Ephesus Ancient City Highlights
A curated professional tour of Ephesus — one of the best-preserved ancient cities in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site near Selçuk in İzmir Province, Turkey.
Trip Stops
- 1
One of the most iconic buildings in the ancient world, this stunning 2nd-century Roman library once held around 12,000 scrolls and was the third-largest library in antiquity, behind only Alexandria and Pergamum. Fun fact: it's not just a library — it's also a mausoleum! Roman senator Tiberius Julius Celsus is buried in a marble sarcophagus directly beneath the floor. The four statues on the façade represent Wisdom (Sophia), Virtue (Arete), Insight (Ennoia), and Knowledge (Episteme) — the originals are now in Vienna's Kunsthistorisches Museum. The reconstructed facade was carefully pieced back together by Austrian archaeologists between 1970 and 1978.
📍 Selçuk, İzmir, Turkey
- 2
One of the original Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, this colossal temple was dedicated to the goddess Artemis and was four times larger than the Parthenon in Athens, measuring 115 m long with 127 marble columns each 18 m tall. Fun fact: it was deliberately burned down in 356 BC by a man named Herostratus, who wanted his name to live in history forever — it worked, but the Ephesians decreed it illegal to ever mention his name. Today only a single reconstructed column and scattered rubble remain, topped by a stork's nest. The arson happened on the very night Alexander the Great was born.
📍 Selçuk, İzmir, Turkey
- 3
The largest ancient theatre in Anatolia, this monumental open-air structure could seat up to 25,000 spectators across 66 marble rows. Originally built in the 3rd century BC and expanded dramatically under Roman emperors Claudius, Nero, and Trajan, it was used for drama, concerts, and gladiator fights. Fun fact: the Apostle Paul caused a riot here in 56 AD when local silversmiths, fearing for their Artemis idol business, dragged his companions into the theatre (Acts 19). The acoustics are so extraordinary that even a whisper from the stage can be heard at the top row. World-famous artists including Elton John have performed here in modern times.
📍 Selçuk, İzmir, Turkey
- 4
Perched on the wooded slopes of Mount Koressos (Bülbüldağı — 'Mount Nightingale'), this small stone chapel is believed by many Christians and Muslims to be where Mary, the mother of Jesus, spent her final years under the care of the Apostle John. Fun fact: the site was rediscovered in 1891 by Catholic missionaries who followed the visionary descriptions of a German nun, Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich, who had never visited Turkey herself. Three popes — Paul VI (1967), John Paul II (1979), and Benedict XVI (2006) — have visited and blessed the site. Visitors of all faiths leave written wishes and prayers on the outdoor 'Wishing Wall'.
📍 Selçuk, İzmir, Turkey
- 5
Often called the 'Houses of the Rich,' these extraordinary multi-story Roman residences built on three terraces showcase how Ephesus's elite lived in surprising luxury. They feature stunning floor mosaics, vivid frescoes, marble wall panels, underfloor heating (hypocaust), and even running water — comforts that wouldn't reappear in Europe for over a thousand years. Fun fact: archaeologists are still actively excavating and restoring these houses under a protective roof, so visitors can watch real conservation work in progress. The paintings and mosaics are so detailed they depict scenes from Greek mythology and portraits of famous philosophers.
📍 Selçuk, İzmir, Turkey
- 6
One of the best-preserved monuments in all of Ephesus, this elegant Corinthian-style temple was built in honour of Emperor Hadrian around 118 AD and is celebrated for its intricate carved reliefs and elaborate decorative arch. Fun fact: the temple's friezes depict the mythological founding legend of Ephesus, including the goddess Tyche (Fortune) and scenes of Amazon warriors who were said to have founded the city. The image of Hadrian's Temple alongside the Library of Celsus was once featured on the Turkish 20 million TL banknote. Notably, it was never used as an active place of worship but rather as a civic monument to honour the visiting emperor.
📍 Selçuk, İzmir, Turkey
- 7
Commissioned by Byzantine Emperor Justinian the Great in the 6th century, this once-magnificent six-domed basilica was built over the believed burial site of St. John the Evangelist, who is said to have come to Ephesus with the Virgin Mary. Fun fact: the tomb at the centre of the basilica reportedly emitted a sacred dust called 'manna' that pilgrims believed had healing powers, drawing visitors from across Christendom. At its peak, it was one of the largest churches in the Byzantine world. Today, the restored columns and arches still convey the building's former grandeur, and the views over Selçuk town and the surrounding plains are spectacular.
📍 Selçuk, İzmir, Turkey
- 8
Located in the heart of Selçuk town, this well-curated museum houses an exceptional collection of artefacts excavated from Ephesus since 1863, including the famous multi-breasted statues of Artemis, Roman portrait busts, coins, jewellery, household items, and the beautifully preserved Eros sarcophagus. Fun fact: the two large Artemis statues on display here are among the most recognisable icons of ancient Turkey — one 'Great Artemis' with elaborate headdress and rows of egg-shaped objects on her torso (debated to be breasts, bull testicles, or bee eggs!) is an unmistakable symbol of the city's cult worship. Many original sculptures from the Library of Celsus are also preserved here.
📍 Selçuk, İzmir, Turkey
- 9
The grand colonnaded processional avenue of ancient Ephesus, this marble-paved street connected the Hercules Gate to the Library of Celsus and was lined with statues, fountains, shops, and monuments. Fun fact: somewhere along this street archaeologists discovered what is believed to be the world's first known advertisement — a carved footprint in the marble pavement that ancient scholars believe was a direction sign pointing to a nearby brothel, with a left foot indicating 'turn left.' Curetes Street also features the well-preserved Trajan Fountain, public latrines (where Romans socialized while using the facilities), and the Gate of Hercules with its iconic Hercules relief.
📍 Selçuk, İzmir, Turkey
- 10
A charming, beautifully preserved Greek-Ottoman village perched in the hills 8 km east of Selçuk, Şirince offers a delightful contrast to the grand ancient ruins below. Its cobblestone alleys, whitewashed stone houses, and terraced vineyards make it one of the most picturesque villages in the Aegean. Fun fact: the village was originally named 'Çirkince' meaning 'ugly' — supposedly so that invaders and outsiders would stay away and leave its inhabitants in peace! It was renamed Şirince ('charming/pretty') in the 1920s. The village is famous for its fruit wines — including pomegranate, cherry, fig, and peach wine — which are pressed and sold locally.
📍 Şirince, İzmir, Turkey
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