Miletus Market Gate

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Miletus Market Gate
Miletus Market Gate during restoration, early 2007

The market gate of Miletus is a Roman gateway from the 2nd century AD from the city of Miletus in Asia Minor . The facade of the gate now belongs to the Berlin Antiquities Collection and is exhibited in the Pergamon Museum.

The market gate of Miletus is a splendid facade construction. According to current knowledge, the gate with three passages was built in the 20s of the 2nd century AD. It combines Greek elements such as the arched gate and the column propylon , Roman elements such as the stage facade and continues Hellenistic building traditions. The gate was part of an ensemble of representative buildings of the southern agora , which also included the Delphinion , a wide boulevard, a gymnasium, a magnificent nymphaeum and a buleuterion (town hall). The two-storey building was probably occupied with many sculptures. A possible reason for the establishment was a visit of the emperor Hadrian in the year 129 in the city. From an inscription it is known that a wealthy citizen also contributed funds to the city. During the reign of Emperor Justinian I , the gate was renewed again in 538, according to an inscription that is now also on display in the Pergamon Museum. Until recently it was assumed that at that time the gate had become part of a new city wall that only comprised a fraction of the former city area. In the meantime, however, it is assumed that this fortification was only built in the 7th century, when Miletus suffered badly from epidemics and wars and - like many other places in Asia Minor - was now fortified in order to be able to defend itself against the Arabs. The gate also became part of the wall ring, with the two side passages blocked. The gate was then destroyed in the Middle Ages.

Scientific research into Miletus began in the 19th century. Extensive German excavations took place from 1899 to 1913. In 1903 Theodor Wiegand and Hubert Knackfuß found the parts of the gate, which could be transferred to Berlin with the approval of the Turkish authorities. In the Pergamon Museum, the building was reconstructed using many original parts. During the Second World War, the gate remained in the museum and was supposed to be protected by a wall, but these protective measures were inadequate. The gate was badly damaged by bomb hits. Until 1954, the gate was poorly and not always professionally restored. From 2007 to 2008 the gate was restored again.

literature

  • Volker Kästner , Sigrid Weise: The market gate of Miletus . Berlin 1992 (museum guide ANT 3).
  • Max Kunze : Miletus Market Gate . In: State Museums in Berlin. Prussian cultural property. Antikensammlung (Ed.): The Antikensammlung in the Pergamon Museum and in Charlottenburg . Zabern, Mainz 1992, ISBN 3-8053-1187-7 , p. 76f.
  • Philipp Niewöhner: Miletus in early Byzantine times . In: Ortwin Dally et al. (Ed.): Periods. Miletus in imperial times and late antiquity . Schnell + Steiner, Regensburg 2009, ISBN 978-3-7954-2235-6 , pp. 60-67.
  • Volker Michael Strocka : The market gate of Miletus . de Gruyter, Berlin 1981, ISBN 3-11-008747-2 (Winckelmann program of the Archaeological Society of Berlin 128).

Web links

Commons : Market gate of Miletus  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Original Location: 37 ° 31 '44 "  N , 27 ° 16' 42"  O .
  2. ↑ Volker Michael Strocka, Das Markttor von Milet , Berlin 1981, made it probable that the gate was not, as previously assumed, built at the time of Marcus Aurelius .
  3. ↑ Miletus 1, 7, 261.

Coordinates: 52 ° 31 '15 "  N , 13 ° 23' 47"  E