The history of Ephesus raises a legitimate question: how did this city manage to survive so well? For many centuries it had no fortress wall and no army of its own. What is its secret?
A little history
Ephesus was founded in 1000 B.C. on the Aegean coast and was conveniently located at the end of several trade routes. The cults associated with female deities have always been practiced here: first it was the local Anatolian mother goddess Cybele, who was replaced by the cult of Artemis. From your school history course you will remember the Temple of Artemis of Ephesus — its ruins can be seen here.
Ephesus was a rich and prosperous city for many centuries. It passed from the Greeks to the Persians, constantly changing political allies, showing its fickleness. During the Roman Empire, the city was the capital of Asia.
The population of Ephesus has always been multi-ethnic. At the beginning of our era, a large Jewish diaspora lived here, which is why Christianity appeared in Ephesus earlier than anywhere else. St. Paul lived and preached here in the middle of the first century, and two Ecumenical Councils were held during the Byzantine Empire.
In the 14th century, the city became part of the Ottoman Empire, and its heyday ended. As early as the 15th century, Ephesus was finally abandoned.
No one lives in Ephesus now, just as in Pompeii. The territory available to tourists is not large. It will take you 2—3 hours to explore it. It is believed that for more than 100 years of archaeological research was excavated only about 10% of the ancient city — most likely, our descendants will be able to see much more than we do, because the work continues.
What to see in Ephesus
The official list of sights of Ephesus looks quite impressive, but not all of them have been preserved well enough. I will tell you about the most famous and interesting ones.
You can enter the grounds through two entrances: upper and lower. There is a ticket office at both. We used the lower entrance, although many people recommend the upper entrance — in this case you will walk down the hill to the bottom.
The Library of Celsus
One of the most beautiful and recognizable structures not only of Ephesus, but of the entire heritage of the ancient world that has survived to us. It was built in 114—135 AD by Tiberius Julius Aquilla in memory of his father, Tiberius Julius Celsus, whose body is buried under the western wall of the structure. Celsus was a very learned man of his time and did much for his province as consul.
This ancient Roman library was the second largest library in the ancient world after the library of Alexandria. It contained about 12,000 scrolls, which perished in a fire in 262 AD during the Gothic invasion.
The facade of the building was restored in the 1970s. It is decorated with niches with four statues — Wisdom, Virtue, Thought and Knowledge. Their plaster copies are on display in Ephesus, while the originals can be seen in the Ephesus Museum in Vienna.
Temple of Artemis of Ephesus
One of the 7 wonders of the world, dedicated to the goddess Artemis, has not survived, but Ephesus does have one column recovered from the rubble. The rest of the finds — fragments of sculptures and other objects — are kept in the British Museum.
We do not know exactly what this temple looked like, but it is known that its grandiosity amazed contemporaries. The temple went through several life cycles — it appeared in the Bronze Age, was repeatedly destroyed and restored. In the IV century it was closed and finally destroyed in connection with the establishment of Christianity.
Church of Mary the Virgin
In Ephesus, the world’s first church in honor of the mother of Christ was built between the 2nd and 4th centuries on the site of an ancient Roman basilica. It was in this building that the Third Ecumenical Council took place in 431, at which Mary was recognized as the Mother of God. Only the baptistery, an annex for baptism, has survived in good condition.
Arcadia Road
This road, decorated with magnificent colonnades and marble slabs, was once used by sailors and traders arriving at the port. The Arcadia Road was built in the Hellenistic period and then rebuilt during the reign of the Byzantine Emperor Arcadius in the 5th century, after whom it was named. It was 530 meters long and 11 meters wide.
Arcadia Road is periodically closed for reconstruction, but if you’re lucky like me, be sure to walk along it.
Theater
The three-story theater of Ephesus had a seating capacity of 25,000 spectators — only 2 times less than the Roman Colosseum. From its top, even now there is a good view of the ruins. Up to our time, the theater stage is not badly preserved. The steps were rather crudely restored in a short time to make it possible to hold summer festivals here with accommodation for large numbers of people.
Odeon
The Odeon was built in the 2nd century on the orders of wealthy citizens Publius Vedius Antonius and his wife Flavia. The structure with a capacity of up to 1.5 thousand people had two functions: as a small venue for performances and concerts, and also as a meeting place for the city Senate.
Hadrian’s Temple
This structure was built in 138 AD in honor of Emperor Hadrian with the funds of wealthy citizens. Most of the sculptures on display here are plaster copies, while the originals are kept in the Selcuk Archaeological Museum. The arches connecting the four columns at the entrance are decorated with the heads of Tyche, the goddess of chance, and possibly Medusa, a monster with a woman’s head and snakes instead of hair. The former was usually placed for good luck and the latter to ward off evil forces.
Agora
The State Agora, built in the 1st century BC, played an important role — not only trading, but also governmental discussions were held here. During excavations, a large number of graves from the 7th to 6th century BC were discovered here. — This means that the site was formerly used as the necropolis of Ephesus.
Kuretov Street
Another notable street of ancient Ephesus stretches from the library of Celsus to the Agora. Its name refers to the sacred caste of the Kuretes, who performed cultic activities in the Temple of Artemis. Walk along this marble and natural stone paved street and you will see many ruins of ancient buildings, columns and pedestals where statues once stood.
