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Ephesus was an ancient city built in 10th century BC on the coast of Ionia, near present-day Selçuk, Turkey. As a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the ruins of Ephesus are the most well-known in Turkey, attracting thousands of visitors every day, and millions each year. As one of Turkey’s greatest highlights and open air museums, Ephesus is the best preserved classical city of the Eastern Mediterranean, and among the best in the world for getting a feel for the atmosphere of ancient Roman times.
The ancient city was conquered many times over, but its most prominent era was when it came under the control of the Romans in 129 BC. As the capital of Roman Asia Minor, Ephesus was a thriving city of over 250,000 people, making it the fourth largest in the empire. Although it’s now almost 10km from the sea, it was established as a port city and it used to be the most important commercial and trade centre in its day.
SIGHTS IN EPHESUS
The most famous image of Ephesus you’ll recognize is of the Library of Celsus which was the third-largest library in the ancient world and it’s one of the most impressive buildings of the Roman Empire.
The Great Theatre is where entertainment and social functions were the highlight of living in the ancient city. The theatre held performances; religious, political and philosophical discussions; and gladiator games. Estimates are that it could seat 24,000 people, which is about half the amount of modern football stadiums.
Nearby is the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, which drew pilgrims from all over the Mediterranean back in the day. Unfortunately, little remains of it now- one column where a very classy stork had made her nest at the top.
FUN FACTS
You’ll see loads of cats chilling and napping on the ruins.
And back in the day, the rich people would get their slaves to sit on the toilets to warm them up for their masters.
HOW TO GET TO EPHESUS
You can stay in Selçuk, where the ruins are located 3km away, or you can do a day trip from Kuşadası or Izmir. Kuşadası is the nearest larger town, about 20km away. From Izmir, Ephesus is about an hour drive. I took an overnight bus to Selçuk from Istanbul.
WHERE TO STAY
Ephesus can get very crowded due to the cruise ship crowds from Kuşadası. To avoid this, it’s best to stay in Selçuk and go early at 8:30am when it opens (double check the hours as they may change with high and low season), which will also avoid the midday heat.
I stayed in Selçuk at Anz Guesthouse, which is a hostel with both dorms and private rooms and breakfast is included. I stayed in a dorm room for about 26TL (6 Euros) per night. It has good chill out areas and a great view of the town.
SHOULD YOU JOIN A GUIDED TOUR?
I’m typically not a fan of guided tours, but they do have a time and place. Having a tour guide for Ephesus will enhance your visit and make it so much more interesting and meaningful, especially if your knowledge of the history of Ephesus is limited.
Yes, of course the guided tour will end at a carpet shop, which ensued eye-rolling at first, but it was actually really cool! There were women weaving carpets there and the carpets are absolutely stunning. Some carpets take a few months to make, and some can take a year, so it’s definitely a very fine art.
I was really tempted to buy a carpet and I still regret that I didn’t, but I ended up buying one later in my trip in Morocco. If you want to buy a carpet, they come in all different sizes, you can aggressively bargain because they aggressively jack up the prices for tourists, and they can pack up the carpet impressively small to fit in your luggage (or you can ship it).
If you can’t do guided tours, you can rent an audio guide at the entrance or read up beforehand. Do not go into Ephesus blind with no knowledge of what life was like for Ephesus citizens during Roman rule, the most thriving time for the city.
TRY40 ($10USD) for general site entry.
For more information and history on Ephesus, click here.
MORE REASONS TO TRAVEL TO TURKEY
What to Know Before You Go to Turkey
18 Pictures That Will Make You Want To Travel to Turkey
Cappadocia – Turkey’s Magical Land of Fairy Chimneys
Pamukkale – Turkey’s Cotton Castle
Olympos – Treehouses, Ancient Ruins and Beaches in Turkey
Sailing Turkey’s Turquoise Coast
This looks amazing!!!!
Yeah it’s definitely worth checking out! 🙂