Ephesus

Efes1000 BCE – 700 CE

Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA)

Interest

W41KG98

RomanClassicalHellenisticByzantineGreekRomanByzantineİzmir

Peak Population

~250,000

Theatre Capacity

~25,000

UNESCO Status

World Heritage Site (2015)

Famous Monument

Library of Celsus

“Ephesus was one of the most important cities in the entire Roman Empire and a crucial meeting point of Greek, Roman, and early Christian cultures.”

Wfrom_wikipedia

Ephesus was an ancient Greek city on the coast of Ionia, in present-day Selçuk in İzmir Province, Turkey. During the Classical Greek era, it was one of twelve cities of the Ionian League. The city was famed for the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

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overview

Ephesus (Efes) is located near the modern town of Selçuk in İzmir Province. Founded as a Greek colony around the 10th century BCE, it grew into one of the largest and wealthiest cities of the ancient Mediterranean, serving as the capital of Roman Asia. The city's most famous monument was the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Though little remains of the temple today, the city itself is remarkably well-preserved. The Library of Celsus, built in 117 CE as a monumental tomb, features one of the most photographed ancient facades in the world. The Great Theatre, with a seating capacity of approximately 25,000, is the largest ancient theatre in Anatolia. Ephesus also has strong early Christian significance — the Apostle Paul preached here, and the city is associated with the Virgin Mary's later years. The Basilica of St. John and the House of the Virgin Mary (Meryemana) are nearby pilgrimage sites. The city declined as its harbor silted up over centuries, eventually leaving it several kilometers from the sea.

why_it_matters

Ephesus was one of the most important cities in the entire Roman Empire and a crucial meeting point of Greek, Roman, and early Christian cultures. Its exceptionally well-preserved ruins provide one of the most complete pictures of urban life in the ancient Mediterranean. The Temple of Artemis represents one of the pinnacles of ancient monumental architecture. UNESCO inscribed Ephesus as a World Heritage Site in 2015.

evidence

Distinguishing what is well-established from what remains debated.

confirmed

The Library of Celsus was built around 117 CE as a monumental tomb for the Roman senator Celsus.
The Temple of Artemis was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
The city declined primarily because its harbor silted up.