The sacred area (temenos) of Zeus Megistos was situated inside the East Gate of the city. This is indicated by a 4th century BC inscription incised on one of the blocks of the gate itself, which marks its boundary (horos). From other inscriptions we learn that, between the 5th and 1st centuries BC, the sanctuary was administered by a powerful priestly college and that to the cult of Zeus was added that of Hera.

  The small building in antis, perhaps a small temple (naiskos) or a place to deposit votive objects (thesauros), probably belonged to the sanctuary. Behind it there is a road which leads down to the port. The building opens onto a paved square where numerous bases of exvotos and of inscriptions are found. Rich deposits of votive objects were found at the base of a platform, built against the back wall of the building, and under the floor level. This was remade several times during successive restorations. After the 4th century BC a second platform was built next to the first and the north wall was moved further to the east. The importance of this small building and its long use are indicated by the abundance of votive material dating from the 6th century BC to the late Hellenistic age.

  In the paved square, between the bases of ex-votos and inscriptions, an exquisitely made torso of a young man (kouros) was found, dating to 520 BC (in the Museum of ‹zmir). A second, smaller kouros, now displayed in the Museum of Milas, was discovered in the votive deposits, which mostly consisted of imported blackand red-figure Attic pottery, vases produced locally or in the surrounding regions, and by very numerous terracotta figurines and masks.

  The rim of a black-figure crater bears an inscription in the Carian language - a testimony to the active presence of the native population.