Seven Wonders of the World

Visiting the Temple of Artemis is an added bonus because of it’s location in Ephesus. The city has a great and rich history behind it, along with its fascinating building remains, besides the Temple of Artemis, such as The Celsus Library, Ephesus Great Theater, and The Domitian Temple. These structures show unique examples of Greek and Roman architecture. Furthermore, the city is important in terms of Christianity, as well, because the House of the Virgin Mary is there, and it is believed that Mary spent her last days at that house. It gets a great number of visits each year.

Ionian Greek colonists established Ephesus in the 6th century BC. Especially in the Roman era, it reached its peak wealth point by being one of the largest port cities in Anatolia. Moreover, it was a significant spot as a center of art and culture.

Once located in Ephesus, Selçuk, which is a city that dates back to before Christ and takes place on the UNESCO World Heritage List, The Temple of Artemis (Artemis Tapınağı) was a Greek temple dedicated to the Greek goddess Artemis. It was built at the request of the king of Lydia, Croesus.

However, on July 21st, 356 BC, Herostratus set the temple on fire to show his mightiness upon the people of Ephesus. Later on, after its great renovation, the temple was built of the same size but 9 feet higher. Today, the only and latest remains of The Temple of Artemis are some sculpture pieces and the temple's foundation.

Located in Bodrum/ Muğla, The Mausoleum of Halicarnassus was an ancient monumental tomb in Caria in Anatolia. 

It is believed that Dorians and his sister/wife (at those times, it was accepted normal to marry among family members), Artemisia II, built the mausoleum to honor Mausolus, the governor of the Persian Empire after his death to memorialize him. The monument, which was built by its time's best architectures, was massive and intriguing. 

Unfortunately, it was destroyed and took great damage due to earthquakes. Later on, its stones were reused for other buildings, and today, only a few fragments of the mausoleum's sculptures and reliefs remain.