Ephesus, Turkey (*cruise tour) Nearby:
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Ephesus (Turkish: Efes) is a large world heritage-listed archeological site in Aegean Turkey and one of the country's major tourist attractions.
The ancient Greek city of Ephesus was famous for its Temple of Artemis (near present-day Selçuk), which was recognized as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. After a messy period of conquest and reconquest and after the population was moved from Selçuk to the present site, Ephesus became a Roman city in 133 BC.
When Augustus made Ephesus capital of Asia Minor in 27 BC, it proved to be a windfall for the seaport city. Its population grew to around 250,000, attracting immigrants, merchants, and imperial patronage. The annual festival of Artemis (Diana to... Read more
Ephesus (Turkish: Efes) is a large world heritage-listed archeological site in Aegean Turkey and one of the country's major tourist attractions.
The ancient Greek city of Ephesus was famous for its Temple of Artemis (near present-day Selçuk), which was recognized as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. After a messy period of conquest and reconquest and after the population was moved from Selçuk to the present site, Ephesus became a Roman city in 133 BC.
When Augustus made Ephesus capital of Asia Minor in 27 BC, it proved to be a windfall for the seaport city. Its population grew to around 250,000, attracting immigrants, merchants, and imperial patronage. The annual festival of Artemis (Diana to the Romans) became a month-long spring fest, drawing thousands from across the empire.
Ephesus also attracted Christian settlers (Greeks and Jews), including St. Paul who lived in Ephesus for three years (in the AD 50s) There is a tradition that St. John settled here with Mary, the mother of Jesus, and also wrote his gospel here.
Ephesus was at its peak during the 1st and 2nd century AD. It was a major Roman city second in importance and size only to Rome. Ephesus has been estimated to be about 400,000 inhabitants in the year 100 AD, making it the largest city in Roman Asia. In 123 AD, the Library of Celsus (third largest library in the ancient world, after Alexandria and Pergamon) was constructed at Ephesus.
Despite several dredging and rebuilding efforts, Ephesus' harbor continued to silt up. Malarial swamps developed, the seaport was lost, and the lucrative Artemis/Diana cult diminished. In 263 AD, Germanic Goths sacked Ephesus, marking the decline of ancient Ephesus as well as the Roman empire.
History forgot Ephesus until the 1860s when a series of British, German, and Austrian archeologists rediscovered and excavated the site (see e.g., Vienna's Ephesus Museum). Although only about 15% of the site has been unearthed, it is still the largest excavated area in the world.
The Ephesus archeological site has developed into one of the most highly frequented archeological sites, due not only to the excellent state of preservation but also to the visitor-friendly presentation of the monuments. Mass tourism is a great challenge for archeology: in the 2010s, an average of 1.5 million tourists visit the ruins every year; 90,000 of them find their way to Terrace Houses, which some consider as the gold standard for accessible archeology. Thus, in recent years, the highlight of a visit to celebrated Ephesus has shifted from the theatre and the Library of Celsus to the Terrace Houses. Visitors make Ephesus well-known and lead to a great acceptance of archeology. Visitors, however, place a great strain on the ruins as well, and it is a balancing act to unite goal-oriented research, public relations, and tourist marketing without neglecting any one of the sometimes competing components.
Visiting the ruins of ancient Ephesus might seem disorienting because of the lack of superstructures, but meandering through and reflecting upon the city that was once second only to Rome is a highlight of any trip to Turkey.
There are many fast food and small Turkish restaurants at both gates. You can find many nice restaurants on the way to Selcuk or Kusadasi or in the towns.
There are many cafés at both gates.
LOCAL TIME
5:35 pm
April 15, 2021
Europe/Istanbul
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The next day, after the stop in Greece, we came to the Turkish city of Izmir . As it's written in clever books, Izmir is the third most populous city in Turkey and has the country's second largest port after Istanbul. Both points are true: port terminals stretch behind the... |
How many of the Seven Wonders of the World can you name without looking at Wikipedia? I remembered 5, one of which is the
Temple of Artemis
in
Ephesus
. I remembered it because I visited Ephesus during a cruise but only saw the temple from afar. I regret that now. ... |