Temple of Artemis in Ephesus is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Another name of the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus is the Temple of Diana. The Temple of Artemis has been used as a religious place, where it has been visited by kings, artists, merchants, and tourists for centuries, offering their beliefs to the goddess.
Location of Artemis Temple
Temple is located near the ancient city of Ephesus in the Selçuk district of Izmir. There is not much left behind from the Artemis temple. Temple was built in 550 BC for Artemis, the goddess of fertility by the King of Lydia Kroisos. Today two magnificent statues of the temple are preserved in the Selçuk Museum.
Destruction and Reconstruction of the Artemis Temple
Original Temple was burned by a person named Herostratus on July 21, 356 BC, the day of Alexander the Great’s birth. With the spread of Christianity in Ephesus by St. Paul, the belief in pagan goddess Artemis (Diana) began to weaken. The temple of Artemis was destroyed by the Goths in 362, but the Ephesians rebuilt the temple. The temple of Artemis was completely destroyed by St. John Chrysostom since Christianity was completely accepted in Ephesus in the 4th century.
Discovery of Artemis Temple
Excavations started in 1863 by the archeologist John Turtle Wood under the sponsorship of the British Museum, and the foundations of the Temple of Artemis were discovered in 1869 after a 6-meter deep excavation. Columns and sculptures found as a result of excavations are currently preserved in the British Museum. There is currently only one column left at the original location of the temple. There is nothing left standing from the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus Ancient City so there is no exact information about its real look. The only information about the temple is what was written by the historian Plynus. The historian Plynus explains that the Temple of Artemis had a rectangular architecture of 115 meters in length and 55 meters in width and it was made entirely of marble. Stating that the height consists of 18 meters high, 127 columns with ionic reliefs.
Tour Guide for Artemis Temple in Ephesus
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