Bas-relief of the Goddess Niki
The ancient stone bas-relief with the portrait of the ancient Greek goddess of victory Nika is unique: it is one of the two surviving bas-reliefs on which Nika is depicted with her head.
Houses with terraces
At the opposite end of Kuretov Street from Hadrian’s Temple, there are 6 houses and 62 rooms where the local nobility lived. At the moment 2 houses have been restored and are open to the public. The first house is built around an atrium with a fountain and its walls are covered with frescoes, one of which depicts the battle between Hercules and the river god Achelon. In the second house you will find a wonderful mosaic with a triton and nereids.
How to organize a trip to Ephesus
The ruins of Ephesus are open daily:
- April 1 through October 1 — 10:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
- October 1 through April 1 — 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The Turkish lira (TL) is approximately equal to 0.11 €.
The easiest way to get to Selcuk is from İzmir, the nearest major city, and Kuşadası, the nearest resort. From elsewhere in Turkey, you will need to get to one of them first.
How to get to Ephesus from Izmir
The closest settlement to the archaeological site of Ephesus is Selçuk, once a small provincial town that has become a major tourist center. Unless you are traveling by car or coming to Ephesus on a tourist bus, it is Selçuk that you need to get to first. From here it is a short walk to Ephesus. The distance of 3 km can be covered on foot, by cab (10—15 TL), dolmush (3—5 TL) or by renting a bicycle (18—20 TL per day).
Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport (Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport), code ADB, is the closest airport to Ephesus and Selcuk. The airport is large — the 4th by the volume of transportation in Turkey. It has an international terminal. There are flights to Izmir from Russia, but most of them are connecting flights to Istanbul.
The distance between Selcuk and Izmir is about 80 km. You can get there by train or bus. The journey takes 1.5 hours and tickets cost 7—10 TL.
- Trains to Selcuk run 6 times a day from the Central Railway Station (Basmane Gar), which is located in the heart of the city. You can buy a ticket at the station ticket office. On the way the train stops at Izmir Airport. You can check the schedule and ticket prices on the official website of the Turkish Railroad. The trains on the route are comfortable and air-conditioned.
- Buses leave from Büyük Otogar bus station every half hour. Tickets are sold at the station ticket office or online.
In the high season, you should buy tickets in advance. I recommend Omio — the aggregator shows tickets for buses and trains.
How to get to Selcuk and Ephesus from Kusadasi
The seaside resort of Kusadasi is only 18 km southwest of Selcuk, so transportation is well established. The most convenient way is to take a dolmusha, which regularly departs from the main square of the town — the trip will take about 30 minutes, and one of the stops on this route is at the lower entrance to Ephesus, which is very convenient if you do not plan to stay in Selcuk. The fare is 9 TL.
From other cities in Turkey
Bus services connect Selcuk with a number of other Turkish cities. For example, you can get here from the following locations:
- Denizli / Pamukkale — 40 TL.
- Istanbul — 130 TL.
- Ankara — 120 TL.
- Kayseri — 155 TL.
- Nevşehir — 140 TL
- and others.
Bus schedules and fares are on the bus company’s website and on Omio.
Where to stay in Ephesus
If you want to visit Ephesus with an overnight stay, or if you are traveling around Turkey by car, the most convenient places to stay are Selcuk or Kusadasi. Selcuk is closer, while Kusadasi is still a resort, so you can grab some beach time here.
Prices for a double room in Selcuk start from 15 €.
- EPHESUS CENTRUM HOTEL — prices here do not exceed 35 € per night. Pros: excellent location, cozy rooms and delicious breakfast.
- Ephesus Palace — convenient location, friendly staff and rooms from 15 €.
We stayed in Kusadasi — couldn’t pass up the opportunity to swim in the Aegean Sea. Prices for accommodation here are about the same as in Selcuk. I recommend Hikmethan Otel — the rooms here are large and comfortable, and the breakfasts are very good. Very close to the hotel are the marina, the street of bars and the Grand Bazaar. You can stay here for 15—20 €.
Excursions and tours to Ephesus
When time is limited or you don’t want to transfer to the sights, taking a tour is not a bad idea. A guide with a minibus will pick you up from your city, bring you to Ephesus, show you around and bring you back to your starting point.
Tours in English are about 1.5—2 times cheaper than similar tours in Russian. For example, if you get to Ephesus on your own and hire a guide here, a group tour of Ephesus will cost from 26 €, an individual tour — from only 56 € per person, and a Russian language private tour — 200 € per group.
There are organized tours to Ephesus and the Aegean coast from nearby cities. I recommend searching for them on Tiqets, Tripster, Get Your Guide and Viator.
Examples of tour prices per person:
- Day tour to Ephesus from Bodrum — from 40 €
- Day tour to Ephesus from Izmir — from 80 €
- Half day tour from Kusadasi — from 35 €
- Day tour from Marmaris — from 30 €
For cruise ship passengers, there are tours from the port of Kusadasi to Ephesus and back from 42 €: the price usually includes transfers to and from the port, a tour and even a small lunch.
