We took a private tour with another couple with whom we cruise. It was fantastic! Our guide…read moreBarbaros drove us by the upper part of Ephesus, which we saw only from the car. We did not walk this section due to time constraints and our advanced age. Sad, but true. We did hear about the upper part as we drove past it. Our guide Barbaros explained that 90% of Ephesus is not the original city built by the Macedonians. What we see today was built by the Romans. We drove past a sign for the Grotto of the 7 Sleepers, which he explained to us. These 7 slept for 100 years and awoke to new rulers! Perhaps another trip will take us there. We arrived at the lower part of Ephesus, which Barbaros tells us was first excavated 100 years ago during WWI. He explains that today 85% of Ephesus is under the soil, unexcavated! Once inside, our guide showed us the map of where we are and how it has changed. Our first stop was at the Great Theatre, where concerts are performed in this century. My favorite part was when we came to the third largest Library in the world, of its time. Sadly, no books remain. Just memories. Despite my age, I climbed up the stairs, with help from my husband. Note to singles: marry someone younger! One person in our group wanted to see the public toilets, and they were fascinating. We saw hole after hole, with each hole almost on top of the next. Underneath was a drainage system, to wash away bodily waste. When asked about the bodily waste, our guide told us they used sticks with sponges on the end that they dipped into the water in front of them before wiping their behinds. These public toilets are next to the Roman baths, which seemed appropriate. We walked to the modern museum, which was free with Ephesus tickets. We got headsets, programmed for English. In each of the three rooms we entered, we saw immersive films. The films educated us about the Gods and Ephesus. It was beautiful and overwhelming. It was also air conditioned, which was nice on this hot day! We exited through a bookstore, purchasing bookmarks for the many books we read. As we walked to exit Ephesus, we spotted more cats. They seem to love their lives here. This tour was educational and fun, and we know that when we return we will want to see the parts that we missed. We'll be older, but we'll not have to see this part again.

Ephesus is a historic landmark in Turkiye, founded around 600 BCE. Originally an ancient Greek…read morecity, it became under Roman rule in 129 BCE. Ephesus remained the most important city of the Byzantine Empire in Asia after Constantinople in the 5th and 6th centuries. Ephesus commanded the west end of a trade route to Asia so it was an important port city in its heyday. It boasted a Temple to Artemis, a Temple to Hadrian, a Library of Celsus, the massive Oedon Theatre, the last known home of the Virgin Mary, and some of the earliest Christian churches. Mark Antony was welcomed by Ephesus when he was proconsul and in 33 BC with Cleopatra when he gathered his fleet of 800 ships before the battle of Actium with Octavius. Ephesus is an ancient city with much historical significance. When we visited with our tour group, we were given a quick overview, entered the state-of-the-art museum, and explored the grounds. The site is massive. The ancient ruins are in fairly good condition considering and it is still an active archeological site. When you visit, marvel at the expansive stone lined streets of the agora, peer up at the arches, and wonder at how far humankind has come over the centuries.

Neat ruin site. Admission covered by museum Turkey pass. Not a ton of interpretive content on…read moresite so read background before visiting. Parking near site available. Not a destination but a nice stop if in Ephesus.

Another great place! So cool to visit where John, the beloved, was laid to rest. It's known he…read morereturned to Ephesus, after being exiled on Patmos, and that was where he passed away. So this is where his tomb is and in the 6th century, this large basilica was built over his tomb. However, earthquakes and the encroachment of the Turks resulted in the church being abandoned and relics lost. The original design of the church was laid out like a cross. Most of it is gone today, but you can still kind of see how it was set up. They have a replica of the grounds for Ephesus and the basilica so you can have an idea of what things looked like and how far apart they were. The renderings of the buildings are pretty cool. Such amazing history here!

Yedi Uyurlar is the Cemetery of the Seven Sleepers, young men said to have slept ~200 years to…read moreavoid persecution of Christians while Christianity slowly became the norm of the Roman Empire. A church was built over the original caves and the ruins of both are what can be seen today. You can see some of the excavation site, but it's fenced off (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/yedi-uyurlar-sel%C3%A7uk?select=9OMFNXtH6wWtIGeo2s1Yaw#j5JDKR_832bqeilcScxILQ) so you can't get too close. Most of my pictures are holding the camera above the fence or between bars (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/yedi-uyurlar-sel%C3%A7uk?select=9OMFNXtH6wWtIGeo2s1Yaw#oMUnrDGubWM7E0NbODEmbQ). I would give a higher rating, if you could get closer. If you're short on time and trying to decide which places to visit, this was more worth a visit than the Virgin Mary's House, IMO, of course. And no admission fee!

The Temple of Hadrian is a temple dedicated to Emperor Hadrian in the ancient city of Ephesus. It…read moreis just one the many amazing ruins that you can see while walking on Curetes Street. It was constructed in the beginning of the 2nd century AD to celebrate Hadrian's visit to Ephesus from Athens. This structure is more of a monument than a temple and was also dedicated to the goddess Artemis and the people of Ephesus. The facade has a curve arch with four Corinthian columns. Seeing the city of Ephesus was a highlight for me on my trip to Greece and Turkey. Walking through the marble streets of Ephesus to see these amazing ruins is something that I will never forget.

Dating from the second century and "repaired" in the fourth century, Hadrian's Temple is found…read morealong a main road in the ancient Roman city of Ephesus. Some of the original reliefs are located in the Ephesus Archeological Museum. The reliefs show emperor Theodosius I, his wife and eldest son. The temple has been featured on Turkish bank notes.

While on a tour of Ephesus, getting a chance to see the Library of Celsus in person was a highlight…read morefor me. The Library was built in 117 AD as a monumental tomb for the Roman Senator and military commander Tiberius Julius Celsus Polemaeanus (who is buried behind the library). The interior was destroyed years later. Today, all that remains is the library's impressive facade which was reconstructed in the 1970's. As you approach the Library of Celsus while walking down Curetes Street, you get a glimpse of its massive size compared to the other ruins. The Library once held over 12,000 scrolls and was a center of learning during ancient Roman times. While here, take some time to look at all of the architectural details, inscriptions and sculptures on the Library of Celsus. I even found an early symbol of Christianity carved on the steps. Just be careful while walking down the steps. I saw a guy take a tumble and fall down. The City of Ephesus is an amazing place to visit and I am glad I got a chance to come here.

The facade of the Library of Celsus is a beautiful reconstructed ruin from the Roman Empire. It was…read morethe third largest library in the ancient world and held over 12,000 scrolls. It was built as a mausoleum to honor the Roman Senator Tiberius Julius Celsus Polemaeanus by his son in 117 AD. It is a really beautiful landmark in Ephesus at the base of Curetes Street. Decorated with marble statues, Corinthian style columns, and ornate carvings and ceilings, it was restored with the help of the Austrian Archeological Institute in the 1970s. The four statues in the niches represent the four virtues of Celsus--wisdom (Sophia), knowledge (Episteme), intelligence (Ennoia) and valor (Arete). There is a menorah carved into the floor behind one of the sets of columns. The Celsus Library was featured on several Turkish lira banknotes. An amazing landmark in Ephesus.

The Temple of Artemis should be on your list, but it's a very quick stop. It's a great spot for…read morespace lovers to take a photo, as the recent Artemis mission was named after this.

The Temple of Artemis Eh one of those things where it's…read morehistoric, One of the wonders of the Ancient world, in fact. But its just in total ruins. All that remains is one single pillar plastered together from pieces found at the site. Some of the actual pillars can be found at the Ayasofya in Istanbul and other sites around the world. Historic but not awe inspiring. No admission but you get what you pay for.