Day 4
You will take a taxi or hired driver(see below) to the city of Ephesus and begin your day!
Due the fact that there are numerous things to see here all in one day, you will spend the next two days here.
Due the fact that there are numerous things to see here all in one day, you will spend the next two days here.
Harbor Street (Arcadian Avenue)
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The Magnesian Gate (modern day)
You will begin your tour of the city, like the sailors would in ancient times, through the harbor to Harbor Street (Arcadian Avenue). Though we are entering through here, there are 3 entrances to Ephesus; The harbor, The Koressos Gate, and The Magnesian Gate. The harbor (now filled in with silt) opens up to Harbor Street (Arcadian Avenue), a street that was paved with slabs of marble and lined with colonnades. Richness and beauty was the first thing the sailors and traders that were arriving would see. Ephesus was one of three cities (Rome and Antioch) to first have streetlights. These lights lined the road, illuminating the shops, galleries, and architecture as you passed through.
Theater
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On Harbor Street, one of the first things you will see, past the adorned marbled street, is the grand Theater, which brings us to our second stop. The Theater is believed to have been built during the Hellenistic period, and then enlarged in Roman times. This theater can seat 25,000 spectators in 66 rows of seats sectioned off into 3 horizontal sections. In ancient times, the Theater's stage building would've been three stories tall and adorned with sculptures, columns, and windows. Like many theaters of this time, this was used for plays and concerts and even discussions of the academic or political sense and as time passed, it later transformed into a stage for bloody gladiator fights for entertainment.
The Commercial Agora
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The Commercial Agora (Modern Day)
As we turn off Harbor Street onto Marble Street, we arrive at our next stop, the Commercial Agora. Built during the Hellenistic times, the agora was the public square, a place where one could take a class, catch up on the local gossip and have meetings. This agora could be entered from the Theater, the harbor, and the Library of Celsus.
The Brothel
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Footprint leading the way to the brothel
Before you go to The Library of Celsus, you must first visit the brothel. The owner of the brothel, a woman, was very clever. Marking the way for the incoming sailors were pictures of feet with the mark of the brothel engraved into the marble street. This way, they could literally just follow the footprints!
The Gate of Mazeus and Mythridates
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The Gate of Mazeus and Mythridates (Modern Day)
Serving as one of the entrances to the Library of Celsus, you will come upon the Gate of Mazeus and Mythridates. Mazeus and Mythridates were the names of the slaves that built the gate, as a way to earn their freedom. The gates during ancient times would have been covered with black and white marble on each side. The small area in front of the gates was used as a sort of auditorium and the steps would have been the seats.
The Library of Celsus
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The Library of Celsus ( Modern Day)
You now are at the Library of Celsus, one of the most iconic images of Ephesus. It was built by Gaius Julius Aquila for his late father Gaius Julius Celsus Polymaeanus in 117 AD. The grave of his father lies beneath the Library. The library housed around 12,000 scrolls of manuscripts and had a very keen system for humidity and temperature control. In the niches on the bottom level were four statues that represented wisdom, knowledge, intelligence, and valor, all of which were Celsus' virtues. The statues that sit there today are copies of the originals; they sit at the Ephesus Museum in Vienna. This library was the third richest library in its time after Alexandra and Pergamum.
Terrace Houses
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As you round the corner and enter Curetes Street, you will come upon the terrace houses, "the houses of rich". These houses as described were owned by the wealthy.
Temple of Hadrian
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Temple of Hadrian (Modern Day)
Like the Library of Celsus, The Temple of Hadrian is one of the best preserved pieces of architecture at Ephesus. The temple was built in dedication to Emperor Hadrian when he visited the city in 128 AD. The four pillars seen here that are in front of the temple would have had statues of Emperors Diocletian, Maximian, Constantius 1, and Galerius. These statues have yet to be found. The arch inside showcases a mural of Medusa, which is then surrounded by friezes that depict the foundation of the city. The arch and friezes you see here are copies, as the originals are in the Ephesus Museum.
Scholastica
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Scholastica Bath House (Modern Day)
As you leave the Temple of Hadrian, you will come upon the entrance of the Scholastica Bath house. The bath house had a dressing room and three water rooms: the frigidarium (cold water), the tepidarium (warm/cold water), and the caldarium (hot water). It also had a place for massages. Socializing in the bath was a very key act in the development of Roman philosophy.
Latrines
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Latrines (Modern Day)
Connected to the bath house were latrines, a sophisticated public sewer system. Under the latrine ran water that washed the waste out to another sight, such as a river. To use, you had to pay a small fee. Just imagine sitting literally inches from someone using the facilities, but as Roman/Greek culture would have it, a lot of socializing was done here and gossip was passed along as you sat.
