Ephesus

Overview

Walk down the Curetes Street of Ephesus and your feet follow the grooves of two thousand years. Marble paving runs downhill between statues, fountains and temples to the façade of the Library of Celsus, glowing gold in the morning light. Beyond it, a vast theater still holds the echo of a riot against Saint Paul. Ephesus is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it is far more than a ruin, so here you can still read how a great Roman city actually lived. Our Ephesus tour from Bodrum stops here, our Istanbul and Ephesus tour in 3 days adds Istanbul, and our Cappadocia, Ephesus and Pamukkale tour in 5 days joins all three.

A king once flooded the old town to force people to move. A man burned the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders, so that his name would live forever. Later, gladiators were buried in a cemetery outside the walls. Centuries later, the visions of a German nun led priests to a small stone house on a mountain above the city. Selçuk, Şirince and that house, the House of the Virgin Mary, all fit into the same day, as on our Ephesus Şirince tour from İzmir.

Ephesus, and How Long It Really Takes

Ephesus (Efes in Turkish) lies near the town of Selçuk in İzmir province, on the Aegean coast of Türkiye. It is also about 20 minutes from Kuşadası and about an hour from İzmir Airport. Today the ruins stand several kilometers inland, but in antiquity Ephesus was a port. Its harbor gradually silted up because the river carried soil down the valley.

In 2015, Ephesus joined the UNESCO World Heritage List, together with the Temple of Artemis, the Basilica of St. John and the İsa Bey Mosque in Selçuk. The ancient city opens every day of the year, with longer hours in summer and evening openings on some summer nights. We arrange your entry to Ephesus and time the day to its seasonal hours. The ticket also covers the Ephesus Experience Museum. However, the Terrace Houses need a separate ticket. We arrange your entry to the ancient city and the Terrace Houses, and to the evening openings if you wish.

How much time do you need at Ephesus?

A City That Moved Four Times

A city that moved

Ionian Greeks founded Ephesus around the 10th century BC, near an older Anatolian settlement. It moved several times, always following the coastline as the sea retreated. Later, around 300 BC, King Lysimachus, one of Alexander’s generals, built a new city on the present site. But the people refused to leave their old homes. So, Lysimachus blocked the drains during a storm and flooded the old town until they agreed to move.

The Temple of Artemis and the man who burned it

Ephesus was famous above all for its Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. In 356 BC, a man named Herostratus set it on fire for one reason: he wanted his name to be remembered forever. Afterward, the Ephesians condemned him and forbade anyone to speak his name. Yet the historians wrote it down anyway, and today “herostratic fame” means fame won through a destructive act. By tradition, Alexander the Great was born on the same night.

The capital of Roman Asia

Under Rome, Ephesus became the capital of the province of Asia and grew rich. So most of the buildings you see today date from this golden age of the 1st and 2nd centuries AD. Wealthy citizens competed to build fountains, baths and monuments, while the city’s merchants traded across the Mediterranean.

Paul, John and Mary

Ephesus also played a key role in early Christianity. Saint Paul lived here for about three years in the 50s AD. His preaching led to a riot of silversmiths who sold models of Artemis’s temple; the crowd filled the theater shouting “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”. Saint John lived and was buried here. In AD 431, the Council of Ephesus met in the Church of Mary and declared Mary the Mother of God.

Decline and rediscovery

As the harbor silted up, earthquakes struck and trade moved elsewhere, so Ephesus slowly emptied. The population moved up to the hill of Ayasuluk, today’s Selçuk. Excavations by the Austrian Archaeological Institute began in 1895, and they still continue today.

Our Route Through Ephesus, Top to Bottom

The Upper Gate and the State Agora

Most private visits start at the Upper (Magnesian) Gate and walk downhill, which is easier on the legs. Here, first of all, lies the State Agora, the political center of the city. Nearby, the Odeon, a small roofed theater, hosted the city council and also concerts.

Curetes Street

Then the main street slopes down between the remains of fountains, temples and statues. Further down, look for the Fountain of Trajan, the Gate of Hercules and the graceful Temple of Hadrian with its carved arches. Look down: the marble is worn smooth by countless feet.

The public latrines

Near the bottom of Curetes Street also lie the public latrines, a long row of marble seats around a central pool. Water ran under the seats while people sat side by side and talked. So it is no surprise that visitors love this place. Guides like to say that in winter, slaves warmed the cold marble for their masters, though no ancient source confirms it.

The Terrace Houses

Across from the Temple of Hadrian, a modern roof protects the Terrace Houses, the homes of wealthy Ephesians. Inside, walkways lead past mosaic floors, painted walls, marble panels and even a room where archaeologists are piecing together thousands of marble fragments. We count this among the highlights of Ephesus, so do not skip it to save time.

The Library of Celsus at Ephesus

Finally, at the foot of Curetes Street stands the most famous building of Ephesus. In the early 2nd century AD, the consul Julius Aquila built it in memory of his father, Celsus, governor of the province of Asia. Celsus was also buried in a crypt beneath the library, a rare honor inside a city. The library once held thousands of scrolls, although none survive today. Its two-story façade, with statues of Wisdom, Knowledge, Intelligence and Virtue, rose again from its original pieces when archaeologists rebuilt it.

