Excellent holiday places to see in Ephesus

Top vacation attractions in Ephesus 2023? Archeologists mention that there is a possibility of an Apollon temple in the place where the mosque was built. It was common in the ancient times to built an Apollon temple next to Artemis temple since they are considered as twins. Apollo was the twin brother of Artemis, the god of prophecy. The mosque was built in 1375 (According to Christian Calendar). Selcuk is the modern name for Ephesus. A small agricultural town, having a population of 30.000 people. Every week on wednesdays and saturdays there is a farmers market in Selcuk town. You can enrich your private Ephesus Tour with a stop to this farners market where you can enjoy to see local fruits, vegetables, spices, dried fruits…. During the visit a walk through Selcuk town is worth doing. You would see the aquaducts from Roman times and storks (Between April – August). If you miss Selcuk market, there is a similar farmers market in Kusadasi which is held on Tuesdays and Fridays. Read additional details at Izmir To Ephesus Tour.

This citadel-like basilica once occupied the whole breadth of the hill it sits on and was ranked with the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople (now the Aya Sofya) as one of the Byzantine Empire’s largest churches. According to tradition, the grave of St. John is under the church. Originally, a mausoleum with a domed roof borne on four columns was built over the grave, but the Emperor Justinian replaced this simple monument with a three-aisled basilica on a Latin-cross plan boasting six domed roofs. Including the narthex at the western end and the arcaded courtyard, the basilica was 130 meters long and 40 meters wide. After the Seljuks captured Ephesus in 1130, the church was converted into a mosque and later served as a bazaar until it was finally destroyed by an earthquake. Although only partially restored, the basilica ruins that remain give a good idea of the awesome size of the original building.

Just one lonely column (topped by a stork’s nest) is all that remains of the Temple of Artemis, once one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Excavations carried out by archaeologist JT Wood here showed that the site was originally occupied by a stone platform on which the cult image of the goddess stood, while underneath were rooms where votive offerings were presented. The renowned gigantic marble temple of Seven Wonders fame was built in the 6th century BCE and boasted a staggering 127 columns. Although destroyed by fire and other disasters across the centuries, it was twice restored and rebuilt before finally falling into a state of complete dilapidation in the Byzantine era, when its stones began being used as a quarry for building material. The most famous major Byzantine monument that reused Temple of Artemis stone was the Hagia Sophia, where some of the temple’s columns and marble slabs can still be seen.

Ephesus is now under the protection of UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee since 2015. According to UNESCO, the city is remarkably contributing to the overall Outstanding Universal Value within its long historical status. Moreover, the city contains many important places in the context of historical settings. Library of Celsus, the Temple of Hadrian, the library and the most important place in Ephesus; Temple of Artemis. This temple has been nominated as one of the Seven Wonders of Ancient Worlds. Selcuk, where the ancient city of Ephesus is located, is also one of the most fertile lands in Anatolia. For this reason, many trade routes pass in this direction. However, there is also a port that connects the east and west of the world.

Based on founder’s experiences “Best Ephesus Tours” guarantee %100 guest satisfaction on Ephesus Tours. Best Ephesus Tours aims fully satisfied guests on their Private Ephesus Tours, accordingly we prefer with working tour guides who have a national tourism ministry license but not regional. Thus, we try our guest to take benefit of their short stay in Turkey with learning about country together with famous Ephesus Ancient City also. Find many more details on https://www.bestephesustours.com/.

The street that starts from the Grand Theater and extends to the harbor is 528 meters long and 11 meters wide. It is described as one of the most spacious roads in the ancient world. Columns adorned both sides of the street, and there were many galleries and shops on both sides. There was also a developed sewage system under this spacious road. Since the end of the street leads to the harbor, it was called “Harbor Street”. Kings, emperors, ambassadors, merchants who came to Ephesus by sea were welcomed on this street with an official ceremony. It is also known as “Arkadiane Street” since it was destroyed in the earthquake in the 4th century and repaired by Emperor Arkadius between 395-408. After the adoption of Christianity, the statue of the four apostles of Christ was placed on the street, and these sculptures, unfortunately, do not exist today.