Travel Highlights - Ephesus Site

Ephesus Archaeological Site

Founded by the Greeks, this city has been governed by Greece, Alexander the Great, the Roman Republic, and the Roman Empire. During Roman times, Ephesus was the capital of the empire's eastern province of Asia and the largest city in the Asian region. At its peak, Ephesus boasted over 400,000 residents, a staggering figure for ancient times. Ephesus's rise stemmed from its port, but severe siltation ultimately rendered it useless, leading to its abandonment.

The once Roman metropolis became a wasteland of weeds, broken walls, and ancient ruins, eventually buried by dust. It wasn't until excavations beginning in the 19th century that the ancient city of Ephesus was slowly brought to light. The ruins of Ephesus are now a popular tourist attraction in Turkey and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

At 7:30 AM, we asked the hostess at the B&B to prepare breakfast for us, as we wanted to enter right at opening time. The park opened at 8:00 AM, so we entered through the south entrance (the Second Entrance in the picture below). According to many people, this is the easiest way to get there. However, if you don't have a car, the bus usually takes you to the Main Entrance. While having breakfast at the B&B, we met an American woman who was traveling independently. We learned from our conversation that she needed transportation up the mountain, so we happily agreed to let her go with our bus. Someone told us that after our visit, we could take a horse-drawn carriage from the north gate back to the south gate, remarking on the beautiful scenery. However, we couldn't see any carriages, so we ended up calling a taxi. Fortunately, there were no carriages. The route back to the south gate wasn't very long, the weather was hot, and the scenery along the way was average, so we took a taxi back to the south entrance and drove.

Baths of Varius: Built by the wealthy Roman magistrate Varius for the Ephesians, located upstream from Ephesus. The baths were built in the 1st century AD and destroyed in the 7th century. (Map No. 28)

Stage Agora: A government market where political matters were discussed and open to the public. Women and slaves could attend meetings here. This was the second Agora in Ephesus (map number 27).

The Odeon, a Roman-built theater, is well-preserved and seats 1,400. It was used as a concert hall and parliament. The structure, approximately 2,000 years old, was destroyed by an earthquake in the 7th century AD. It features a stage and a two-story stage building. Statues of Ephesus's donors are located in niches. Events are still held at the Odeon today. (Map No. 25)

Prytaneon was the site of fire sacrifices, where the names of the monks and nuns who served were written on two columns. It was dedicated to the fire goddess Hestia and was the sacrificial center of the city. (Map No. 24)

The Fountain of Pollio is one of Ephesus' many monumental fountains. It was dedicated to the city by the wealthy Roman Pollios Sextiliues. The fountain was built for the Roman Emperor Domitian. It is located opposite the Temple of Domitian. (Map No. 23)

Fresh Water Pipes These are Roman-era aqueducts that supplied fresh water to Ephesus from four different points. Water was brought to the city through clay pipes. Today, these original 2,000-year-old pipes can be seen throughout Ephesus. (Map No. 22)

The Temple of Domitian was the largest temple built in the city center. It was built for the Roman Emperor Domitian and is located on the third floor. The colossal head and left arm of the Domitian monument can be seen in the Ephesus Museum. The temple's foundation platform was enormous, measuring 100 meters by 50 meters. (Map No. 19)

The Memmius Monument, dedicated to the famous general Memmius and his dictator grandfather Sulla, was built in the 1st century BC. New excavations have revealed the presence of pipes near the monument and a nearby street. (Map No. 18)

The Hercules Gate is located at the beginning of Curetes Street. Ephesus's Hercules Gate is named after the reliefs of Hercules that adorn its columns. Hercules is considered the greatest Greek hero and the epitome of masculinity. In the reliefs, Hercules is depicted wearing the skin of a Nemean lion. It was a gate that separated the Upper City of Ephesus. (Map No. 17)

Curetes Street was the main street connecting Upper and Lower Ephesus. Its ancient name was Embolos. This street boasts the famous Herakles Gate, Terrace Houses, Hadrian Temple, Scholastica Baths, and Hadrian's Gate. (Map No. 16)

