Category: Ephesus

Ephesus is the best-preserved ancient city in the Mediterranean, and after guiding thousands of visitors through its marble streets, I can tell you it rewards curiosity like nowhere else on earth. My name is Hasan Gülday, I am a nationally licensed tour guide living in Kuşadası, just twenty minutes from the ruins, and this category gathers everything I have written about the city I know best.

Here you will find my articles on the great landmarks — the Library of Celsus with its two-storey façade that appears on every postcard of Turkey, the Great Theatre where twenty-four thousand people once watched performances and where St. Paul’s companions faced an angry crowd, and the Terrace Houses, whose frescoes and mosaics show how wealthy Ephesians actually lived. I also write about the quieter corners most visitors walk past: the inscriptions, the hidden symbols carved into the marble, the Temple of Artemis that was once a wonder of the ancient world, and the House of the Virgin Mary on the mountain above the city.

Some posts answer practical questions — how much time you need, which gate to enter from, what the site is like in summer heat. Others go deep into the archaeology and the stories, because I believe stones only become interesting when someone explains the lives behind them. That is what a licensed local guide is for, and it is what I have devoted my working life to.

Browse these articles before your visit and Ephesus will already feel familiar when you arrive. And if you would like to walk these streets with someone who has studied them for decades, I would be honoured to be your personal guide in Ephesus — you can contact me any time to arrange a day of guiding together.

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Ayasuluk Hill Nearby Ephesus

Ayasuluk Hill, also known as Ayasuluk Höyük, is an ancient mound located in İzmir Province, Turkey. It holds a special place within the Ephesus UNESCO World…

March 12, 2024 · Ephesus · 2 min read

Aqueducts of Ephesus

The city of Ephesus was one of the most important cities in the ancient world, and a complex system of aqueducts was developed to meet its…

March 8, 2024 · Ephesus · 3 min read

Trade Routes and Partners of Ephesus

Ancient Ephesus, situated on the most west point of Asia Minor (modern-day Selçuk, Turkey), was strategically positioned for trade and obviously when Ephesus was founded, this…

January 9, 2024 · Ephesus · 4 min read

Roman Ephesus vs Hellenistic Ephesus

The ancient Ephesus witnessed the rise and fall of several remarkable civilizations, two of the most important being the Hellenistic and Roman cultures. While both the…

January 2, 2024 · Ephesus · 4 min read

Callinus of Ephesus

Callinus is a poet from Ephesus, who lived in the seventh century BC. We don’t know much about his life. As we know, Callinus witnessed the…

August 10, 2023 · Ephesus · 1 min read

Food In Ancient Ephesus

Etiquette for dining in Ephesus was as contextual as it is today. In the homes of the upper class, food in ancient Ephesus was eaten lying…

August 8, 2023 · Ephesus · 3 min read

Selcuk Town Which Was Once Ephesus

Selcuk, which has a history of 8 thousand years, is one of the most important centers of the world in terms of archeology, history, religion, and…

August 7, 2023 · Ephesus · 2 min read

On Ephesus History

In the founding legend, Androclos, the son of Kodros, the King of Athens in the 1000s BC, wants to establish a new city in the Aegean,…

August 6, 2023 · Ephesus · 2 min read

Arcadian Road of Ephesus

Arcadian Street of Ephesus or Arcadian Road of Ephesus, which stretches from the theater to the port, connects the port gate to the center of Ephesus.…

August 6, 2023 · Ephesus · 2 min read

City Life In Ephesus

Ephesians in their early years generally did not have apartments. Apartment type which was known as insula blocks, which were built due to the overpopulation explosion…

July 30, 2023 · Ephesus · 4 min read

Layout of Ephesus Terrace Houses

From the first century onwards, when Ephesus became a big city, there was only one solution for city planners in Ephesus. Building upstairs with apartments and…

June 11, 2023 · Ephesus · 3 min read

Ephesus Experience Museum

The Ephesus Experience Museum offers an immersive journey through the ancient city of Ephesus, utilizing state-of-the-art 3D animations and AI to recreate the bustling Roman port city. Located in Ephesus Ancient City, the museum combines 360-degree projections, sound design, and evocative lighting, allowing visitors to feel like they've traveled back in time. Features include lifelike reconstructions of ancient inhabitants, buildings, and streets, enhancing the experience of exploring the city's extensive history and architecture. The museum is accessible, offers guided tours in multiple languages, and includes facilities like a cafeteria and gift shop. Open daily, the Ephesus Experience Museum promises a captivating, educational visit for all ages, making it an essential destination for anyone fascinated by history or archaeology.