Trajan's Fountain
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Trajan's Fountain (Modern Day)
As you continue down Curetes Street, you will see Trajan's Fountain. Built around 140 AD, this fountain was built in honor of the Roman Emperor Trajan. In ancient times, there was a statue of Trajan himself but now there remains only the foot. There also was a pool in the front, along with statues of Dionysus, satyrs, Aphrodite and Trajan's family.
Curetes Street
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Curetes Street (Modern Day)
Curetes Street is one of the main streets in Ephesus. The name "Curetes" comes from the name of the priests of Artemis.This street was lined with shops and monuments that were a key part in the daily lives of the ones that lived here. Just imagine how many different people walked where you are going to walk.
Hercules Gate
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Hercules Gate (Modern Day)
As you continue down, you will see Hercules Gate. You can tell it is Hercules by the lion skin he is holding, referencing the task he had to accomplish in Roman/Greek mythology. The gate is narrower to stop vehicles from traveling though off Curetes Street, vehicles of course such as an ancient wagon of sorts.
Memmius Monument
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Memmius Monument (Modern Day)
We are now on Domitian Street. This next stop is The Memmius Monument.
It was built in 1st century AD by Memmius in honor of his grandfather Sula, who conquered Mithridates of the Pontaic Empire, bringing security to the city. The two figures you see are Sula and Memmius' father.
It was built in 1st century AD by Memmius in honor of his grandfather Sula, who conquered Mithridates of the Pontaic Empire, bringing security to the city. The two figures you see are Sula and Memmius' father.
Temple of Domitian
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Temple of Domitian and Flying Nike (Modern Day)
The Temple of Domitian is the first structure known to be dedicated to an emperor. This also meant that he gave the city permission to be the "neocoros", which means that Ephesus was the official city to come to worship Emperor Domitian. After the unpopular ruler was killed, to retain their "neocoros" status, they rededicated the temple to Vespasian, Domitian's father. You can also see here the relief sculpture of the Flying Nike, which was believed to be a piece of the Hercules Gate.
Fountain of Pollio
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Fountain of Pollio (Modern Day)
Continuing your tour, you will next see the Fountain of Pollio, named after the rich Ephesian architect, C.S Pollio.The city had one of the most advanced aqueduct systems in the ancient world. This fountain's water was brought by three main aqueducts from the surrounding areas, and the water was free of charge to the people of the city. It was known to have been decorated with numbers of statues such as the head of Zeus. These statues can be seen in the Ephesus Museum.
Prytaneion
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Prytaneion (Modern Day)
Next you will see the Prytaneion. The Prytaneion was used for religious ceremonies, receptions and events. The sacred flame that symbolized the life of Ephesus was housed in a small pit here,which was tended to 24/7 so that the fire never went out.
Odeon
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Odeon (Modern Day)
You now come upon the Odeon. The Odeon was built in 150 AD by Publius Vedius Antonious. It was used as a Bouleuterion and theater. It housed 1,500 spectators and was built adjacent to the hill behind it. The Odeon also was roofed with wood. It served as a meeting place for the Bouleia, the Ephesian Senate. Many of the cities crucial decisions were made here.
State Agora
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State Agora (Modern Day)
The State Agora, your next stop, was a place for business. Many government officials met here to have discussions concerning the city. There also was a fountain here that came from the Pollio aqueduct, which carried water from 5 km away. Interestingly enough,recent excavations of areas here have found several burials dating back to this time, which means that this could have served as the cities' necropolis.
Temple of Isis
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The Temple of Isis was located in the middle of the State Agora and it was a dedication to the Egyptian Goddess Isis. The population of Ephesus included many Egyptians, and so Ephesus had close ties with Egypt. It was torn down during the time of Emperor Augustus because of his hatred toward Cleopatra, which was a hatred toward Egypt.After its destruction, many of the parts of the building were used in the construction of the Pollio Fountain.
Baths of Varius
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Baths of Varius (Modern Day)
Your last stop in the city of Ephesus is the Baths of Varius. They were built in 2nd century AD out of cuts of marble. They had bathrooms much like the Scholastica Bath house, where you had one cold water room, one hot/cold water room, and one hot water room.
Does your brain hurt yet from all the knowledge you have learned in these past few days??
Your journey isn't even close to being finished yet, you will now visit the surrounding areas of Ephesus and the Ephesus Museum!
Your journey isn't even close to being finished yet, you will now visit the surrounding areas of Ephesus and the Ephesus Museum!