Ephesus Antique City
Ephesus was an ancient Luwian city located on the western coast of Anatolia, three kilometers southwest of the Selçuk district of today's Izmir province. The city maintained its importance during the Ionian and later Roman periods, with the beginning of Greek colonialism in Anatolia. Its foundation dates back to the Neolithic Age, that is, around 6000 BC. It was built by Attic and Ionian Greek colonists in the 10th century BC on the site of the ancient capital of Arzava. It was one of the twelve cities of Ionia during the classical Greek period. The city flourished after it came under the control of the Roman Republic in 129 BC. Ephesus, which was included in the World Heritage Tentative List by UNESCO in 1994, was registered as a World Heritage Site in 2015. The city is famous for the nearby Temple of Artemis, one of the ancient Seven Wonders of the World. Among many other monumental buildings are the Library of Celsus and the World War II Palace, which can accommodate 25,000 spectators. There is also an ancient theater that was started during the reign of Claudius and completed during the reign of Trajan. Ephesus was one of the seven churches of Asia mentioned in the Book of Revelation. The Gospel of John may have been written here. The city was the site of several Christian councils in the 5th century. The city was destroyed by the Goths in 263, and although it was rebuilt, its importance as a trade center diminished as the port was gradually washed away by the Küçük Menderes river. It was partially destroyed in an earthquake in 614 AD. The ruins of Ephesus are partly located about 30 km south of Adnan Menderes Airport or Kuşadası Port.
It was added as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2015. During the excavations in 2022, shops and a neighborhood dating back to the Early Byzantine Period, dating back to the 7th century, were discovered.
