Editing Miletus (section)

=== Archaeological excavations ===
[[File:Markttor zu Milet-Pergamonmuseum-2018.jpg|thumb|The [[Market Gate of Miletus]] at the [[Pergamon Museum]] in Berlin]] 
The first excavations in Miletus were conducted by the French archaeologist [[Olivier Rayet]] in 1873, followed by the German archaeologists [[Julius Hülsen]] and [[Theodor Wiegand]]<ref>Olivier Rayet and Thomas, Milet Et Le Golfe Latmique, Fouilles Et Explorations Archeologiques Publ, 1877 (reprint Nabu Press 2010 {{ISBN|1-141-62992-5}}</ref><ref>Theodor Wiegand and Julius Hülsen [Das Nymphaeum von Milet, Museen zu Berlin 1919] and Kurt Krausem, Die Milesische Landschaft, Milet II, vol. 2, Schoetz, 1929</ref><ref>Theodor Wiegand et al., Der Latmos, Milet III, vol. 1, G. Reimer, 1913</ref> between 1899 and 1931.
Excavations, however, were interrupted several times by wars and various other events.
Carl Weickart excavated for a short season in 1938 and again between 1955 and 1957.<ref>Carl Weickert, Grabungen in Milet 1938, Bericht über den VI internationalen Kongress für Archäologie, pp. 325-332, 1940</ref><ref>Carl Weickert, Die Ausgrabung beim Athena-Tempel in Milet 1955, Istanbuler Mitteilungen, Deutsche Archaeologische Institut, vol. 7, pp.102-132, 1957</ref><ref>Carl Weickert, Neue Ausgrabungen in Milet,
Neue deutsche Ausgrabungen im Mittelmeergebiet und im Vorderen Orient, pp. 181-96, 1959</ref>
He was followed by Gerhard Kleiner and then by Wolfgang Muller-Wiener.
Today, excavations are organized by the [[Ruhr University]] of [[Bochum]], [[Germany]].

One remarkable artifact recovered from the city during the first excavations of the 19th century, the [[Market Gate of Miletus]], was transported piece by piece to Germany and reassembled. It is currently exhibited at the [[Pergamon Museum]] in [[Berlin]]. The main collection of artifacts resides in the ''Miletus Museum'' in [[Didim]], [[Aydın]], serving since 1973.

Archaeologists discovered a cave under the city's theatre and believe that it is a "sacred" cave which belonged to the cult of [[Asklepius]].<ref>[https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/photo-sacred-cave-in-ancient-miletos-awaits-visitors-168323#photo-1 'Sacred Cave' in ancient Miletos awaits visitors]</ref><ref>[https://arkeonews.net/the-ancient-city-of-miletoss-sacred-cave-opened-to-visitors/ The Ancient City of Miletos’s “Sacred Cave” Opened to Visitors]</ref>