About Efes
Ephesus developed where the Küçük Menderes valley opened onto the Aegean and became one of Rome's greatest port and trading cities. The Library of Celsus, Great Theatre, Terrace Houses and marble streets display its monumental character. The Temple of Artemis, Ayasuluk Hill and Church of Mary belong to a much longer sacred landscape.
History
Settlement at Ephesus reaches back into prehistory, and the city's location changed with the coastline and political decisions. In the early third century BCE, Lysimachus relocated it between today's Panayır and Bülbül hills. Under the Roman Empire it became a metropolis and a leading administrative, commercial and cultural centre of the province of Asia. Harbour silting gradually hindered access, but Ephesus remained an important early Christian pilgrimage centre and bishopric. The complementary components of Çukuriçi Mound, Ayasuluk, the Temple of Artemis and the ancient city entered the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2015.
Highlights and principal structures
- Library of Celsus
- Great Theatre
- Terrace Houses
- Temple of Hadrian
- Curetes Street
- Temple of Artemis
- Church of Mary
Historical period
Hellenistic–Roman–Early Christian