Turkey: Priene
Here’s another Ancient Greek sight – Priene – known as Ionia in the Hellenistic times with its height being at the 8-7th century BC. The strategic location made for a prosperous growth for centuries, but the city still remained small given the geographic position on a small plateau. Priene is considered one of the best examples or planned City architecture in Ancient Greece – it is laid out on a grid plan with 6 main streets running east-west and 15 streets crossing at right angles, all evenly spaced. Today, the archaeological site of the ancient city is much less restored then other sites around Turkey, with centerpiece being the Temple of Athena Polias, built by Alexander the Great in 334 AD, as well as a large theater and an equally sprawling agora. The five standing columns are majestic at the foot of a massive Mycale mountain behind them. There are hundreds of other column fragments scattered all around.
