There are so many compelling reasons to come to Ephesus and its ancient ruins are absolutely unbelievable. If you are a lover of history as I am you will definitely want to move this amazing city to the top your Bucket List.
We made the trek to Ephesus at the end of summer when the weather was still pretty hot. If you plan on visiting in the summer months my recommendation would be to bring plenty of water, a parasol and perhaps a couple of cooling cloths. The heat can be quite overwhelming.
Let me just tell you what I would consider 5 of the most compelling reasons to make Ephesus the next destination ::
#1 :: The ancient ruins in Ephesus are older than most.
The Ephesus everyone visits today was founded in the 4th century B.C. but the ancient ruins of the first city (and it is believed that there have been at least 5 cities) dates back to 10th century B.C.
Baths of Varius
Located north of the State Agora is a complex marble structure known as the Baths of Varius which was first built during the Hellenistic era, then enlarged in Roman and Byzantine times. In those days cities built baths for its townspeople :: they did not have them in each individual residence as we know them to be today. And the wealthiest people had their own separate bath houses which represented a great mark of status.
The baths consisted of three sections :: the frigidarium (cold water), the tepidarium (warm water) and caladium (hot water). Men and women did not bathe in the same bath (women were provided smaller baths in a separate building) but each used the three sections in their respective baths one at a time.
Fountains of Ephesus
Fountain of Trajan
Built in around 104 C.E. this fountain is one of the finest monuments in Ephesus with a statue of the Emperor of the same name in its center. The columns and statues that once surrounded the fountain can be found in the Ephesus Museum.
Fountain of Hydreion
The fountain of Hydreion is located beside the Memmius Monument and was one of the most outstanding ancient fountain ruins in Ephesus. This fabulous structure was built as a resting place for weary travelers, had three separate water basins and 4 of the Corinth-style columns can still be seen in front of the fountain.
Memmius Monument
Standing on the north side of the Domitian Square it was built during the reign of Augustus in the first century A.D. with a square fountain on the northwest facade. This monument was built in 87 B.C. to remember the conquering of Mithridates (who killed 80,000 Romans in his three year revolt with his army).
Prytaneion
The construction of the Prytaneion dates to the 3rd century B.C. but the ruins of the complex date back to the Augustan age. This was where religious ceremonies, official receptions and banquets were held and where the sacred flame symbolizing the heart of Ephesus was kept constantly lit in a four-cornered pit in the center of the ceremonial hall, a relic from the reign of Lysimachos. During excavations archeologists found 2 Artemis statues which are now present in Ephesus Museum.
#2 :: The ancient ruins in Ephesus have been recorded to be the longest lasting…
…in history, existing between 4th century B.C. and the 15th century A.D. despite all of the earthquakes, wars, diseases and fires they have endured.
Temple of Hadrian
Temple of Hadrian is one of the best preserved and most beautiful structures on Curetes Street and it truly is something to behold. It was built before 138 A.D by P. Quintilius and was dedicated to the Emperor Hadrian who came to visit the city from Athens in 128 A.D. Emperor Hadrian was one of the Five of Good Emperors, a term that refers to five consecutive emperors of the Roman Empire— Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius.
At the front of the temple stand four Corinthian columns with a curved arch in the middle which contains a carving of Tyche, goddess of victory. The pedestals with inscriptions in front of the temple are the bases for the statues of the emperors between 293-305 CE :: Diocletian, Maximian, Constantius I and Galerius which have not yet been found.
Ephesus Latrines
Situated next to the Temple of Hadrian in Ephesus these public toilet ruins (the ancient version of port-a-potties for which an entrance fee was required) were constructed along the wall like marble benches. A pool of clean water flowed continuously in the gutter in front of them. It’s interesting to me that people conducted their “business” without separate stalls, just like the baths.
Odeion of Ephesus
The Odeion of Ancient Ephesus was a small theatre financed by a wealthy citizen named Vedius Antonius. It has a semi-circular shape. It had low steps or ledges divided by passages and two corridors on each side to let people access the higher seats. There was also an orchestra and a podium.
