Milas, once the capital of the ancient Kingdom of Caria, is a pleasant Aegean town which boasts a miniature replica of the grand, original Mausoleum, one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
King Mausolus was king of Caria (377-353 BC), perhaps its greatest king. He ordered a splendid, gigantic tomb built for himself in Halicarnassus (Bodrum). Today little remains of the tomb, but the marble Gümüskesen temple in Milas is thought to be a small-scale replica of the Mausoleum, the grand tomb that gave its name to all grand tombs since.
Perhaps more important for today's visitors, Milas is a noted carpet-making center and has a fairly busy airport which serves Bodrum as well (map).
If you come to buy Turkish carpets, have a look at the Gümüskesen, and also the Baltali Kapi (Gate with Axe), a Roman gate in the city walls. Also visit some of the town's 14th-century mosques, built when Milas was capital of the Mentese emirate. These include the Great Mosque (Ulu Cami, 1378), the Mosque of Orhan Bey (1330), and the Firuz Bey (1394).
Up in the hills north of Milas is the ancient city of Labranda, reached by a poor road.
Most people stop for a few hours (and lunch) in Milas as they travel to or from Bodrum or Marmaris, though Milas does have a few serviceable small hotels. Minibus services to Milas are frequent from Söke, southeast of Kusadasi.
Distances & Travel Times
Bodrum: 63 km (39 miles) SW, 1 hour
Ephesus (Selcuk): 120 km (75 miles) N, 2.25 hours
Euromos (Selimiye): 12 km (8 miles) NW, 15 minutes
Izmir: 200 km (124 miles) N, 3.25 hours
Kapikiri (Herakleia): 41 km (26 miles) NW, 50 minutes
Kusadasi: 102 km (63 miles) NW, 2 hours
Labranda: 20 km (12 miles) N, 45 minutes
Marmaris: 112 km (70 miles) NW, 2.25 hours
Milas-Bodrum Airport: 30 km (19 miles) SE, 35 minutes
Söke: 82 km (51 miles) NW, 1.75 hours
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