Who would not want to live in Roman times? By visiting Ephesus, you will live in the past, the Hellenistic and Roman … The city of Ephesus is located in western Turkey not far from the Aegean Sea, 80 km from Izmir and 18 km of beach resorts Kusadasi.

The holy city of Artemis, Ephesus was one of the most important cities of antiquity. It is a vast archaeological site displaying beautiful remains of several civilizations. The site of Ephesus are three hills in the south Mount Coressos reaching 360 m northeast of the fortress Ayasoluk, where the first arrivals settled Greek and between the two, Mount Pion, which form the urban center Hellenistic – Roman.

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Ephesus Was The capital of the province of Asia and Could Be Compared in Alexandria, Antioch, or Even Rome. The Temple of Artemis Ephesus Is One of the seven wonders of the ancient world.

Its location at the crossroads of major trade routes with a fertile soil and Sheltered Harbor Contributed to ITS development. The name is derived from Apasa Ephesus, an Amazon queen, the female warrior.

Despite the first inhabitants were the Amazons, the Carians and Leleges, according to legend, Ephesus was founded by Androclos, the son of the king of Athens to 10th centuries BC.

The city was invaded successively by the Cimmerians in the 7th BC. AD, by the Lydians in the 6th century, and 546 by the Persians. Ephesus remained under Persian control until the arrival of Alexander the Great in 334 BC. After the death of Alexander the Great, Lysimachus his lieutenant, became the King of Anatolia, decided to make a major port of Ephesus. He moved between the city and Mount Pion Corressos in 287 at the site remains current.

In 189 BC, the city came under the rule of the kings of Pergamum and in 133 the Romans inherited. Ephesus became the capital province of Asia Senate in 31 BC During the Roman period, Ephesus has been the most successful day in its history. The population reached around between 250,000 and 300,000 inhabitants.

Ephesus for over a millennium had been a major center of the pagan world, becomes the first centuries of our era a center of Christianity. St. Paul visited Ephesus twice in 53 and 55, and lived there three years, would have been put in prison because of violations brought it to the god Artemis. St. Paul was at Ephesus the third center of Christianity after Jerusalem and Antioch. The Apostle John lived in the company of the Virgin Mary, and here he wrote his gospel. St. John died and was buried there.

Under the Byzantine Empire from the mid fourth century to the middle of the sixth, the city known a third period of relative prosperity. Here took place the two famous councils in 431 and 449, in which was defined the dogma of the union of human and divine natures of Christ.

In the 8th century, due to siltation caused the abandonment of the harbor and pushed the development of the city on the hill Ayasoluk around the Basilica of St. John.

Ephesus was occupied successively by Arabs, Seljuk Turks, then the Crusades and the Ottoman Empire. In the 15th century, due to malaria epidemics, the city went out and became a town.

There are two entrances, one starts a visit by the door of Magnesia. On the way back through the door magnesia, left, the upper agora was a vast complex of approximately 12,000 m². The current ruins date back to the 1st century BC, was the State Agora, the center of the municipality in which the important issues debated in the quotes.
Varius Baths, at the northeast corner of the agora, was built in the first s; AD, is a classical Roman bath has frigidarium, tepidarium and caldarium.
The basilica, north of the agora, built in the 1st s and consisted of a nave and two wings, separated from each other by two rows of columns. The basilica state business center.

Odeon, the building in a semicircle, also known under the name of the little theater was a meeting room of the City Council and also a venue for conferences and concerts. Built in the 2nd century, originally, the building was covered with a wooden roof, it has 23 rows of seats, divided by a diazoma, which could hold 1400 people.

The Prytanée or hotel in the city, was used for meetings of the magistrates of the city and celebrated the major religious ceremonies. Built in the 3rd century BC and rebuilt under the Emperor Augustus in the 1st century AD. You can see the altar dedicated to Hestia (Artemis) or the sacred fire burning (symbol of the city life e) without interruption, which was guarded by the Curetes. Two statues of Artemis were found before the Prytaneum and are currently on display at the Museum of Ephesus.

Curetes Street, a wide avenue running from the place of Domitian and down to the Library of Celsus. This street dating from the founding of the city, it was lined with statues of cranes overcome.

Instead of Domitian, Domitian temple was built in the first century, it was the first monument to an emperor.

Memmius Monument was built in the first, the monument rests on a base made of blocks and this at the top of high relief. In the fourth century a fountain was added on his face northwest. Memmius was the grand son of Sulla, King bridges.

Leaving the place of Domitian, descending, we reached a triumphal arch, which dates from the 4th century, a narrow and it is decorated with reliefs of Heracles with the Nemean lion skin u.

Further down, down the street right Curetes, the Fountain of Trajan, built in honor of the emperor in the 2nd century. The fountain had two tags up to 12 m high and around a rectangular pool. The pool was decorated with statues, some of which are exhibited at the Museum of Ephesus.

Scholastikia baths, a large complex built in 1st century with latrines and brothel and were restored and enlarged in the 4th century The baths consisted of four rooms, a large room in which you enter contains a state without a head and a fountain in the frigidarium a pool, tepidarium served as dirty and the rest caldarium recognizable by its hypocaust heating system.

The temple Hadrian was built in the early second century with the Corinthian style in honor of Emperor Hadrian. The temple has a pronaos with two columns and two pillars supporting a pediment angles which opens an arch richly decorated. There is the goddess Tyche symbolizing wealth, Androclos the founder of the city, Theseus and Heracles fighting, and the Amazons with Dionysus and his retinue.

The terraced houses were the homes of the rich period. These houses were occupied from the 1st to the 7th century AD. These are multi-story houses build on five successive terraces. The walls were decorated with frescos depicting scenes of nature, mythological scenes …

Celsus Library was built in 117 by the consul Julius Aquila in memory of his father Celsus, proconsul of the Roman province of Asia, it was one of the largest library of the time, after Alexandria and Pergamon, which contributed in the cultural life of the region. Two-story façade richly decorated niches in las stood the statues of virtues dear to Celsus, wisdom, intelligence, and decision science. To the right of the Library stands a monumental gate with three arches on the commercial agora. Once the door is located in the commercial agora.
The avenue of marble, this street is named after the large slabs of marble. Built in the Hellenistic period and was restored in the fifth and s are considered one of the largest best preserved ancient avenues.

The large theater was built during the Hellenistic period in the third century BC during the reign Lysimachus, remodeled and enlarged several times during Roman times. It is a theater-like Greco-Roman and acoustics were excellent. It includes 66 rows of seats separated into three sections by two circular passages and could accommodate 24,000 spectators.

The theater of Ephesus was not only the place for shows and concerts but also the culmination of grand processions of a religious nature. Parties with dancing and singing … in the Roman gladiatorial combats, were held there.