Ephesus (Efes)

Aegean, Turkey 51 tours visit here

Ephesus is one of the best-preserved ancient cities in the Mediterranean world, in Turkey's Aegean region just outside Selcuk and inland from Kusadasi. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it was a leading Greek and later Roman city, long the seat of the Roman province of Asia, and a major early Christian centre linked to St Paul and St John. Its harbour silted up, leaving the ruins well back from the sea. What survives is a whole urban plan rather than isolated monuments. Marble-paved streets run downhill past the Odeon, the Temple of Hadrian and civic monuments to the reconstructed facade of the Library of Celsus. The Great Theatre, cut into the hillside and seating around 25,000, stands where the colonnaded road once led to the port, while the Terrace Houses preserve mosaics and wall paintings under a protective roof. The site has two entrances; most visits begin at the upper gate so the walk runs downhill, and two to three hours is typical. Shade is limited, so early morning and late afternoon are easier in high summer; spring and autumn are the mildest seasons. Selcuk itself holds the Basilica of St John, the archaeological museum and the sparse remains of the Temple of Artemis.