Ephesus Archeological Museum has been active since 1964. Museum started its life as a repurposed storage facility. The building had several renovations through time and turned into a modern museum as it is today.
Ephesus Archeological Museum, located in the district center of Selçuk, consists of findings mostly from Ephesus excavations. Some of the most important findings of Anatolian archeology are exhibited here. All the findings in the museum were brought from Saint John the Evangelist Church, the Temple of Artemis, Belevi Mausoleum, and other ruins in the vicinity.
There are approximately 64 thousand pieces exhibited in the Ephesus Museum. The world-famous Artemis Statues, Eros on Dolphins Sculpture, and the head of Socrates are the most important parts of the museum. Also, there are many more findings such as cosmetic tools, jewelry, medical tools, emperor and God statues, busts, weaving tools, which are indispensable for all ages.
The most original part of the museum is the statue of Artemis. Goddess Artemis in Greek mythology (a.k.a. Diana in Roman mythology) is the symbol of Virginity and Fertility. The Famous Artemis Statue of Ephesus was excavated in 1956. All the reliefs on the statue symbolize efficiency, abundance, and fertility. Because it is the goddess of nature, lion, bull, goat, griffon, and sphinx, and bee reliefs can be seen on it. There are two statues of Artemis in the museum. They are called Great Artemis and Beautiful Artemis.
Sections in Ephesus Archaeological Museum
- Terrace Houses Findings Hall
- Fountain Findings Hall
- New Findings and Small Findings Hall
- Great Courtyard
- Grave Findings Hall
- Artemis of Ephesus Hall
- Emperor Cults Hall
- Small Courtyard
Hire a Guide to Visit Ephesus Museum
The museum is open 365 days a year and the entry fee is 100 Turkish Lira. The visiting hours are 08: 00-19: 00 in the summer, 08: 00-17: 00 in wintertime. As a tour guide who spent a significant amount of time in the museums, I can recommend this museum to any traveler who is visiting Ephesus Ancient City and the surrounding attractions. This museum is not as big as The Metropolitan or Hermitage museum instead Ephesus Archeological Museum is more concentrated on the findings of a specific area. Small but still worthy of a visit thanks to the quality of the artifacts in the museum. You can always contact me if you have any questions about Ephesus Archeological Museum. If you need to hire a professional licensed Turkish tour guide to Ephesus Archeological Museum, you can always contact me. See you soon, Hasan Gülday
