Ephesus
One of the best-preserved ancient cities on the Mediterranean, and it isn't even on the sea
- When to go
- October 20° · 3 rainy days
- Per day
- €€€price 3 of 5
- How many days
- ½days
- For you
- 6 questions →
- Nearest airport
- 42 km İzmir · 82 km Bodrum
- Right now
Ephesus is the place where you stop thinking of antiquity as ruined foundations and start thinking of it as a city — because that's genuinely what it still is, with streets, façades, and a library whose two-storey front still rises above the street. It used to be a port on the sea; the sea has since retreated for kilometres, and the city simply stayed where it was.
The main street (Curetes Street) runs from the upper to the lower entrance, past a public latrine, temples, and a great theatre seating twenty-five thousand that's still used for concerts today. The Library of Celsus is why everyone comes — its façade was reconstructed from original fragments, the interior and roof did not survive, but the façade is accurate enough that it's immediately clear why it was the third-largest library of the ancient world, after Alexandria and Pergamon.
Beyond the basic ticket, the Terrace Houses have a separate entrance and a separate fee, but they're worth it — the homes of wealthy Ephesians, with mosaics and frescoes still in place, under a roof that shields them from the sun. In summer, an early morning entry isn't a suggestion, it's a necessity — there's almost no shade anywhere on the site.
What to see in Ephesus
The Library of Celsus
A two-storey second-century façade, reconstructed from original fragments — once the third-largest library in the ancient world. Come early for the light and to beat the crowds.
The Great Theatre
An amphitheatre for 25,000 spectators cut into the hillside, still acoustically functional. The Apostle Paul is said to have preached here.
The Terrace Houses
A separate ticket, a separate entrance — the homes of wealthy families with original mosaics and frescoes under a protective roof. Rarely does an ancient interior survive this completely.
Curetes Street
The city's main marble street, lined with temples, fountains and a latrine along the route — the walk takes an hour or two and follows the natural slope of the land.
The House of the Virgin Mary (Meryem Ana)
A small chapel a few kilometres from the site, traditionally said to be where Mary spent her final years — a pilgrimage site for both Catholics and Muslims, open daily from morning into the early evening.
Two things you probably did not know
Ephesus was a port city, but the sea is now five kilometres away. The river Cayster silted up the harbour over centuries, so the city lost its reason to exist and slowly emptied.
The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus was one of the seven wonders and was destroyed and rebuilt three times. One column stands today, assembled from pieces found in the marsh.
Ready for Ephesus?
Within reach from here
Places sorted by straight-line distance from Ephesus — day trips or weekends.
Turkey
→Istanbul, then one direction: Cappadocia by plane, Ephesus and Pamukkale by train, or the Lycian coast by bus
Greece
→The north by road, the Cyclades by ferry, Rhodes by air — pick the region first and the island second
Serbia
→The north an hour away by train, the mountains three or four by car — Serbia divides by the time you have
All 277 places we write about sit on one page — narrow them down by continent, country, price or what you are travelling for.
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