Trajan's Fountain, the only monumental fountain in Ephesus, was built for a Roman emperor. Located on Curetes Street, it was constructed in the early 2nd century. It stands 9.5 meters tall and has two tiers. It was dedicated to the Roman Emperor Trajan and the goddess Alcinous. (Map No. 15)

Hadrian's Temple is one of the Roman emperor's temples. Emperor Hadrian visited Ephesus twice. This beautiful temple was built in his honor in the 2nd century AD. The Temple of Hadrian is one of the finest ruins in Ephesus and has recently been restored. It was converted into a Christian church in the 4th century AD. (Map No. 14)

The Scholastica Baths are a beautiful Roman bathing complex located in the heart of Ephesus's Curetes Street. After a 4th-century earthquake, they were restored by a wealthy Christian woman named Scholastica. A statue of Scholastica can be seen in every room of the baths. (Map No. 11)

Hillside Houses (Terrace Houses): These luxurious terraced houses were used by wealthy Ephesians between the 1st and 7th centuries AD. Section 2 of the Terrace Houses was covered and placed under conservation in 1999. These magnificent houses, mosaics, and frescoes have been accessible since 2002. (Map No. 8)

Brothel: Its purpose is unknown, but it is generally believed to have been a call girl's house. It is a two-story building with a kitchen, bathroom, and toilet. (Map No. 7)

Marble Street was one of the main streets in Ephesus. It began in front of the Library of Celsus, passed the theater, and ended at the Temple of Alcinous. The library and the agora were located on the right side of Marble Street. Brothels were on the left side. Further to the right was the theater, and further to the left was the gymnasium. It also cut off Port Street. (Map No. 6)

This gate, located next to the Library of Celsus, leads to the Agora. It was built 2,000 years ago by the slaves Mazeus and Mithridates for the Roman Emperor Augustus. Both Mazeus and Mithridates were architects. They then became slaves of Augustus's imperial household. (Map No. 5)

The Library of Celsus is the most iconic building in Ephesus. It was built by Aquileia for the famous governor Celsus as both a monument and a library. It was the third largest library in antiquity. It is said to have contained 12,000 scrolls of papyrus. It was destroyed by an earthquake and rebuilt from the original during restoration work between 1970 and 1978. Today, replicas of the four female statues can be seen. The originals are in the Vienna Museum. (Map No. 4)

Arete (personification of virtue) in the Celsus Library

The Commercial Agora was one of two marketplaces in Ephesus, covering an area of 11,000 square meters. The marketplace was surrounded by shops on all four sides. It was built during the Hellenistic period and expanded during the Roman period. It was the largest shopping area of its time. The apostle Paul, along with Priscilla and Aquila, traded in tentmaking at the Commercial Agora. Acts 18:19 When Paul arrived in Ephesus, he left Priscilla and Aquila there and went into the synagogue to speak to the Jews. (Map No. 3)

The Great Theater is the largest ancient theater in Turkey, with a capacity of 24,000 seats. It was built in the 4th century BC. It took 60 years to build this huge theater in Ephesus. It was originally a Greek theater that was later converted into a Roman theater. There is a three-story stage building, built at different times and paid for by different Roman emperors. This theater is also where St. Paul was protested by the silversmith Demetrius and his friends. When he opposed the goddess Artemis, there was a huge parade against him. Today, this theater is also famous for modern events and concerts. Popular singers such as Elton John, Chris de Burg, Lionel Richie, Joan Baez, Julio Elyases, Pavarotti, Sting, and Madonna have given concerts at the Ephesus Theater. (Map No. 2)

Harbor Street is one of the three main streets in Ephesus. Harbor Street starts from the theater and ends at the harbor. It is 530 meters long and is lined with shops and pedestrian crossings on both sides. This street is also called "Arcadian" and is about 11 meters wide. It is very close to the harbor and there is a "four-pillar monument" at the end of the street. (Map No. 1)

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