St. Michael Basilica and Temple of Dionysus

The Temple of Dionysus and the St. Michael Basilica were built successively in the same city block (insula) to the west of the northern market. The northern half of the same insula is occupied by the Bishop’s Palace. To the southeast of the church, formerly a temple, but at a higher level stand the 40-Step Mosque and a Turkish bath, both of which belong to the İbrahim Bey Complex. Some very different phases of utilization have been identified around the St. Michael Basilica. They impressively demonstrate the long history of Miletus and the extent to which a single plot can remain in use while changing in function. 

Residential building 

Before the Dionysus Sanctuary was built, the southern half of the insula had been divided again along its north-south axis in order to make space for 2 buildings. It is likely that both buildings were residential in nature. Based on a small number of surviving wall and foundation segments made of repurposed rubble, it is possible to reconstruct the layout of the western house. These buildings are aligned with the street grid of Miletus. Associated finds date the construction of the 2 houses to the end of the fifth century BCE. They were used until the sanctuary was built around 275/6 BCE. 

Temple of Dionysus

The Temple of Dionysus was built in 276/5 BCE, as a relevant inscription reveals. It is a Hellenistic antae temple of the Ionian order with rich structural decorations. Located inside a small temenos, it had various side buildings and was still used as a sanctuary during the Roman Empire. Inscriptions primarily connect the Milesian cult of Dionysus with groups of women (maenads orBacchae) who probably gathered and celebrated here, occasionally joining festive processions to the areas surrounding the city. Thanks to some inscriptions, the “maenads of Miletus” and, in particular, their priestess Alkmeonis, have become famous among researchers. The sanctuary fell out of use between the fourth and sixth century CE. An impressive gable block from the temple is still visible on the site today; it was placed there for exhibition purposes after the dig in the 1970s. Some foundation remnants and the frontal steps of the Temple still exist underneath the walls of the St. Michael Basilica. They once led into the vestibule. 

Temple Church

Once the Temple of Dionysus had fallen into disuse, it was converted into a temple church through the addition of an apse. This probably took place in the middle of the fifth century CE. The front of the naiskos was removed and the roof renewed. Some side buildings in the former temenos remained in use during that time.

St. Michael Basilica

In the early seventh century, the Temple Church (originally the Temple of Dionysus) was demolished and replaced with the St. Michael Basilica, which is related to the adjacent Bishop’s Palace to the north. It derives its name from its building inscription, which describes it as a eukterion dedicated to the Archangel Michael. The main entrance of the 3-nave galleried basilica was moved to the west of the half-insula. Its capital and architrave displayed a traditional decorative pipe pattern. The main entrance of the church was located in the west, where a cul-de-sac may have been used as a forecourt. From here, you could access a porch (narthex) and a 3-nave galleried basilica. At the center of the middle nave, the socle of a marble pulpit, called ambon, has survived. The eastern end of the middle nave was demarcated by a low doorstep; this is where the altar stood. On this doorstep (stylobate), there was a barrier system consisting of posts, colonnettes and architraves. This is called a templon, the predecessor of the iconostasis. The apse contained a semi-circular synthronon, a collection of benches for the clergy. A peristyle courtyard is located to the north of the basilica. It used to house a stairwell leading to the northern matroneum. To the south, a corridor flanks the entire length of the basilica, leading to a domed baptistery and a frontal hall. 

Text: Lisa Steinmann / Lauren Osthof, partially based on Philipp Niewöhner