Storage building and latrine

Right in the very center of Miletus, to the west of the large southern market and stretching north up to the 40-Step Mosque, there is a large hall complex. Although only low walls remain and merely 2 thirds of the complex have been excavated, targeted sondages made it possible to reconstruct the parts that have not yet been unearthed. The results reveal that the hall measured 13.4 x 163.4 meters, occupying 3 city blocks (insulae). These original dimensions were primarily determined on the basis of the column positions along the middle axis. Studies of the ornamental decorations on some segments of the southern wall date the building to the Hellenistic period, in particular, the second century BCE.

The reconstructed architecture shows that the site was constructed as a mostly closed complex of buildings. The hall was surrounded by walls on all 4 sides, but only their partial marble socles remain. On the inside and outside, the walls were plastered with simple, plain tufa slabs and lime mortar. This unassuming design continues throughout the interior of the building. A row of ashlar stones was erected in parallel to the long sides of the walls. The large dimensions of the complex ultimately necessitated modifications as the city center grew denser during the Roman Empire. As a result of the extension of the street to the south of the Bouleuterion straight through the hall, the complex was divided into 2 parts. The Bouleuterion Road had to be enlarged to accommodate increased traffic volumes in this part of the city, and the hall was shortened accordingly. Following this and other urban development measures, the small alley between the storage hall and the southern market no longer served a purpose. In its place, a public latrine complex was built; its gutters and clay pipes have partially survived.

Unlike the overall plain and unassuming, entirely practical design of the western side of the storage hall, its southern narrow end is much more decorative. Its facade was entirely clad in marble, while niches and half columns visually structured its architecture. Two wall columns frame the corners of the building. Thanks to a few architectural segments discovered during excavation works, it was possible to reconstruct parts of the facade and determine that the building was about 6.2 meters tall.

The reason for the much more elaborate design of the western front is its prominent location on one of Miletus’ primary traffic arteries. A lack of windows and doors indicates that this side of the building was not used for access. During the Byzantine period, the southern wall of the complex was integrated into the newly built city wall. Finds of some wall segments show, however, that the hall had already been disused and partially demolished at the time.

Its plain, practical architecture indicates that the hall served a functional purpose only and did not need to be decorated for the public or for representative purposes. It was probably a storage facility. The direct proximity to the southern market and short distance to the harbors of Miletus reinforces this notion. 

Text: Marieke Bohn