Herakleia

Muğla is an extremely rich city in mythological terms. It is possible to find the names of many mythological heroes in the city where the ancient cities are dense. One of these heroes, of course, is considered Heracles. Heracles is named after an ancient city here.

The ancient city of Heracleia was named Latmos in the 8th century BC. In turn, it falls under the control of the Persians, the Alexander Empire and the Seleucids. The city of Herakleia is disconnected from the sea after some time. This causes the city to lose its importance in an instant. The intersections, which take advantage of the difficulties in transportation, prefer to be stored here for a long time. The ancient city of Heracleia is based on a very rugged terrain. Also the hard rocky areas in the area are immediately prominent.

There is a fortification area of 6 kilometers around Herakleia. There are around 65 towers in these walls. The square stonework on the ramparts is notable. The wall parts of the fortification are estimated to have been built during the Hellenistic period. The Hippodamos city plan is considered as a reference in this sense. The Temple of Athena, which lies just behind the harbour area of the city, is the best preserved point of the ancient city of Herakleia. The temple has two columns and is transferred from the Hellenistic Age to the present day. The agora, located just east of this temple, has two floors in total. Today, only the first floor is intact. The Agora area is likewise understood to have been created during the Hellenistic period.

Herakleia is an exemplary city in terms of street plan. The perimeter walls to the north are still intact. The theatre of the city is located at the eastern end. Surveys in the ancient city of Herakleia are carried on steadily every year. These studies have been carried out by a German group since 1991. In particular, many rock paintings have been unearthed.