A Private Guide for a very Private Guest
I guided two private guests on a trip along Turkey's west and south coast, from Ephesus and Izmir to Pamukkale and Antalya.
Tag: ephesus tour guide recommendation
ephesus tour guide recommendation
My article in Jerusalem Post
I was recently contacted by Judith Sudilovsky from Jerusalem Post newspaper which is the most read English newspaper in Israel and asked to contribute to an…
A Tour Under the Rain in Ephesus
Rain in Ephesus falls mostly from late autumn to early spring, and a wet day can be a good day to visit. The marble gets slippery,…
Philadelphia Church of Seven Churches from Revelation
The Philadelphia church of Revelation 3:7-13 stood in today's Alaşehir: what its letter says and the Byzantine piers you can still see there.
Sardis Ancient City Turkey: Lydia Capital, Temple of Artemis & Synagogue
Sardis was the capital of ancient Lydia, near Salihli in western Turkey. It is the home of the first coins, a very large synagogue and the Temple of Artemis, and it joined the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2025.
Hecate the Virtuous and the Sinful
Hecate was an ancient goddess of crossroads, torches and the moon, probably Carian in origin, and later linked with the dead and witchcraft.
Education and Literacy in Ancient Times
Who went to school in ancient times, what children learned, and how books, papyrus and libraries worked in Greek and Roman cities, with examples from Anatolia.
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…
Attractions Around Sultanahmet Square
Sultanahmet Square remains to be one of the most visited spots in Turkey. Sultanahmet Square is situated in the center of the Historic Peninsula of Istanbul…
Turkish Tourism Of The Year 2021 in Numbers
Tourism was one of the sectors that suffered the most in 2020 due to the global pandemic. With the measures taken and the acceleration of the…
10 Ancient Philosophers of Anatolia
The ancient philosophers of Anatolia in this post are Thales, Anaximander, Anaxagoras, Xenophanes, Heraclitus, Aristotle, Diogenes, Strabo, Galen and Epictetus. They lived from about 600 BC…
Slavery in Anatolia During Antiquity
In the 5th and 4th centuries B.C., the Anatolian economy was in very good condition and was experiencing its golden age in almost every field. With…
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 —…
Top Tourist Scams in Turkey
Simple habits for a relaxed trip in Turkey: use the taxi meter, watch your bag in crowds, use ATMs inside banks and check your restaurant bill.
Zerzevan Castle and Mithras Temple
Zerzevan Castle, which was built by the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantine Empire) as a military base on the ancient trade route between Diyarbakır and Mardin, and…
Differences Between Greek and Roman Theaters
Greek vs Roman theater: Greek seats lean on a hillside, Roman seats stand on vaults. See how to tell them apart at Priene, Miletus, Ephesus and Aspendos.
Gaius Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar was a Roman general, writer and dictator. Read about his reforms, his death on March 15, 44 BC and his victory at Zela in Turkey, where he is said to have written Veni, vidi, vici.
Roman Empire
Et tu, Brute? (You too, Brutus?) Roman Emperor Caesar Founded in the 1st century B.C. under the leadership of Augustus, the Roman Empire ruled in the…
Nightingale Mountain
Nightingale Mountain, the ancient Mount Koressos, is the high ridge south of Ephesus, with the House of the Virgin Mary on top and the Terrace Houses on its slope.
Panayır Mountain
Panayır Mountain, the ancient Mount Pion, is the hill behind the Great Theater of Ephesus, with a palace and a rock sanctuary of Cybele on its slopes.
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,…
Nasreddin Hodja
A brief look at the life of Nasreddin Hodja, who was a Turkish satirist and he is thought to have lived in the 13th century, during…
Top 10 Reasons To Visit Ephesus
Ten reasons to visit Ephesus, from its UNESCO World Heritage status and Aegean food to easy travel, Sirince wine and a swim in the sea.
7 Best Places to Eat Ice Cream in Turkey
Turkey is a destination which can be visited all year round but it might be more popular especially during summertime. Ice cream is a very popular…
Grotto of Saint Paul in Ephesus and the Fresco of Paul and Thecla
The Grotto of Saint Paul in Ephesus, also called the Cave of Saint Paul, is a small cave chapel above Ephesus Ancient City with a late 5th-century fresco of Apostle Paul, Thecla and her mother Theoclia. A licensed local guide tells its story, the life of Thecla and why the grotto is closed to visitors today.
