Ephesus

Ephesus, İzmir 

UNESCO World Heritage Site 2015 

The Bronze Age Kingdom of Arzawa’s capital city Apasas became known as “Ephesus” in the 1st millennium. Ephesus lies 70 km south of İzmir, near the modern town of Selçuk. Recent excavations at Ayasuluk Hill, revealed the traces of a Bronze Age settlement and a Mycenean settlement on the same hill. Further excavations in the valley of the Küçük Menderes River (known in antiquity as the the Kaystros or Caystrus River) unearthed a Neolithic settlement at Ephesus. The archaic Ephesus was settled around the Temple of Artemis. The goddess Artemis was a direct continuation of the Anatolian Mother Goddess and was called the “Ephesian Artemis,” not to be confused with the entirely different Greek Artemis, the huntress and daughter of Zeus. The earliest temple dedicated to Artemis goes back to the 8th century BC, and it was rebuilt at least three times. The Temple of Artemis that was built in the 4th century BC was recognized as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Its fame reached distant lands and it became a pilgrimage site for merchants, kings, and sightseers, many of whom paid homage to Artemis in the form of jewelry and various other offerings.

This old city was moved to its present location most probably in the 1st century BC, as a result of the silting of the Kaystros River (today’s Küçük Menderes River). When Augustus declared himself emperor in 27 BC, he made Ephesus the capital city of the Roman Province of Asia. This new city grew enormously and flourished for almost 1,000 years until Kaystros silted up the harbors of the new Ephesus too. 

The city has been excavated by the Austrian Archaeological Institute for over 120 years. The theater is the biggest in all of Türkiye with a capacity of 30,000 spectators. Notable structures at Ephesus, among others, include the Library of Celsus, the Gate of Mazaeus and Mithridates, the Temple of Hadrian, and the “terrace houses” which show us how the wealthy Roman families lived. The baths, the gymnasium, and the two agoras (a commercial and a state one) are in excellent condition. 

A full day at Ephesus is not sufficient to see the entire site. The nearby House of the Virgin Mary and the Basilica and Tomb of St. John are nearby pilgrimage sites. The Selçuk Museum houses wonderful artifacts from Ephesus and its surroundings.