Information
Landmark: Ephesus Ancient CityCity: Izmir
Country: Turkey
Continent: Asia
Ephesus Ancient City, Izmir, Turkey, Asia
Overview
Ephesus-known as Ephesos in Ancient Greek and Efes in Turkish-stands as one of the world’s best-preserved ancient cities, where marble streets still gleam in the sun.Just outside the modern town of Selçuk in İzmir Province, western Turkey, stood one of the ancient Greek and Roman world’s greatest cities-renowned for soaring marble columns, vibrant cultural life, and a central role in early Christianity.Let’s take a closer look at Ephesus-its story begins in the 10th century BCE, when Ionian Greeks built their city atop the remains of an older settlement, where the air likely still carried the scent of the sea.Legend says the Amazons first built Ephesus, and later Androklos, son of Athens’ King Kodros, claimed it as his own.It flourished as a key Ionian port and a sacred hub devoted to Artemis, the goddess of the hunt and fertility, where the scent of incense often drifted through the temple air.In the Classical and Hellenistic periods, Ephesus thrived-first under Persian rule, then Hellenistic-after Alexander the Great freed the city in the 4th century BCE, when its marble streets began to fill with merchants’ voices.In the Hellenistic era, Lysimachus-one of Alexander’s generals-redesigned the city, shifted it to where it stands today, and raised sturdy walls of stone around it.During the Roman Period (129 BCE–4th century CE), Ephesus rose to become the capital of the province of Asia, its streets bustling with more than 250,000 residents at the height of its wealth and power.It grew into a bustling hub of trade, faith, and power, where market stalls spilled over with spices.During the Byzantine and later periods, the city withered-earthquakes shook its walls, the harbor clogged with silt, and Arab forces swept in.By the 15th century, not a soul remained in the city, its streets silent and dust gathering in the doorways.Key Monuments and Landmarks 1 - towering arches, stone worn smooth by countless hands.In 117 CE, Gaius Julius Aquila built the Library of Celsus to honor his father, Tiberius Julius Celsus Polemaeanus, a Roman governor whose name still echoes in its sunlit marble halls.It housed over 12,000 scrolls, their papyrus edges curling with age, and stood as one of the most important libraries of the ancient world.Rising two stories high, its façade with carved Corinthian columns draws more cameras than almost any other ruin on earth, sunlight catching in the fluted stone.Number two.The Great Theatre, first built in the Hellenistic era, was later enlarged by the Romans, its stone seats still warm under the afternoon sun.It could hold more than 25,000 spectators, enough to fill the air with a steady roar.It once rang with drama and the clash of gladiators; later, crowds gathered for public meetings and to hear early Christian preaching-Saint Paul himself spoke beneath its stone arches.Number three sat scrawled in the corner, small and sharp like a pencil tip pressed too hard.The Temple of Artemis, once rising in gleaming marble columns, was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.Today, just a handful of weathered columns and worn foundation stones stand, yet this spot was once a magnificent temple honoring the goddess Artemis, whom the Romans called Diana.For centuries, the city revolved around its cult, as tightly woven into daily life as the toll of its bronze bells at dawn.Number four.Curetes Street winds uphill from the grand façade of the Library of Celsus, linking it to the city’s higher quarter.Statues and fountains stood beside shops and homes, and the street buzzed with trade and lively ceremonies.Number five sat in bold black ink on the page, sharp as fresh pen strokes.Terrace Houses are lavish Roman villas that cling to the slopes of Bülbül Mountain, their marble floors catching the afternoon sun.You’ll find intact mosaics, vivid frescoes, and even ancient underfloor heating-small but telling details of how the wealthy once lived in Roman times.Number six.The Agora was the city’s bustling heart, where merchants called out over piles of fresh olives and officials handled the day’s business.Seven.The Temple of Hadrian, with its carved marble columns and intricate friezes, was built to honor Emperor Hadrian.It shows reliefs carved with scenes from the mythic founding of Ephesus, like goddesses stepping ashore beneath a bright Aegean sky.Eight.In the 6th century CE, Emperor Justinian built the Basilica of St. John on Ayasuluk Hill, where the stone walls still catch the afternoon sun.Many believe John the Apostle was buried here, which makes Ephesus a key place in Christian history, its ancient stones worn smooth by centuries of pilgrims’ footsteps.Ephesus played a key role in early Christianity-Paul the Apostle lived there for more than two years in the 1st century CE, preaching in its bustling streets and shaded courtyards.In the New Testament, the Epistle to the Ephesians is credited to Paul, who wrote it in a voice that still feels direct and personal.In 431 CE, the Council of Ephesus-one of the great ecumenical gatherings-met here, where the air once hummed with heated debate.Perched on the nearby hills, the Virgin Mary’s House is believed in some traditions to be where she spent her final days, and pilgrims still climb the winding path to reach it.Ephesus has been under steady excavation since the late 1800s, with Austrian and Turkish archaeologists uncovering its worn marble streets and hidden relics year after year.So far, archaeologists have uncovered just 15 to 20 percent of the ancient city, leaving most of its stone streets and buried walls still hidden underground.It’s amazingly well preserved, thanks to centuries spent hidden beneath packed earth and jagged rubble.With modern roads and tour buses streaming in daily, Ephesus ranks among Turkey’s most visited archaeological treasures.It sits just 3 km from Selçuk and around 70 km from İzmir, a quick drive past olive groves and open fields.The site has clear walking paths, welcoming visitor centers, and guided tours that bring the place to life.It’s best to go in spring or autumn, when the air’s mild and the sun doesn’t beat down like it does in summer.Ephesus isn’t just a scattering of ancient stones; it’s a living museum of classical civilization, where worn marble streets still echo the spiritual, political, and artistic life of both pagan and early Christian worlds.With its towering arches and centuries-old stones, it’s one of the most moving and unforgettable places to explore in the Mediterranean.
