City
Ancient cities · Aydın

Priene

UNESCO Tentative ListHellenistic33 km from Selçuk

A small Hellenistic city laid out on a grid, on terraces under a sheer cliff. Its Temple of Athena was dedicated by Alexander the Great, as an inscription now in the British Museum records.

Plan the visitIts place in history

Plan your visit

Time to allow
About 1–2 hours

For a first visit at an easy pace.

Stay in
Selçuk

33 km away as the crow flies, so allow more on the road.

On a trip
Ephesus to the travertines

Day 2 of 4.

Hours and tickets
Check before you go

Opening hours and prices change: see muze.gov.tr (opens in a new tab).

Times are our estimates. Distances are straight lines.

Its place in history

Read the chapter before you go.

1000–330 BCGreeks and PersiansGreek cities grew along the Aegean coast, and in Ionia the first philosophers asked what the world was made of.

Where its treasures are now

Abroad

Sculpture and architecture from Priene and Magnesia on the Maeander

Held abroad; no return

Pergamonmuseum / Antikensammlung, Berlin
Abroad

Temple of Athena Polias sculpture and Alexander the Great's dedication inscription

Held abroad; no return

British Museum, London
first

Planned grid city named after its inventor. Hippodamus of Miletus (Hippodamian plan), 5th century BC. Qualified How sure we are →

From here

Selçuk

Open in OpenStreetMap (opens in a new tab) · Directions to Priene (opens in a new tab)

Also nearby

  • 15 km
    Miletus

    City, Ionian–Byzantine

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    Didyma

    Temple of Apollo, Ionian–Roman

  • 31 km
    Ephesus (Efes)

    City, Hellenistic–Byzantine

  • 38 km
    Notion

    City, Ionian–Roman

  • 39 km
    Claros (Klaros)

    Oracle sanctuary, Ionian–Roman

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    Aphrodisias Museum

    Sebasteion reliefs, sculpture school

  • museum
    Aydın Archaeology Museum

    Tralles finds

  • museum
    Miletus Museum

Location precise · Source (opens in a new tab)