Ancient City of Ephesus in Turkey

The ancient city of "Ephesus/Ephesos/Efese", one of the historical wonders of today's world, with its valuable relics from the past, is considered an important human heritage. This amazing city, is located in western Turkey and near the shores of the Aegean Sea, in the province of Izmir and adjacent to the tourist city "Kusadasi-Selçuk". Ephesus, the historical city, which contains many relics from the distant past and centuries, even without referring to the writings of historians and archaeologists, one can understand its antiquity and value.

The Historic City of Ephesus at a Glance

The multiplicity of relics from different historical periods, including: before ancient Greece to the period of the Roman Empire, the period before the advent of Christ and after that, and the Ottoman Empire to the present day, is arguably one of the rarest important historical-tourist areas in the world; this amazing ancient city, about 80 km from the city of Izmir, has long been one of the important cultural and economic areas, and due to some features and accommodation of some very important people such as "Virgin Maryam", in this city, in addition to attractions such as: historical, architecture, culture and nature, are also religiously one of the most important areas, especially for Christians and Muslims.

Access to historical sites in Turkey that are located outside of cities can significantly increase your transportation costs. By reserving and using car rental in Turkey, you can book your preferred vehicle and visit Turkey's historical attractions.

The Founding Legend of Ephesus

due to archeological excavations, manuscripts of various historians and legends, the city of Ephesus was built in the 11th century BC by "Androclos", one of the "Ionian princes". It is said that one day Androclos went to the prophets of "Delphi" and the "Oracles" told him that a boar and a fish would show him the new location of his land. Sometime later, one day while Androclos was frying fish on the fire, the fish fell on the nearby bushes and set them on fire; following this, the escape of a wild boar from the burning bushes reminds Androclos of the Oracles, and he chooses that place as his new settlement and names it, "Ephesus".

In this regard, there is another legend that says that the city of Ephesus was founded by the tribe of women warriors of the "Amazon" and its name is derived from the name of their queen, "Ephesia".

The Importance of the Ancient City of Ephesus Religiously and in the Bible

In addition to historical and valuable relics from ancient times, the historic city of Ephesus is also of great religious importance to Christians and Muslims, even in 1967 "Pope Paul VI", in 1976 "Pope John Paul" Pope John Paul II, and in 2006 Pope Benedict XVI, came to Turkey and visited the city's most important religious sites, "the Virgin Mary's House and the Church (Church of Mary)", as one of the 7 Apostolic Churches.

Other important religious figures who have been in the city or lived since ancient times, include: "Saint Paul and John" who is said to have written his Gospel in this city and when Virgin Maryam was dying, he took her to the green hills of "Seljuk" to die in peace.

Historical and Important Periods of Ephesus

1.      Ephesus Under Lydia Rule and Before That

Unfortunately, little is known about the early history of the ancient city of Ephesus before the 7th century BC and the reign of the "Lydian" kings. But it was a thriving city during that period, where men and women had equal opportunities. Other important points that can be mentioned during the reign of the kings of Lydia in Ephesus, are: the birthplace of the famous philosopher of that time "Heraclitus" and the construction of the temple of "Artemis", the goddess of hunting in ancient Greece, by "Croesus", the king of Lydia between 560 and 547 BC.

2.      Ephesus Under the Rule of the Persian Empire and Lysimachus

One of the most important governments and events that had significant effects on Ephesus, was the domination of the "Persian Empire" in the Anatolian region in 546 BC; but in 334 BC, due to the victory of "Alexander the Great" over the territories under Iranian rule, his army came to power in Ephesus. In 323 BC, after the death of Alexander the Great, "Lysimachus", one of his generals, captured the city and renamed it to "Arsineia", he was killed in a battle in 281 BC, and after that, the name of city was changed to Ephesus again.

3.      Ephesus Under the Roman Rule

Surrendering Ephesus to the Romans in 129 BC, at the behest of "Attalos" the king of "Pergamon", this city became the seat of the Roman governor. Thus, Ephesus, during the reign of the Roman Empire, was able to reach its most prosperous period, which continued until the 3rd century AD. Today, the remains of buildings such as: the Grand Amphitheater, the Library of Celsus, the Agora Public Square and the aqueducts, were all built or rebuilt either during the reign of "Augustus".

