Miletus was founded in the 8th century BC on the southern shore of a peninsula on a large bay, yet today it is eight kilometres from the sea. Priene stood on the same bay, and after it silted up and became marshland, was abandoned and rebuilt on the new hilltop site we know today in the 3rd century BC. Another ancient port, Myus, was abandoned when the small bay on which it stood was cut off from the sea by alluvium deposits, and the lagoon thus created became infested with mosquitos. Archaeologists think that this lagoon is Lake Azap, which lies north of Lake Bafa. On the other hand, however, the silt deposited by the river created fertile alluvial plains, the most important being Söke Plain, where a major part of Turkey's cotton is cultivated. In addition, the delta provides a habitat for a wide range of fish, birds and plant species.

KARINE LAGOON
The Büyük Menderes Delta extends over a vast area of 13,000 hectares. It comprises three main lagoons separated from the sea by narrow strips of land: Karine to the north, Kocagöl in the centre, and Kabahayit to the south.