,_48220_Kultak-Milas-Muğla,_Turkey_-_panoramio_(6).jpg, Milas is a popular destination in

Turkish Riviera The Turkish Riviera (), also known popularly as the Turquoise Coast, is an area of southwest Turkey encompassing the provinces of Antalya and Muğla, and to a lesser extent Aydın, southern İzmir and western Mersin. The combination of a ...

The eighteenth-century English traveller Richard Pococke relates, in his ''Travels'', having seen the temple of

Augustus Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian (), was the founder of the Roman Empire, who reigned as the first Roman emperor from 27 BC until his death in A ...

here; its materials have since partially been taken by Turks to build a

mosque A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Salah, Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard. Originally, mosques were si ...

. One of the two ancient symbols of the town is "Baltalıkapı" (''Gate with an axe''), a well-preserved

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

gate called as due to the eponymous double-headed axe (

) carved into a keystone. There is also a two-storied monumental Roman tomb dating from the 2nd century AD, called "Gümüşkesen" today and which gives its name to a whole quarter of Milas, and referred to as "Dystega" in some dated sources. This monument is most likely a simplified copy of the famous tomb of

. There are a number of historical Turkish buildings in Milas, dating from both the Menteşe and the Ottoman periods. A number of old houses built in the nineteenth or early twentieth century that have been preserved in their original appearance are also worthy of mention. Among the three most important mosques of Milas, The Great Mosque dating from 1378 and Orhan Bey Mosque dating from 1330 were built when Milas was the capital of the Turkish principality of Menteşe. The slightly more imposing Firuz Bey Mosque was built shortly the first incorporation of Milas into the Ottoman Empire and bears the name of the city's first Ottoman administrator. Milas carpets and rugs woven of wool have been internationally famous for centuries and bear typical features. In our day, they are no longer produced in the city of Milas, but rather in a dozen villages around Milas. For the whole territory of Milas district, up to 7000 weavers'

loom A loom is a device used to weaving, weave cloth and tapestry. The basic purpose of any loom is to hold the Warp (weaving), warp threads under tension (mechanics), tension to facilitate the interweaving of the weft threads. The precise shape of ...

s remain active, either full-time or at intervals following the demand, which remains quite lively both in Turkey and abroad. Beçin Castle, the capital of Menteşe Beys, is situated at the dependent township of Beçin, at a distance of 5 kilometers from Milas city. The fortress has been restored in 1974, and the compound includes two

s, two ''

medrese Madrasa (, also , ; Arabic: مدرسة , ), sometimes Romanization of Arabic, romanized as madrasah or madrassa, is the Arabic word for any Educational institution, type of educational institution, secular or religious (of any religion), whet ...

s,'' a ''

hamam A hammam (), also often called a Turkish bath by Westerners, is a type of steam bath or a place of public bathing associated with the Islamic world. It is a prominent feature in the Islamic culture, culture of the Muslim world and was inherited ...

,'' the remains of a

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived the events that caused the fall of the Western Roman E ...

chapel A chapel (from , a diminutive of ''cappa'', meaning "little cape") is a Christianity, Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. First, smaller spaces inside a church that have their o ...

as well as traces from earlier periods. At a distance of 14 km. from Milas center, set on a steep hillside and surrounded by pine forests is the ancient Carian cult center of

, its name echoing once again the eponymous tradition of labrys. The ruins, including a temple, banqueting halls and tombs, were excavated by a Swedish team in early 20th century, as well as the views over the valley, attract the interest of rather few adventurous visitors prepared for the climb. Gökçeler Canyon and İncirliin Cave inside the canyon are visitor attractions.

Composition

There are 132

neighbourhoods A neighbourhood (Commonwealth English) or neighborhood (American English) is a geographically localized community within a larger town, city, suburb or rural area, sometimes consisting of a single street and the buildings lining it. Neighbourh ...

in Milas District:Mahalle
Turkey Civil Administration Departments Inventory. Retrieved 19 September 2023. * Ağaçlıhüyük * Akçakaya * Akçalı * Akkovanlık * Akyol * Alaçam * Alatepe * Aslanyaka * Avşar * Aydınlıkevler * Bafa * Bağdamları * Baharlı * Bahçeköy * Bahçeburun * Balcılar * Bayırköy * Beçin * Beyciler * Boğaziçi * Bozalan * Bozbük * Burgaz * Çakıralan * Çallı * Çamköy * Çamlıbelen * Çamlıca * Çamlıyurt * Çamovalı * Çandır *

Çiftlikköy Çiftlikköy is a town in Yalova Province in the Marmara region of Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Eur ...

* Çınarlı * Çökertme * Çomakdağ Kızılağaç * Çukurköy *

Cumhuriyet ''Cumhuriyet'' (; English: "Republic") is the oldest up-market Turkish daily newspaper. It has been described as "the most important independent public interest newspaper in contemporary Turkey". The newspaper was awarded the ''Freedom of Press ...