Also, Ephesus in 43 BC, during the reign of "Tiberius", it re-emerged as a port city and became an important trading area for the mass exchange of goods; according to some sources, Ephesus was known as the second cultural and commercial center of the world after its departure from Roman rule.

4.      Ephesus after the Advent of Christianity

It is interesting to know that Ephesus, has played a vital and very important role in the spread of Christianity; this city, which hosted prominent Christians such as "St. Paul" and "St. John" from the beginning of the first century AD, gathered many of the early followers of Christianity in Ephesus. Also, due to the remains, it is said that Virgin Maryam came to this city after the crucifixion of "Jesus" and spent the last years of her life in this place.

5.      The Decline Period of Ephesus before and early Byzantine Rule

In 262 AD, due to the invasion of the "Goths" to Ephesus, almost all important and historic buildings of this city, such as the Temple of Artemis, were destroyed and despite some renovations that took place years later, never again it could not regain its former glory. But in 431 AD, with the coming to power of "Theodosius" and the rule of "Byzantine", it not only destroyed all the works related to the pre-Christian beliefs of Artemis, but also: worship freely, establish schools and permitted to temples operate, and ordered the construction of a church from the remains of the Artemis Temple; also Theodosius banned women from many of the rights they previously enjoyed.

6.      Ephesus in the Middle Periods of Byzantine Rule

After the officializing of Christianity during the reign of "Constantine the Great", he declared Constantinople the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire, which, Ephesus regained its former importance. But in the 6th and 7th centuries AD, the occurrence of a terrible earthquake and the subsequent decline in trade from the ports of Ephesus, prevented it from regaining its former prosperity. In the following years, because of the Arab invasion, most of the residents were forced to leave the city, which caused a lot of damage; Although, Ephesus during the reign of the "Seljuk Turks", it experienced a brief period of growth and prosperity, never returned to its heyday.

7.      Ephesus, Under the Rule of the Ottoman Empire and till Now

In the 15th century, with the coming to power of the Ottoman Empire, Ephesus, faced recession and neglect again, and its ports practically lost their efficiency; Ephesus at the end of the century, it was completely abandoned and its legacy was left to: archaeologists, historians and thousands of visitors.

The Most Important Historical-Tourist Attractions of Ephesus

•        Artemis Temple

The Temple of Artemis is one of the most famous relics of antiquity, built in the 7th century BC by "Croesus", king of Lydia, as the temple of the Greek goddess of: Hunting, Fertility, the Moon, and Wildlife, dedicated to Artemis (the twin of Apollo). Apart from its roof, the temple was made entirely of "Parthenon" marble and decorated with beautiful artworks. Also, the statues in this temple, most of them are works of famous Greek sculptors, such as: "Kresilas", "Phidias", and "Polyclitus", and for the temple to look more beautiful, wealthy citizens dedicate expensive pieces like: Jewelry, silver and gold.

Artemis Temple was set on fire in 356 BC by a young man named "Herostratus", who wanted to become famous.

•        Temple of Hadrian

The Temple of Hadrian, built during the reign of the Roman Empire in honor of the then Roman Emperor "Hadrian", stands in front of terrace houses along "Curetes" street.

•        Curetes Street

Curetes Street, which runs from the "Library of Celsus" to the "Gate of Heracles/Hercules", was the main street of the city, connecting the north and south of Ephesus; because of this, there were many important buildings on both sides of this street and today it is full of surprises for visitors.

·       Hercules/Heracles Gate

Another important area of ​​the city of Ephesus is "the Gate of Heracles/Hercules", which unfortunately today has only two columns and reliefs of this ancient Roman god with lion skin. The Gate of Hercules, built in the 2nd century AD with two floors and 6 columns (on each floor), was used as a city gate in the 4th century AD in order to change its use, it was used as a city gate so that less chariots and military forces could enter the city.

