Situated on the western coast of Asia Minor, near the mouth of the Maeander River (from which come the word "meander") in ancient Caria, Miletus was considered the greatest and wealthiest of Greek cities before the Persian invasion in the middle of the 6th century BC. After a period of decline, it reached its greatest wealth and splendor during the Hellenistic era (323-30 BC) and later Roman times. It became known for the great number of colonies founded around the Black Sea, more than any other Greek city (90), but also for the annual pilgrimage along the Sacred Way that led from Miletus to the Temple of Apollo at Didyma, a distance of 20 km (build under the Emperor Trajan, in 2nd century AD), and as the birthplace of philosopher Thales, and of Isidore, the Hagia Sophia's architect. By the 6th century, the silting of the Meander River had destroyed the city's harbors and attracted malaria. By the Ottoman period, the once-proud city was just a small village. The site was finally abandoned in the 17th century. Today the ruins of city lie some 10km from the sea.
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