GoGo
All UNESCO SitesTürkiye

Ephesus

Near Selçuk · Türkiye

Background

World Heritage since
2015
Type of site
Cultural
City founded
10th c. BC

An ancient Greek and then Roman port city near Selçuk, whose settlements moved west as the coastline retreated. Its grand Roman buildings include the Library of Celsus and a theatre for 24,000 people.

Little remains of the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. St Paul preached here, and since the 5th century the House of the Virgin Mary, a chapel 7 km away, has drawn Christian pilgrims.

More on the UNESCO listing More on Wikipedia

  1. 10th c. BCFounded by Greek colonists
  2. c. 550 BCTemple of Artemis completed
  3. 129 BCPasses to Rome
  4. 263Wrecked by the Goths, then rebuilt
  5. 2015Inscribed as World Heritage

Find Your Way Around

The main parts of the site, in the order most visitors see them

  1. 1
    Library of Celsus
    The best-known Roman building on the site.
  2. 2
    Great Theatre
    Seats for 24,000; test the acoustics if it is quiet.
  3. 3
    Curetes Street
    The marble main street down from the Gate of Hercules.
  4. 4
    Terrace Houses
    Roman homes on the hillside.
  5. 5
    Temple of Artemis
    One column left of a Wonder of the World.
  6. 6
    House of the Virgin Mary
    A chapel on the mountain, 7 km away.

Know Before You Go

From Wikivoyage and the GoGo guides

Walk Downhill
Enter at the upper gate and walk down. There are no dolmuşes to the upper gate.
Start at 8am in Summer
Beat the heat and the tour groups.
Dolmuş From Selçuk
Minibuses run to the lower gate every 10 to 30 minutes.
Allow 3 to 4 Hours
The GoGo guide adds an hour for the Terrace Houses.

A Day at Ephesus

From the GoGo Selçuk guide · Open the Selçuk Guide ›

  1. 08:00
    Ephesus Ancient City3 hrs
    The Library of Celsus, the Great Theatre and the marble streets.
  2. 11:15
    Terrace Houses1 hr
    Roman homes on the hillside.
  3. 14:00
    Ephesus Archaeological Museum75 min
    The many-breasted Artemis statues.
  4. 15:30
    Basilica of St John75 min
    The apostle's tomb.
  5. 17:00
    Temple of Artemis30 min
    One column of a Wonder of the World.

Best Time to Visit

Best months: Apr–May, Oct–Nov. Very hot (highs 34°C+) in Jul–Aug.

Typical highs

Best monthsRain: wettest Jan (135 mm), driest Jul (4 mm)

Climate: NASA POWER

Pair It With

Other World Heritage sites nearby, by distance

WORTH A NIGHTDAY TRIPSAME DAYDistance not to scale · tap a site
Sources
UNESCO World Heritage Centre, listing 1018 · Wikipedia: Ephesus · Wikivoyage: Ephesus (CC BY-SA 4.0) · GoGo Selçuk guide · UNESCO listing