I have spent my whole life reading the Bible, so when I learned that the ancient city of Ephesus not only still exists, but is one of the best preserved Roman cities in the world, I knew we had to visit while traveling in Turkey.
Ephesus has a very long history. In its heyday during the Roman times, it was an important port city and trade center. St. Paul also lived there and wrote one of his most famous letters to the church in Ephesus, which later became the book of Ephesians. Although the city was abandoned many centuries ago, the ruins are incredibly well-preserved, and should definitely be on your itinerary if you are planning a trip to Turkey!
Getting to Ephesus
In order to visit Ephesus, we flew from Istanbul to Izmir, a city on Turkey’s western coast. In Izmir, we picked up a rental car and drove about an hour to the city of Selçuk. We arrived fairly late in the evening and spent the night at a simple but nice Airbnb to be ready to spend the whole next day exploring.
Ephesus Archaeological Site
The next morning, we got up bright and early to try to beat the crowds and be at the gate when the archeological site opened at 8:00. We parked at the south entrance and were shocked to see several big tour buses already there when we arrived. But we had a plan.
As soon as the gates opened, we took off down the main path to take a bunch of photos with no people in them, especially at the famous library. We ran from one end of Ephesus to the other, taking tons of awesome pictures. Then, we walked back slowly to where we started, actually stopping to admire and learn about what we were seeing. This strategy worked perfectly! We got great pictures and got to take our time exploring the site.
Curetes Road
Curetes Road is one of the three main streets of Ephesus, leading from the Hercules Gate to the famous Library of Celsus. Once, this road was used for religious rituals, and it is surrounded on both sides by the ruins of many temples, monuments, and houses.
The Library of Celsus
The Library of Celsus is the most famous structure in Ephesus, and for good reason. The columned façade is truly stunning. The library was one of the largest libraries in the Roman Period, housing over 12,000 scrolls!
The Terrace Houses
Entering the Terrace Houses requires an additional ticket, which you can purchase at the Ephesus entrance gate, and in my opinion, is totally worth it! These were once the homes of Ephesus’s wealthiest citizens, and archaeologists are still excavating the spectacular mosaics that set the Terrace Houses apart from the rest of the city.
The Ancient Agora
Though the agora is not as well preserved as other parts of Ephesus, it is easy to imagine when looking at the ruins just how impressive and extensive this market square once was. The agora was once the hub of commercial activity in the city, where merchants of all sorts sold their wares. It was interesting to walk around and admire what remains of the columns and buildings, but there is very little shade in this area, so it can get quite warm as you walk around.
The Great Theater
Apart from the Library of Celsus, the Great Theater is probably the most popular structure in the Ephesus. It is one of the largest Hellenistic theaters in the world, once able to seat 25,000 people! Besides dramatic performances, many important politicians and orators of the time spoke here, including (according to some sources) the apostle Paul.
The Temple of Artemis
Once you are done exploring the ruins of Ephesus, there is another important archaeological site nearby well worth a quick stop: the Temple of Artemis. The Temple of Artemis was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, alongside the likes of Egypt’s Great Pyramids and the Colossus of Rhodes. Very little remains of the ancient wonder (most of the artifacts having been carted off in pieces to the British Museum), but it is definitely still worth a visit, especially because it’s free! That’s two ancient wonders crossed off the list for me and Ben (and I’m pretty sure none of the others still exist, so that’s pretty good).
Şirince
Finally, to finish out an amazing day of exploring the Ephesus area, you should definitely make a trip to Sirince, a small town just a fifteen minute drive from Selçuk. This town is actually a Greek town, having been settled, according to legend, by Greek slaves after Ephesus was abandoned. The village, whose name literally translates to “cute,” is incredibly charming, with lots of shops and restaurants. However, the village is most famous for its unique fruit wine. I don’t generally like sweet wines, but I enjoyed everything we tried in Sirince much more than I expected, especially the pomegranate wine. Wandering through the cobblestone streets popping into wineries was the perfect way to spend the afternoon after a full day exploring Ephesus.
Ephesus is a must-see on any visit to Turkey, and I highly recommend making the time to visit the amazing historical structures and hopefully learn something about Turkey’s long history. In fact, the day we spent in Ephesus was one of our favorite days of our entire two week trip! Hopefully this guide will inspire you to add Ephesus to your Turkey itinerary.
Leave a Reply