The ancient ruins of Ephesus is a “must see” historical landmark when visiting Turkey and is one of the largest and most impressive ancient sites in the world. Ephesus made the UNESCO World Heritage Site list in 2015.
The ancient city is located 80 kilometres from Izmir close to the lovely towns of Selcuk and Sirince. A whopping 14 million tourists visit the site every year. People say that if the success of Ephesus had continued then it would have even rivalled Rome.
Not only was Ephesus an importance as an Aegean trading port but it was also a very important part of Christianity. History shows us that Saint John, Saint Paul and the Virgin Mary spent time at Ephesus. The famous Artemis riots also took place here in the large theatre.
There is much to see and explore at Ephesus!!
There is the Library of Celsus which has been carefully reconstructed from its original pieces. The library was originally built back in 125 AD for Anicent Greek Tiberius Julius Celsus Polemaeanus who was a governor in 105 – 107 AD in the Roman Empire. It was Celsus himself who paid for the construction of the library from his own personal wealth. He is infact buried beneath the library in a sarcophagus.
There is the Temple of Artemis, which today is known as one of the Seven Wonders of the world. Back in the Hellenistic Age the temple was built in honour of one of the three main goddesses of Olympus, Artemis. The temple was completely constructed out of marble and was one of the largest Greek temples to ever built. Today you will be able to see the ruins of its foundations made of marble and filled with sculptured columns. Parts of this temple can be seen at the London British Museum.
You will be able to explore the ruins of the open air amphitheatre which once could hold a capacity of 25,000 making it one the largest amphitheatres in the world. It originally was used for performances but some evidence has shown that is was also used later for gladiator fights.
There is also the Odeon which was constructed in 150 AD by Publius Vedius Antoninus. The Odeon was a small theatre but was one of the finest architectural sites of ancient Athens. The theatre could hold around 1,500 and hosted a variety of concerts and plays. There are still to this day corinthian style pillars and steps which lead to the stage area.
Other sites include the Temple of Hadrian which was built back in 118 – 138 AD for the emperor Hadrian and today is still one of the most beautiful structures of the ancient city. The Isa Bey Mosque can also be seen. This piece of architecture is one of the oldest and most important structures of Anataloian mosques in the country.
Another sacred place of the ancient city of Ephesus is the House of Virgin Mary. History says that Mary was taken to the stone house by Saint John. She stayed here until her death at age 101. This historical site is well respected by both Christians and Muslims.
So whether you are spending time in Kusadasi or venturing around Turkey, come explore this incredible historical landmark and all that lies within the ancient city!!