Rufus the Doctor from Ephesus
Rufus the doctor was an Ephesian Greek who was born during the era of Emperor Trajan. Rufus was a follower of the famous physician Hippocrates and…
Emperor Hadrian
Emperor Hadrian, full name ”Caesar Traianus Hadrianus”, was born in 76 AD. He came from a Roman family who moved to Spain. His parents were from…
Saint John the Evangelist in Asia Minor
John the Evangelist in Asia Minor is mostly the story of Ephesus. Tradition says John led the churches of the province from there, was sent to…
Amazing Photo of Ephesus from 1895
A recent discovery of a photo taken by an Austrian traveler sparked joy in Ephesus community. An Austrian traveler visited Ephesus ruins in the year 1895.…
Amazing Illustration of Ancient Ephesus Port
This amazing illustration shows us how Ephesus Port looked like during the golden era of Ephesus, Turkey. Silting and land slides filled the Ephesus Port with…
Odeon of Ephesus Ancient City
Ephesus hosts a big variety of buildings and many of them are still perfectly standing. Some of them are in their original form and some are…
12 Insects Seen Around Ephesus Ancient City
Ephesus Ancient is located in the Aegean Region of modern Turkey. West coast of Turkey is one of the most fertile and water-rich parts of the…
Recommended Books about Ephesus
The best books on Ephesus depend on the question you bring to the city. Some follow Paul and the early church, some follow Mary and Saint…
Heraclitus and Ephesian School
Ephesus hosted some of the best and most well-known philosophers of ancient times such as Hipponax and Heraclitus. Also, one of the most important philosophical schools…
Mass at the House of Virgin Mary nearby Ephesus
Mass times and feast days at the House of the Virgin Mary near Ephesus, with the dress code and the wishing wall and holy water fountains below the chapel.
Make a Wish at the Virgin Mary’s House
How to make a wish at the House of the Virgin Mary wishing wall near Ephesus, with the spring water fountains, respectful behavior and the quiet times to visit.
15 Interesting Facts about Ephesus
Ephesus tours are among the most fun tours you can have. Ephesus wasn’t just the second biggest city of the Roman Empire but also it was…
Tetragonos Agora in Ephesus
Tetragonos Agora in Ephesus – Commercial Market in Ephesus Tetragonos Agora in Ephesus was the place where commercial facilities and goods were located. Tetragonos Agora can…
Apostle Paul in Ephesus and the Places of His Story Today
Apostle Paul in Ephesus, step by step: his short first visit, his long stay and the school of Tyrannus, the magic books, the silversmiths’ riot, the farewell at Miletus and the places you can still see in Ephesus today, from a licensed local guide.
Temple of Artemis in Ephesus
The Temple of Artemis 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.
Library of Celsus in Ephesus
The Library of Celsus in Ephesus was built in the early 2nd century AD as a library and a tomb. Its façade was rebuilt from the original stones in the 1970s.
Guide to the Temple of Hadrian in Ephesus
The Temple of Hadrian, located in the middle of the ancient city of Ephesus, was built to honor the Emperor of Rome Hadrianus. It was built…
Olive Oil in Turkey
History Olive Oil The oldest historically discovered data on olive trees dates back to about 40 thousand BC. In the archaeological studies carried out on the…
The Great Theater of Ephesus and the Riot of Acts 19
The Great Theater of Ephesus seated about 24,000 people, and in Acts 19 the silversmiths’ crowd shouted for Artemis there for two hours. Its history, the inscriptions that match the story, what you see today and the concerts, from a licensed guide in Ephesus.
Hire Professional Licensed Turkish Tour Guide for Ephesus Tour
Hire Hasan Gülday, a nationally licensed guide who lives beside Ephesus, for a private day in the ancient city at your own pace.
Domestic and International Flights in Turkey
Turkish Airlines (THY) has a total of 341 aircraft, of which 18 are cargo and 323 are passengers. THY, the company with the largest flight fleet…