·       Roman Terrace Houses

Although the ancient ruins of Ephesus have many historical sights, one of the most prominent and famous buildings that has attracted much attention is the Roman terrace houses belonging to wealthy Roman citizens. The mosaics used on the floor of the building and on the walls give a special glory and beauty to this, which surprises the visitors.

•        Celsius Library

Located at the end of Curetes Street, the Celsius Library was one of the three great libraries of the ancient world, with more than 12,000 scrolls, marking the culmination of the social life of the philosophers and creative craftsmen of Ephesus. This building was destroyed by a devastating earthquake in the 3rd century AD and rebuilt in the 1970s after an eight-year restoration.

•        Grand Amphi/Theater

Undoubtedly, one of the most remarkable ancient buildings in Ephesus, which is highly regarded by visitors with its beautiful architecture, is the Grand Amphitheater of the city. In ancient times, this place was used for holding: forums (political, religious and philosophical), gladiatorial fights, concerts and various plays, and in the early years of the rise of Christianity, "St. Paul" was used for sermons and invite people to Christianity. Grand Theater of Ephesus, at an altitude of about 30 meters above the city level, has the capacity of 25,000 people.

•        Agora Public Square

Built during the reign of "Alexander the Great", Agora Square was: the main center of the city and a place for trade, holding some religious, public ceremonies, celebrations and courts. Today, the remnants of the square are rebuilt by "Faustina", the wife of one of the most famous Roman emperors, "Marcus Aurelius". Archaeologists have unearthed a 6th and 7th century BC cemetery and water reservoir.

•        The Virgin Mary’s House

One of the most valuable religious relics, which is also highly regarded by Christians and Muslims, is the house of Mary before and after "the Ascension of Jesus". This house, though humble and small, has a lot of spiritual value, especially for Christians around the world.

·       Church of Mary

The Church of the Virgin Mary is another important religious monument in Ephesus, which in addition to its historical and religious significance, the remnants of the church are also significant in terms of architecture and structure. This church, which is one of the first Christian worship places, named after the Virgin Mary, is also known by some as the "Double/Twin Church", which is one of the architectural styles of the Byzantine period. The reason for this, is the proximity of Virgin Mary's Church to the church of "John the Apostle", which was later built side by side the first church.

According to some legends, the Church of the Virgin Mary was built in the 4th century AD due to its architectural style and appearance, and some other archaeologists from Austrian, due to their discoveries in the area of this building, consider its construction to belong to the third century AD.

•        Ephesus Museum

If for any reason you do not have the opportunity to visit all the sights and historical attractions of the ancient city of Ephesus, which takes a full day, and you want to see a collection of everything in this amazing place, then you must visit the Museum Ephesus; this museum has some of the most important relics from ancient times, such as: pottery, ornaments, statues and sculptures of people and goddesses, maquettes of different parts of the historic city of Ephesus, etc., it has the following sections to visit:

1. Hall of findings related to Roman terrace houses
2. Hall of Fountains Found
3. New and small findings hall
4. Great courtyard
5. Hall of findings from the tombs
6. Finds of the Artemis Temple
7. Cults of Emperors
8. Small courtyard

How to Access the Ancient City of Ephesus

The easiest way to get to Ephesus is to use a personal or rental car, which takes about 1 hour from Izmir; of course, there are also many tours from Izmir or Kusadasi through which you can reach this beautiful historical and ancient city. It should be noted that the northern entrance of Ephesus is close to the amphitheater of this city and the southern entrance is close to the Celsius Library.

The Best Time to Travel and Visit Ephesus

The best time to travel to Ephesus is spring and autumn, and between April to October, from 08:00 to 18:30, and between October and April, from 08:30 to 17:30. Also, note that to visit the Roman Terrace Houses in Ephesus, the time of their opening is 30 minutes later than the time of visiting the main area and the closing time is 30 minutes earlier than in other parts of Ephesus.

The Closest Accommodation to Ephesus

Due to the lack of accommodation near Ephesus, travelers and tourists can go to the cities of "Selçuk" or "Küşadası" as the nearest accommodation.