Ephesus, Selçuk, Turkey

The Ephesus is located near Selçuk in Izmir Province, Turkey. It was an ancient Greek city on the coast of Ionia, where was once the estuary of the River Kaystros. Ephesus comprises successive Hellenistic and Roman settlements founded on new locations, which followed the coastline as it retreated westward.

It was built in the 10th century BC on the site of the former Arzawan capital by Attic and Ionian Greek colonists. During the Classical Greek era it was one of the twelve cities of the Ionian League. The city flourished after it came under the control of the Roman Republic in 129 BC.

Photo by Fadzil Hisham

Excavations have revealed grand monuments of the Roman Imperial period including the Library of Celsus and the Great Theatre. The city was famed for the nearby Temple of Artemis (completed around 550 BC), one of the “Seven Wonders of the ancient World,” which drew pilgrims from all around the Mediterranean. The Ancient City of Ephesus is an outstanding example of a Roman port city, with sea channel and harbour basin.

TIGERS UNITED | SPORTS NEWS

The city was destroyed by the Goths in 263, and although rebuilt, the city's importance as a commercial centre declined as the harbour was slowly silted up by the Küçükmenderes River. It was partially destroyed by an earthquake in AD 614.

Photo by Fadzil Hisham

The ruins of Ephesus are a favourite international and local tourist attraction, partly owing to their easy access from Adnan Menderes Airport or from the cruise ship port of Kusadasi, some 30 km to the South.

Explore Turkey with Mursyid Alharamain