* Damlıboğaz * Danişment * Demirciler * Dereköy * Derince * Dibekdere * Dörttepe * Eğridere * Ekinanbarı * Ekindere * Emek * Epçe * Etrenli * Fesliğen * Gazi-Firuz Paşa * Gökbel * Gökçeler * Göldere * Gölyaka * Güllük * Gümüşlük * Güneş * Günlük * Gürçamlar * Gürceğiz * Hacıahmetler * Hacıapti * Hacıilyas * Hasanlar * Hayıtlı-Ahmet Çavuş * Hisarbaşı Hocabedrettin * Hisarcık * Hüsamlar * İçme * İkizköy * İkiztaş * İsmetpaşa * Kafaca * Kalemköy * Kalınağıl * Kandak * Kapıkırı * Karacaağaç * Karacahisar * Karahayıt * Karakuyu * Karapınar * Kargıcak * Karşıyaka * Kayabaşı * Kayabükü * Kayadere * Kazıklı * Kemikler * Ketendere * Kılavuz * Kırcağız * Kısırlar * Kıyıkışlacık * Kızılağaç * Kızılcakuyu * Kızılcayıkık * Konak * Korucuk * Koruköy * Köşkköy * Küçükdibekdere * Kultak * Kurudere * Kuzyaka * Menteş * Meşelik * Narhisar * Olukbaşı * Ören * Ortaköy * Ovakışlacık * Pınararası * Pınarcık * Pınarköy * Sakarkaya * Sarıkaya * Savran * Sekköy * Selimiye * Şenköy * Şevketiye * Söğütçük * Türkevleri * Tuzabat * Ulaş * Yakaköy * Yaşyer * Yoğunoluk * Yusufca

Notable people from Milas

* Hecatomnus; Founder of the Hecatomnid dynasty, *

;

Satrap A satrap () was a governor of the provinces of the ancient Median kingdom, Median and Achaemenid Empire, Persian (Achaemenid) Empires and in several of their successors, such as in the Sasanian Empire and the Hellenistic period, Hellenistic empi ...

of the

, virtual ruler of

between 377-352 BC, builder of the famous

Mausoleum A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the burial chamber of a deceased person or people. A mausoleum without the person's remains is called a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be considered a type o ...

. *

Rabbi A rabbi (; ) is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi—known as ''semikha''—following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of t ...

Albert Jean Amateau: U.S.

Sephardic Jew Sephardic Jews, also known as Sephardi Jews or Sephardim, and rarely as Iberian Peninsular Jews, are a Jewish diaspora population associated with the historic Jewish communities of the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal) and their descendant ...

community leader and social activist. * Turhan Selçuk: Turkish

cartoonist A cartoonist is a visual artist who specializes in both drawing and writing cartoons (individual images) or comics (sequential images). Cartoonists differ from comics writers or comics illustrators/artists in that they produce both the litera ...

. Creator of the fictional character Abdülcanbaz and the homonymous serial

comics a Media (communication), medium used to express ideas with images, often combined with text or other visual information. It typically the form of a sequence of Panel (comics), panels of images. Textual devices such as speech balloons, Glo ...

Picture gallery

File:Milas Atatürk Bulvarı in 2007 5024.jpg, Milas Atatürk Boulevard in 2007 File:Milas Konağı 07.jpg, Milas Mansion File:Milas Çarşısı 01.jpg, Milas Bazaar, Milas Çarşısı File:Milas inner city in 2007 4892.jpg, Milas inner city in 2007 File:Milas Evleri 13.jpg, Old houses in Milas File:48220_Kultak-Milas-Muğla,_Turkey_-_panoramio_(2).jpg, Kultak Milas File:Milas Baltalı Kapı 4967.jpg, Milas Baltalı Kapı Axe File:Milas Chimney 4938.jpg, Typical chimneys of local style File:Milas Cultural Centre 3512.jpg, Milas Cultural Centre File:Milas Ulu Camii 5013.jpg, Milas Grand Mosque (Ulu Cami) File:Milas Ulu Camii 5012.jpg, Milas Ulu Cami script above entrance - built by Ahmed Ghazi Bey File:Milas Firuz Paşa Camii 5205.jpg, Milas Firuz Paşa Camii From garden File:Milas Firuz Paşa Camii 5209.jpg, Milas Firuz Paşa Camii Front File:Milas Firuz Paşa Camii 5211.jpg, Milas Firuz Paşa Camii Main entrance File:Milas Aga Mosque 4945.jpg, Milas Aga Mosque File:Milas Belen Camii 4922.jpg, Milas Belen Camii File:Milas Belen Camii 4924.jpg, Milas Belen Camii Kitabe File:Milas Uzun Yuva 5201.jpg, Milas Zeus Karios Temple File:Milas_Temple_of_Augustus.jpeg, Temple of Augustus (Uzunyuva) File:Sketch of Gümüşkesen Tomb at Milas 1866.jpg, upSketch of Gümüşkesen, 1866 File:Smallscale Mausolus Mausoleum (Gumuskesen) Monument Milas Turkey.JPG, Gümüşkesen chambered tomb monument in Milas, built during the city's

Period and modelled on the Mausoleum of Mausolus File:Milas Gumuskesen 024.jpg, Gümüşkesen detail of ceiling

Footnotes

External links

Milas
* {{Authority control Populated places in Muğla Province Populated places in ancient Caria Ancient Greek archaeological sites in Turkey Roman sites in Turkey

Mylasa Milas is a municipality and Districts of Turkey, district of Muğla Province, Turkey. Its area is 2,067 km2, and its population is 147,416 (2022). The city commands a region with an active economy and is very rich in history and ancient rema ...

Turkish Riviera Former Jewish communities in Turkey Districts of Muğla Province Metropolitan district municipalities in Turkey