This article is available at:
German
Ephesus is an absolute must, not only for history buffs. Once one of the largest and most important metropolises of the ancient world, Ephesus was an important trading center for the Greeks and then the Romans. Large parts of the Roman Empire in Asia Minor were ruled from here.
A day trip to Ephesus near Selçuk
Today, Ephesus is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Turkey. But if this triggers a natural flight reflex in you because you like to avoid large crowds, then I can reassure you. The area is so large that the crowds are very well dispersed. You can’t take pictures without people in high season, but there are also no crowds.
Instead, what awaits you is an impressive backdrop of amazingly well-preserved ancient buildings, temples, theaters, fountains, libraries, streets, and even ordinary houses and shops. It is a place where you can be immersed in countless details. Here you really get a sense of what the Ephesians must have once seen as they walked the streets.
How to get to Ephesus
Ephesus is about 56 km south of Izmir, near the town of Selçuk. So if you want to visit Ephesus this is a perfect day trip.
The most convenient way to get from Izmir to Ephesus is by train to Selcuk. From there it is only about 2 km on foot or by minibus, which departs directly from the station. The train from Izmir to Selçuk departs from Basmane Garı station, which is close to the old town. As of December 2022, a one-way ticket costs 28 TL and takes approximately 1.5 hours.
You can find the current departure times and prices here.
History of Ephesus
As early as 5000 BC, people had settled in the area of the former city of Ephesus. It probably took until the end of the 11th century BC for the settlement to slowly become a Greek city. It suffered many attacks by other cultures over the years and was partially destroyed by devastating fires and earthquakes. Still, the people persisted and rebuilt the city many times over.
In 334 BC, Alexander the Great stood at the gates of the city. By that time, Ephesus was already one of the largest and most important cities in Anatolia. It is also known for one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World – the Temple of Artemis. It was completed in 250 BC and is dedicated to the Greek goddess Artemis.
In ancient times, Ephesus had been a port city. This is impressive because today the area is several kilometers from the coast. When the metropolis became part of the Roman Empire in 133 BC, it was one of the empire’s largest population centers and had a population of about 200,000. Many buildings were built at that time, some of which ruins can still be admired. Many of them were funded by wealthy citizens of the city who wanted to create a monument for themselves.
The heyday of the metropolis probably ended with a major earthquake in 262 AD, which destroyed large parts of the city. Although much was rebuilt afterwards, Ephesus never regained its former status. This was not only because of the great earthquake, but also because the Roman Empire changed enormously during this time. And so the downfall of Ephesus had already begun when the Julian Plague of 542 killed many of its inhabitants and left large parts of the settlement abandoned.
And where did the port of Ephesus go? Well, after the Persians conquered the area in the 7th century, the port became increasingly silted up and lost almost all its relevance. The shift in the coastline is therefore the reason why Ephesus is no longer recognizable as a port city today.
Before I give you some more information and recommendations for your visit to Ephesus, let me introduce you to some of the important places on the site.
1. The Celsus Library
The Celsus Library – or rather, the facade of the Celsus Library – is certainly one of the most amazing sights in Ephesus. The facade was painstakingly reassembled by Austrian archaeologists in the 1970s.
Here you can also see that a different approach has been taken in Ephesus to make the ancient ruins accessible to visitors. You will not find any places that are closed in all of Ephesus. You can walk around all the buildings and explore every inch of them. Just as the Ephesians did in their day.
2. The amphitheatre
Just around the corner from the entrance you will find the huge amphitheater of Ephesus. Built by the Greeks and then expanded under Roman rule, it could accommodate as many as 25,000 visitors. Directly opposite the theater is the harbor road that once connected the inner city with the busy harbour.
3. The houses on the hills of Ephesus
On a slope of the city there is a separate and covered part of the terrain. Here you can admire excavations of ancient houses where the wealthy citizens of Ephesus once lived. There is an additional entrance fee, but the visit is worth it as you can find incredible details about the daily lives of the residents.
The excavations are far from complete, so not all areas are accessible. Finally, from here you get a good overview of the entire site.
4. Curetes Street
Behind the Celsus library, Curetes Street leads up the hill to another part of town. Famous and important citizens of the city once lived here and numerous shops lined the street, the foundations of which can still be seen today.
5. Hadrian’s Temple
Hadrian’s Temple was reassembled from 4th century parts. It was a gift from a citizen to the city of Ephesus and dedicated to the Roman Emperor Hadrian when he visited the city.
Finally, I would like to give you some information and recommendations for your visit to Ephesus.
The entrance fee is about 10 euros (currently about 196 TL). From April to October, the park is open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. The last tickets will be sold at 6:30 PM. In winter, opening hours are limited to 8am-5pm and last entry is at 4:30pm.
For your visit in the summer I would definitely recommend avoiding lunch time. In the late afternoon, the light cast beautiful shadows on the many reliefs, making them stand out even more.
I also strongly recommend bringing plenty of sun protection and plenty of water. But there are also a few shops in the entrance area that sell drinks.
And if you still feel like buying real fake watches after a long day, you can even do so here.
