From Tralles to Aydın Güzelhisar: the Menderes valleys become the home of the Oghuz and Turkomans
According to the medieval Byzantine historian Georgios Pachymeres (1242-1310): “The Turks invaded territories that nobody defended. Thus the valley of the Maeander was abandoned not just by brave fighters taking up positions in remote places but also by monks as well.”
At the beginning of the 14th century, when the Germianids (Germiyanogulları) were beginning to put pressure on the borders of Byzantium and capturing territory with their raids to the west, the principality of Menteshe (Mentese) had already become entrenched in what was once Caria and the valley of the Maeander. Before the Germianids turned their attentions towards Karesi, Saruhan, and the Aydın region, Aydın (Tralles) and Sultanhisar (Nysa) had already been besieged and taken (1280-1282) by Emir MenteÅŸe. After Emir Mentese’s death, his son-in-law Sasa Bey took the cities of Magnesia, Priene, and Ayasulug, extending his authority to the entire region. However Sasa Bey fell into a dispute with Mubarizuddin Ghazi Meh-med Bey, a member of the Aydınogulları (”sons of Aydın”) clan. Mehmed defeated Sasa and as a result gained control of the Aydın region. He selected Pyrgion (now Birgi) as his seat of government and having adopted the name Ulu Bey, he established the Aydınoglu principality in 1308. It was during this period that the name of the city of Tralles was changed to Aydın Guzelhisar. The three coastal principalities owed nominal allegiance to the Sultan of Rum and to the llkhanids. According to the Eflaki TeskeresHa 14th century biographical memoir) Arif Qelebi, the grandson of the Turkish poet and philosopher Mevlana, visited Mehmed Bey in Birgi. Ibn Battuta mentions doing the same thing in his Travels in Asia and Africa

The Persian Empire: Hordes of Asians descend upon the warm valleys of the Aegean from the Iranian highlands

Although Lydia’s hegemony extended as far east as the Halys river (Kizilirmak), prideful King Croesus was unable to resist the expansionism or the mercenary armies of the Persians who were becoming ever more powerful in the Iranian plateau. Surging down to the warm and fertile Aegean coast from their high and cold plateau, the Persians wiped out the golden kingdom of King Croesus of Lydia.
Thus the Ionian found themselves confronted byatotaly unexpected and enormous threat and while they sought to resist, King Cyrus’s general, Mazares, invaded the valley of the Maeander and subjugated the cities of Priene, Magnesia, Tralles, and Nysa.
The Ionian Revolt instigated by the Milesians in 500 B.C. proved to be quite bloody. The Persians were merciless in suppressing the rebellion. Miletos was razed and its inhabitants were either deported to Mesopotamia or else enslaved. Their Apollo temple was burned and its sacred objects and treasures were carried off to Persia. It was now the turn of the Persians to enjoy the abundance of western Anatolia. Over the famous “Royal Road”, which began in Sardis and extended as far as Susa in Persia, an enormous share of the resources of Anatolia and of the Aegean, Black Sea, and Mediterranean regions was carried back to the imperial palaces in Persepolis.
Persian hegemony over the Maeander river basin lasted about 213 years. The Persians divided Anatolia into administrative regions (called satrapies). They ensured the establishment of political order and ruled their empire through governors (satraps) who were vested with royal powers.