There were five entrances to the podium in the front side of the theatre and along the street to the State Agora. The Odeion was adorned with pillars and it must have had a wooden roof in the past.
The Odeion was used for political meetings (senate house), social events, concerts and theatrical performances.
#3 :: Ephesus played a very important role in world history.
Ephesus was visited by Alexander the great, Julius Caesar, Mark Anthony and Cleopatra, and became home to St. Paul, St. John and the Virgin Mary. It was so wealthy that the Temple of Artemis, the third largest library Celsus Library and the Great Theatre, the largest theater of Asia Minor were all built there. One of the most impactful cities in the world I’ve had the pleasure of visiting, for sure.
Temple of Artemis
The original temple was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The complete ruins of this important temple is located in Seljuk not far away.
Photo Credit :: toursce.com
Today if you visit the original site in Ephesus only a foundation and sculptural fragments of its ancient ruins remain.
Photo credit :: warwick.ac.uk
Also known as the Temple of Diana it was a Greek temple dedicated to the goddess Artemis. She was the twin of Apollo in Greek mythology and the daughter of Zeus and Leto.
Library of Celsus
Considered one of the most beautiful structures in Ephesus, Celsus Library was built in 117 A.D. as a monumental tomb for the governor of the province of Asia by the same name. His grave was beneath the ground floor with a statue of Athena goddess of wisdom over it.
The library held more than 12,000 scrolls, the third richest library in ancient times after Alexandria and Pergamum. Such fascinating details went into this structure.
The statues of Sophia ‘wisdom’, Episteme ‘knowledge’, Ennoia ‘intelligence’ and Arete ‘valor’ currently standing in the niches of the columns are copies of the originals which were taken to Ephesus Museum in Vienna in the early 1900’s.
Great Theatre
Also known as the Ephesus Great Theatre you can easily see it when you enter the city from the south, originally built in the Hellenistic era but enlarged during the Roman era. With a capacity of 25,000 seats (60 rows of seats divided by two aisles in three horizontal sections and 3 stories high) the Great Theatre is the largest of its kind in Anatolia (Asia Minor, which makes up most of modern-day Turkey).
It was used not only for concerts and plays but also for gladiator and animal fights as well as for religious, political and philosophical forums/discussions.
Basilica of St. John
Seeing the ruins of St. John’s Basilica was pretty surreal. Kind of like seeing the House of the Virgin Mary. The Basilica of St. John was regarded as one of the holiest churches of its time. But with the invasion of Turks the chapel was used as a mosque in the 14th century. Unfortunately the Basilica of St. John became unusable due to the serious earthquake in the same century. To give you more perspective on its size it was told to me that if the basilica were to have been completely rebuilt it would be the seventh largest church in the world.
The most striking feature of the basilica is its massive apse entrance which has been partially restored.
The construction of the basilica began in 548, completed by 565 and stands over the believed burial site of John the Apostle, originally a mausoleum of sorts, which served as a church. As it stands today the reconstruction of the basilica is yet incomplete.
Near the church they built an aqueduct to help the then uncultivated land around it flourish.
Tomb of St. John
St. John (Apostle, Evangelist) lived in Ephesus for a long time, wrote his gospel and died by the age of 100 in Ephesus. Raised by two steps and covered with marble, St. John’s tomb was located under the central dome of the basilica that was once carried by the four columns at the corners. Still pretty incredible to have been there and stood beside St. John’s tomb knowing who he was and what role he played in Christianity. So surreal. And a truly special place.
Statue of Virgin Mary
Ephesus is the place where the Virgin Mary (the mother of Jesus Christ) was reckoned to have spent her last years. The story has it that she died in Ephesus and most probably buried by St. John on the Mountain named Nightingale nearby Ephesus.
The golden statue of the Virgin Mary is located near the Basilica of St. John.
House of the Virgin Mary
Excavations in 1881 uncovered ancient stone foundations, most from the 500s and 600s but some from the 1st century A.D. when Mary would have been alive. After a visit by Pope Paul VI in 1967, the Catholic church confirmed the authenticity of the legend. Pope John Paul II visited in 1979 and Pope Benedict XVI in 2006.
