The story behind the Ancient Ruins of Ephesus Turkey
Ephesus region was founded in 3000 years according to ancient writers. However, when Smyrna was founded, it was among the important port cities of that period. Ionians settled in it on the Aegean coasts after the Doric invasion and later developed their cities during the Lydian rule. Traces of Ionian, Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk, and Ottoman civilizations can still be seen today.
Ephesians rebuilt their city, which was destroyed by the earthquake in the Roman period, in the time of Tiberius. However, this time, instead of a Hellenistic building style, the whole of Ephesus Turkey was filled with Roman character buildings.
What is Ephesus famous for today?
The history of Ephesus Turkey is a history of empires: from the Hittite empire to the Romans, from the Ottomans to the Greeks, from the Jews to the Christians, and finally to the Muslims.
The arrival of the Virgin Mary to Ephesus Turkey, whose political and commercial importance is gradually increasing and St. The fact that Jean lived here made it an important religious center at the same time. Later, after the busy ports on the sea route connecting Sart and Susa were filled over time, the city, which became uninhabitable, was built by the Byzantine Empire Justinian on Ayasuluk Hill.
Thus, it was rebuilt five times throughout history due to different invasions or earthquakes. A large number of ancient monuments are located in the area such as Roman baths and amphitheaters, a theater, temples, library, columns and fountains, with many being restored to their original state through extensive archaeological excavations and conservation programs since the 1950s onwards.
The church of Ephesus
More than thirty churches from various periods have been discovered around the old town of Ephesus, including the Church of Virgin Mary and the Saint John (the Forerunner), both of which date back to the 4th century AD.
Ephesus Ruins
Artifacts unearthed in and around the ancient city are preserved in the Ephesus Archaeological Museum (a large number of mosaics, carvings, statues, etc). Most of the artifacts found before the first world war were taken to the Vienna Museum. However, all of the movable artifacts recovered after the Second World War are exhibited in the local museum.
Artifacts belonging to the Mycenaean, Archaic, Roman, Byzantine, and Turkish periods are exhibited in the museum, respectively.
The single-storey museum with an area of 500 m² has four halls and a courtyard. There are approximately 50,000 artifacts, most of which were unearthed in the excavations carried out in the Ancient City Ephesus and some of them in the close vicinity such as Klaros. The museum consists of two main sections, Archeology, and Ethnography, around the ruins, the house of the Virgin Mary, the Temple of Artemis, and St. John’s Basilica.
The Ephesus City was founded on the banks of a small stream, which is today called “Çallıdere” (Hell Creek). Its name refers to Artemis and means “goddess of protection”. This is clearly a reference to the fact that, up until her temple was built, it was always protected. It is believed that the temple of Artemis in Ephesus was dedicated to the goddess Artemis, who is also known as Diana.
Where is the ancient city of Ephesus in Turkey?
It is located in the western part of Turkey, 4 kilometers from the Aegean Sea. Although it was an important city in ancient times, today it is best known as one of the main attractions in Turkey.
The ruins at Ephesus are located in Turkey. It is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country. The ruins are located on a hill overlooking the city of Selcuk, which is about an hour away from the main airport in Izmir.
