Ephesus
(click on the small image below to see the full size image)
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Ephesus is one of the most impressive examples of a classical city in the ancient world. It is actually located in Turkey and is accessible through the port of Kusadasi. The city was originally built around 2000 B.C.E and has both Greek and Roman buildings. In addition to the city itself, this was the home of the temple of Artimis which was one of the 7 wonders of the Ancient World as well as the house of the Virgin Mary. The city was abandoned when the harbour silted up and became swampy. This became a breeding ground for mosquitoes and malaria and forced the population to leave. |
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| This is the Roman Odeon. It was constructed in the 2nd century A.D It seats approximately 1500 people, and is believed to have once been covered over. |  |
| This picture is the ruins from the baths of Varius. These baths were built in the 2nd century A.D. There are several baths throughout the city, which demonstrates how important the baths were to the Roman civilization. | 
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| This was a fountain that was built in dedication to the Emperor Trajan in the first century A.D. The structure is 12 feet high and had two storeys. Statues of the imperial family and of Venus Saturn and Dionysos were also found on this site. | 
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| One of the most fascinating things about Ephesus is the detail that survived. Pieces of friezes, like the one to the right can be found all over the site. It is an excellent example of the detail that was used on the buildings. | 
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| This is a representation of the Roman deity Fortuna as depicted on the temple to Hardrian which was constructed around 391 A.D | 
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| The main road that leads from the entrance of the site to down the hill to the Library of Celus is Curetes street. The road itself is marble, but along the side of the street is beautiful mosaic sidewalk. | 
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At the end of Curetes street, in the centre of the archaeological site, is the Library of Celus built in 135 A.D. In the front of the library there were 4 statutes symbolizing justice. The library's facade is an impressive site. Not much is left inside the library, but you can get a sense of what it must have been like. |
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| Just to the right of the library is the entrance to the south end of the commercial Agora. The entrance is called the Mazeus and Mithriadates gate after the 2 slaves who built the gate in recognition of Emperor Augustus for granting them their freedom. | 
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| The main street of the city was the Marble Road. The road is actually made of marble and joins the Koressos Gate in the north of the city to the Magnesia Gate in the south. Evidence of how well used this road was can easily be found at the north end where the road slopes. Here there are grooves carved out in the marble from the chariot and cart wheels. | 
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One of the largest ancient theatres to survive is the one at Ephesus. It is truly an impressive site. The theatre has 22 flights of stairs and a diameter of 50 meters. The theatre holds 25,000 people. The theatre is in such good condition, that it is used today by performers such as Ray Charles who perform without microphones to the delight of fans. |
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| This is the Arcadian Road. It was the main road that led from the harbour to the Theatre and joined up with the Marble Road. The street was decorated with statues and was illuminated by candle-powered street lamps at night. It was blocked off from tourists during our visit. | 
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