Ephesus

The City of Ephesus was founded in the Tenth Century by Ionian Greek settlers from Athens. The location of the City is said to be on top of the former Bronze Age Hittite City of Abasa. The mythological founder of the City was the Athenian Prince, Androklos.

The City was designated to serve the Greek Goddess, Artemis and she was worshipped in many temples throughout the City. The 'Lady of Ephesus' was venerated as a symbol of Artemis and was housed in the Temple of Artemis, one of the several classical wonders of the World and a major pilgrimage site. The Temple of Artemis was said to be the largest structure in the Ancient World, but obviously we cannot be sure of this.

During the Sixth and Seventh Centuries, Ephesus was attacked by two different enemies. The Lydians conquered the City, though was respectful to its inhabitants and carried on with the construction of the settlement, including the Temple of Artemis. The Persian Army of Cyrus the Great stormed through and incorperated the whole of Asia Minor into the Achaemenid Empire.

In 498BC the Ionian Greeks of Ephesus rebelled against Persian rule and with backing from Athens and Eretria. The revolt initially went well and Ephesus was liberated. The Ionians, Athenians and Eretrians then went on to sack and destroy the City of Sardis. Unfortunately for the Greeks, a Persian army survived the slaughter, by hiding in the acropolis and the marched off after the retreating Greeks.

The Ionian Greeks, with their Athenian and Eretrian allies lined up outside the City of Ephesus, in order to save Ephesus from the ordeals of a long siege. The Persian Army defeated the Greeks and Ephesus was once again under Persian control. The rebellion did not end there, it lasted for another four years (albeit without Athenian and Eretrian help), but was finaly crushed by the Persians.

The Ionian Greek revolt was one of the main causes of the Greco-Persian Wars which were a series of conflicts between the Greek States and the Persian Empire. The war went badly for the Greeks, with Ionia conquered and the Persians entering the Greek Heartland. Despite the heroic events of the Battle of Thermoplyae, the Persians stormed on sacking Athens. The tide turned after the naval battle at Salamis and eventually Ephesus was liberated.

The ending of the Greco-Persian Wars coincided with the start of the Peloponnesian War between the two Greek super powers of Athens and Sparta. Ephesus was allied to the Athenians, though not through free will it seems. Ephesus was not really caught up in the War too badly, even though the Spartans did land in Ionia.

During the Roman Age, ephesus was the capital of what was called Proconsular Asia, which was the western parts of Asia Minor. The original City of Ephesus was located on lower ground and was completely flooded, this led to a new City being built on higher ground. The City we see today. The City Theatre was famed for its Drama, but during the Roman times Gladatorial combat was the main draw for visitors. A Gladiator Graveyard was discovered in May of this year (2007).

Ephesus was a major City in the Roman World and it is estimated that near on half a million people inhabited the City, making it the largest City in Asia Minor. The power of the City can be seen by the several Baths that are located in the area, as well as the most sophisticated aquaduct system in the Classical World.

263AD marked the beginning of the end for Roman Ephesus, with the sacking of the City by the Goths. Byzantine remained in control of the region however and Ephesus remained a major player in the region. The end was in the Eighth Century when the Arabs twice sacked the City and it was largely abandoned when the harbour was filled with silt. Archaeological evidence shows that the harbour was dredged many times, though it obviously had no long term effect.

The loss of the harbour was a major blow to this once important City and by the time the Seljuk Turks invaded in 1090 it was but a small village. Ten years later the Byzantines retook the area but by the Fourteenth Century was under the control of the Seljuk Turks once more. The first few years of life under the Turks led to a flourishing new period, but this didn't last and by the Fifteenth Century the City was totally abandoned.

This book covers one of the defining periods of European history. The series of wars between the Classical Greeks and the Persian Empire produced the famous battles of Marathon, Thermopylae and Salamis, as well as an ill-fated attempt to overthrow the Persian king in 400 BC, which helped to inspire the conquests of Alexander the Great.To tell the story of these momentous events, of the lives of great men and women, of the societies and cultures that produced them, and to explain how and why they came into conflict was the aim of Herodotus, 'the Father of History', whose account of the wars is our principal source and the first book to be called a 'history'.

This magnificent and comprehensive guide to Ephesus describes in detail the monuments and archaeological remains, the topography and history of the city. Tracing the developemnt of the'First and Foremost Metropolis in Asia', the book describes how, in Hellenistic and Roman times, the city becsme the most prosperous port on Asia Minor's Aegean Coast.

Ephesus is an immense site and only part of it has been fully excavated. This aside the parts of the ancient city that has been excavated allows you to see and feel how powerful and influential the City was during its Hellenistic and Roman height.

The most famous of the structures at the site is the tall standing Library of Celsus, which has been carefully and lovingly restored to as close to its former glory as is possible. The facade is absolutely beautiful and is testament to the abilities of those who carved it. The building was built by Gaius Julius Aquila in and aroind the year 125 and held over 12,000 scrolls.

One column remains of the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. This was discovered by the British Museum during a dig in the 1870s. St John's Basilica was built by the Emperor Justinian in the Sixth Century, to mark the tomb of thr apostle which supposedly lies beneath.

Other structures of note in the City are the Odeon, the Temple of Hermes, the Temple of Domitian and the remains of the aquaduct. One of the most coomon pictures of Ephesus is that of the Theatre, which is one of the most impressive sights of the entire City.

There are plenty of other structures around this huge site, one of my favourites being the Men's Public Toilets (the Women's toilets are elsewhere) which was a very posh establishment by all accounts. A building used as a brothel is right next door, so a handy coincidence.

Ephesus is an extremely easy destination to visit. There are many holiday resorts around the region and tour operators (like Thomson and Thomas Cook) all organise trips to see the ruins. I would recommend not going on these trips as they are usually packed and not of the greatest quality.


Viator are a much better option for organising a tour to Ephesus. They promise that tours will not exceed 16 persons and will last longer than most tour operator run trips. You can also arrange a private tour of the ruins with Viator if you prefer. Both of these tours come with an English speaking guide, essential for learning about the site.

Viator also offer tours to various other sites in the region including Aphrodisias, Miletus and Didyma, as well as other activities.

Flights to the region will arrive at either Izmir or Bodrum. Most charter flights arrive at Bodrum. Travelocity is the best bet for flights outside of Europe, though budget airlines frequent the route from inside Europe, especially the UK and Germany.




Hotels.com is a good place to start looking for accommodation in the region, they have many hotels on their books and they find the best prices for you according to your needs.



Those from the UK might want to look at booking a package deal with Thomsons or Thomas Cook as these can be of great value and just because you are on on eof thier packages does not mean you have to do all of their activities.