Marble Street and the “advertisement”

From the library, Marble Street then runs toward the theater. In one paving stone, guides also show a carved footprint, a woman’s head and a heart. They often call it the oldest advertisement in the world, pointing the way to a brothel. It makes a good story, but scholars are not certain what the carving means.

The Great Theater

Built into the slope of Mount Pion, the Great Theater held huge crowds. It dates from the Hellenistic period, but the Romans enlarged it. This is where the silversmiths rioted against Paul. Stand at the top and look down the Harbor Street, the Arcadian Way. It once led to the sea, although the coast today lies several kilometers away.

The gladiators of Ephesus

Archaeologists found a gladiator cemetery near the stadium of Ephesus. Surprisingly, the skeletons showed healed wounds and signs of medical care. They also suggested that gladiators were valuable professionals, not just doomed men. The finds are on display at the Ephesus Museum in Selçuk.

The Cave of the Seven Sleepers

On the slope of Mount Pion, a series of tombs is linked to a famous legend. Seven young Christians, persecuted by the emperor, hid in a cave and fell asleep. They woke two centuries later in a Christian empire. The story also appears in both Christian tradition and the Quran.

Selçuk: Artemis, Saint John and the Ephesus Museum

In Selçuk, a single re-erected column marks the site of the Temple of Artemis. On the hill above, the Basilica of St. John, built by Emperor Justinian over the saint’s tomb, overlooks the Isa Bey Mosque of 1375. The Ephesus Museum displays the famous statues of Artemis with her strange egg-like ornaments, together with finds from the Terrace Houses.

The House of the Virgin Mary

On Mount Koressos above Ephesus stands a small stone house venerated as the last home of the Virgin Mary. Its story, however, is unusual. In the 19th century, a German nun, Anne Catherine Emmerich, described in her visions a house near Ephesus. Following her description, priests searched the mountain and identified the building in 1891. Several popes have visited since, and Christians and Muslims alike come to pray here. Outside, visitors leave written wishes on a long wall.

The best photo spots at Ephesus

• The Library of Celsus at opening time: golden light.
• Curetes Street from the top: the marble street leading down to the library.
• The top of the theater: the Harbor Street running toward the lost sea.
• The Temple of Hadrian: its carved arch up close.
• The Terrace Houses: mosaics and frescoes under soft light.

Selçuk: The Town Beside Ephesus

Ephesus fits into a morning, but the town beside it deserves an evening. We prefer to stay a night in Selçuk, the market town three kilometers from the ruins. Then you can be at the gate when it opens, before the heat, and eat where the town eats in the evening.

On Saturdays, Selçuk holds a big weekly market behind the bus station. Villagers from the hills bring cured olives, olive oil soap, honey, dried figs and wild thyme, and nobody is selling to tourists. The vendors start setting up the night before, so nearby streets close early in the morning. A smaller Wednesday market sells fruit, vegetables and village cheeses.

The valleys around Ephesus also grow figs, olives, peaches and grapes. In the hills above, the village of Şirince makes fruit wines and dry local wines, and the countryside is at its most beautiful in spring.

How to Visit Ephesus

What is Ephesus like in summer?

In summer, Ephesus is hot and sunny, and the site has little shade. The ancient city keeps longer hours then, with evening openings on some summer nights, so you can choose the cooler ends of the day. Start at the Upper Gate at opening time and walk downhill, and bring water, a hat and sunscreen. For the season across the country, read Turkey in summer.

Getting to Ephesus

• From İzmir Airport: about an hour by car on the highway.
• From Kuşadası and its cruise port: about 20 minutes.
• From Selçuk: a few minutes by car; the Lower Gate is about three kilometers from town. The site has two entrances, the Lower Gate and the Upper Gate, so a driver can drop you at one and wait at the other.
• From Pamukkale: about three hours by car.

Do you need a guide at Ephesus?

You can visit Ephesus without a guide, but a licensed guide makes the ruins readable. A guide explains what the Library of Celsus, the public latrines and the Terrace Houses tell you about daily life. Stories such as the “advertisement” on Marble Street also need someone to tell you what is known and what is only a good tale. Our guide at Ephesus fits the route to your pace.

Local tips for Ephesus

• Arrive at opening time before the heat.
• Walk downhill from the Upper Gate to the Lower Gate, with a car waiting at the bottom.
• Bring water, a hat and sunscreen, because there is little shade.
• Wear shoes with grip, for the worn marble streets.
• Do not skip the Terrace Houses.
• Dress modestly for the House of the Virgin Mary.
• Head north to Troy if you want to follow the ancient world up the Aegean coast.

Arriving by cruise ship? Our Ephesus shore excursion starts at the pier in Kuşadası and brings you back in time. To add Pamukkale, see our Ephesus and Pamukkale tour in 2 days.