Today the Virgin Mary’s House is rebuilt as a chapel and visited by millions of people every year to sip the waters of an adjoining spring said to have curative powers…
…to leave messages and prayers on the stone prayer wall…
…and to enjoy the pine-shaded mountaintop location.
Regardless of one’s religious proclivities it is hard not to be moved by a site that so many find sacred.
A service is held on August 15th each year commemorating the Virgin Mary’s Assumption.
#4 :: When you walk along the marble streets of Ephesus it truly feels as if you have travelled back in time.
You will not see just some ruins here and there :: most of the city center has been excavated and re-erected. You will able to see not only most of the state and social buildings but thanks to the Austrian Archaeological Institute (started excavations in 1895 and with the exception of the interruption of WWI and WWII has continued uninterrupted since 1954; archaeologists of the Ephesus Museum and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism who accelerated their work as of 1979 as well) you can also see the interior of the houses of some of the wealthiest citizens of Ephesus. . With everything that has been uncovered still only 10% of the ancient city has been unearthed.
State Agora
Like the Baths of Varius, the State Agora was renovated multiple times during its history. The first agora on this site was built in the 6th century B.C. in Hellenistic style. During excavation that agora was found buried approximately 2 meters below the present Agora. This agora would have been used as a public area and a meeting place for governmental discussions.
In the center there was a temple dedicated to the Egyptian godess Isis built for the visit of Marcus Antonius and Cleaopatra in 42 B.C. The current structure would have been built in the Roman Period in the first century B.C. and would have served as the chamber where all decision would have been voted on. It was demolished during the reign of Augustus and never rebuilt because of its connections with Egypt.
Lower Agora
The Lower or Commercial Agora was the most important trade center of Ephesus, one square mile in size and surrounded by columns with three gates.
In the center of the Agora was a sundial and a water clock (used in court hearings to measure the time allotted for each speaker). The Lower Agora was built in the third century B.C. in the Hellenistic era with ruins dating back to 211 C.E.
According to some biblical scholars there is a high possibility of St. Paul having had a tent-making shop in the Commercial Agora of Ephesus between 53-56 A.D.
Terrace Houses
Ephesus terrace houses are located on the hill opposite the Hadrian Temple also called “the houses of rich.” They are important because they give us information about family life during the Roman period. Terrace houses were built according to the Hippodamian plan of the city in which roads intersected each other at right angels.
They had interior courtyards with a row of columns surrounding the space in the center with the ceilings open. Mostly built with two stories, with living rooms and dining rooms opening to the hall on the ground floor and bedrooms and guest rooms upstairs. But the second stories have all collapsed over time.
#5 :: Of all the guided tours in which I’ve taken part, IMHO the guides explaining the ancient ruins in Ephesus are among the best.
Apparently being a guide in Ephesus is a well-respected position and pays very well which is motivation for young people to seek after this line of work. As a result most have an extensive education and speak many languages fluently. When you take a guided tour in Ephesus you will be exposed to more information than you can absorb. I wish I had video or at least a voice recording of our guide (above) as a remembrance of our time in this amazing city.
Excavations and Restorations
Since 1954 much of the excavations and restorations have been carried out by the Austrian Archaeology Institute Team but also by the archaeologists of the Ephesus Museum. In their intensive work they have uncovered and restored many important structures. And as you walk the streets of Ephesus you can see the ruined pieces everywhere around you. I happened upon an archaeologist who was working along the side of the State Agora. He did not speak English so he let me just watch him as he worked. I found it so very interesting.
I was told that in recent years the focus has been more on the care and preservation of the buildings that have already been discovered rather than the actual excavation. In the past fifteen years many important structures and monuments have been restored. And in the course of the excavations which have now lasted over a century, only ten percent of the ancient city of Ephesus has been unearthed. Excavations in Ephesus will go on for many years with an emphasis on restorative works.
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Seriously, had I been exposed to the love of archaeology in my early years perhaps this is the path of education that I may have chosen to follow. It is all beyond interesting to me. And Ephesus was truly a treasure trove of archaeology! If you enjoy visiting historic ruins Ephesus definitely is one you shouldn’t miss!
