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If
you want to visit a place where you
can really get a feel for what
life was like 2000 years ago during
the glory-days of Greece and Rome, Ephesus (also
spelled Efes, Ephesos or Ephessos), is
the place. In terms of ruins, it's
better than Rome itself.
Guided
Tours are available
from
Istanbul, Izmir, Kusadasi and
other towns. You
can even fly from Istanbul to
Ephesus, tour the archeological
site, and
return to Istanbul the same day.
Ask any of my recommended
travel agencies to make the arrangements for
you.
It's
best to visit Ephesus first
thing in the morning, before
the summer sun gets too hot and before
the press
of group tour buses gets too heavy.
You
can see the impressive ruins in 2
to 3 hours if necessary, though
half a day or more is better.
If
your hotel is
in Selçuk,
you can walk the
pleasant 3 km (2 miles) to the
ruins in the cool
of
morning along tree-shaded Dr Sabri
Yayla Boulevard in 30 to 40 minutes.
This will take you to the main
parking lot and northern entrance.
On
the walk you'll pass the Artemision,
the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven
Wonders of the World. More...
If
you ride to the
ruins, many people prefer to start
at the southern (upper) entrance
by the Magnesia Gate so they can
walk downhill, so ask the driver
to leave
you there. This entrance is on the
road to the House of the Virgin Mary (Meryemana).
Admission to
Ephesus costs TL20.
Signage at
Ephesus is simply terrible (compare
the far better signage at Aphrodisias),
which no doubt promotes the sale
of guidebooks, audio
tours and the services
of human
guides, all of which are available
at both entrances. Human guides vary by the guide, but most are entertaining
and informative. The books are mostly
pretty expensive for what you get.
Some are not very informative.
For
the audio tours,
which are pretty good, you
pay TL10
for a paper map and the rental of
the audio device. You must
leave something
of
value (such
as
your
driver's license) as security for
the return of the audio
device. If you like, you can rent
the audio device at once entrance
and arrange to return it—and
to retrieve your driver's license—at
the other entrance.
Ephesus was a prosperous,
rich Roman city
with a busy port and
a brisk pilgrimage
trade to the Temple
of Artemis. Here are the important
things you'll see:
Great Theater
Built into the slope of Panayir Dagi,
this is the Roman reconstruction
(41-117 AD) of the earlier theater
built by Lysimachus. Though huge,
with 25,000 seats, its ingenious
engineering gives it excellent acoustics.
It's still used for performances
and special events.
Harbor Street (Arcadian Way)
The avenue leading from the theater
to the harbor was a grand affair,
with colonnades, fountains, monuments
and even street lights along it,
and water and drainage conduits beneath
its marble paving stones.
Marble Way
This aptly-named street leads
south from in front of the theater to
the Brothel and Library of Celsus. West
of it are the remains of the spacious Commercial
Agora.
Brothel
A lavish building, now in ruins, it
stands across from the library, a
reminder that prostitution was not
looked upon as degrading in some
ancient societies. Just outside it,
seek the Men's Toilets—immediately
recongizable!
Library of Celsus
A technological wonder, with double
walls to keep out the damp and moderate
the extremes of temperature, it is
also perhaps the most beautiful building
at Ephesus, finely restored. To the
right is the Gate of Augustus, a
monumental arch leading to the Commercial
Agora.
Curetes Way
This splendid hillside street, starting
in front of the Library of Celsus,
is longer and even more interesting
than the
Arcadian Way.
Along it you'll find...
Hillside Houses (Yamaç Evleri)
The wealthy of Ephesus resided in these
beautiful villas with mosaic floors
and classic decoration. After years
of painstaking and expensive restoration,
they are open to visitors, and are
well worth the extra TL15 admission
fee
you
must pay to see them.
Temple of Hadrian
The head of Medusa is
the most famous bit of decoration on
this fine temple built in 118 AD to
honor Emperor Hadrian (and extensively
rebuilt several centuries later). Facing
the temple across Curetes Way are ten shops.
Note the fine mosaic in front
of them.
Gate of Hercules
The two-storey structure half-way along
the street dates from the 300s AD.
A side street leads south to the Museum
of Inscriptions.
Odeon (Odeum), etc.
Ephesus's city council met in this
fine small theater-like council space.
Opposite the Odeon are other badly-ruined
structures, including the Prytaneum (city
hall) and Temple
of Hestia Boulaea. On the
other side of some badly-ruined baths is
the Magnesia (upper, southern) Gate into the Ephesus Archeological Site.
On the far (eastern) side of Panayir
Dagi, the hill holding the Great Theater,
are the caves called the Grotto
of the Seven Sleepers. You
can walk or drive to the grotto, which
is actually a Byzantine necropolis (cemetery).
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