March 11, 2023 · Ephesus · 4 min read

Free Virtual Ephesus Tour

Discover amazing Ephesus with this free virtual tour. The ancient city is waiting for you! To know the city of Ephesus, start the tour in the…

February 12, 2023 · Ephesus · 1 min read

Educative 3D Ephesus Video

The ancient city of Ephesus is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. For travelers and tourists, it offers a rich history, as well as one of the…

December 6, 2022 · Ephesus · 1 min read

Discovery of Ancient Jewelry in Ephesus

Silk fabrics using gold threads were unearthed with 18 pieces of gold jewelry, about 1700 years old. The fact that the artifacts found were made with…

November 20, 2022 · Ephesus · 1 min read

Horsed Protectors of Ephesus Ancient City

Visitors coming to Ephesus Ancient City are no strangers to friendly kittens and pups. Recently, some ”bigger” 😊 animal friends became residents of Ephesus too! The…

November 19, 2022 · Ephesus · 1 min read

Latest Discoveries in Ephesus Excavations

Archeologists working in Ephesus Ancient City made a surprisingly unusual find during the 2022 excavations. It may be the most important discovery in Ephesus since the…

November 18, 2022 · Ephesus · 1 min read

Feasts in the Ancient City of Ephesus

The custom of eating while lying down, which was adopted as a luxurious, extravagant tradition since the 6th century BC, was taken from Lydia or Persians…

September 12, 2022 · Ephesus · 6 min read

Ephesus Meets The Sea Again

Work continues at full speed on the ‘Ephesus Ancient Canal Project’, which will bring the Ancient City of Ephesus, one of the important historical values ​​of…

September 1, 2022 · Ephesus · 1 min read

A Tour Under the Rain in Ephesus

Today I had an amazing experience in Ephesus ancient city during my tour. It was not a crowded day indeed me and my guests were the…

February 24, 2022 · Ephesus · 1 min read

Cats of Ephesus

Cats have been beloved companions of humans for thousands of years, and the ancient city of Ephesus in modern-day Turkey was no exception. The cats of…

January 20, 2022 · Ephesus · 4 min read

Menorahs in Ephesus

Menorah has many symbolic meanings. Its first meaning is to symbolize the “Perpetual Light”. After God created heaven and earth, he first said “Yehi ‘Or —…

December 22, 2021 · Ephesus · 1 min read

Nightingale Mountain

Nightingale Mountain is 12 km from Selcuk district. The importance of Nightingale Mountain in terms of archeology and religious history is that the ancient city of…

October 16, 2021 · Ephesus · 1 min read

Panayır Mountain

Panayır Mountain, which is also known as Pion Mountaion, is one of the two mountains surrounding Ephesus Ancient City. Panayır Mountain gets its name from the…

October 14, 2021 · Ephesus · 1 min read

Cruises Are Back to Kusadasi

UPDATE October 14, 2021 Today Viking Cruise made its 3rd visit to Kusadasi Cruise Port. News sources confirmed that several other cruise liners such as Norwegian,…

October 6, 2021 · Ephesus · 1 min read

Top 10 Reasons To Visit Ephesus

Ephesus is a UNESCO World Heritage Site Seeing a world heritage site is not an everyday adventure for many of us. Ephesus Ancient City and surrounding…

September 6, 2021 · Ephesus · 2 min read

Ephesus: The Crossroad of Faiths

Ephesus, where St. Paul’s preached the Gospel and spread Christianity, a city which was visited by the Egyptian Queen Cleopatra and the Roman Emperor Markus Antonius,…

August 23, 2021 · Ephesus · 2 min read

Soranus the Physician from Ephesus

Soranus the Physician from Ephesus was born in the Roman capital of Asia Minor which was Ephesus city. He was believed to be born in the…

July 11, 2021 · Ephesus · 1 min read