Efes and the ruins of ancient marble Ephesus
Published on 09/11/2026 at 13:50 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Efes in Selcuk is best read as a city of marble, streets and monuments rather than a single ruin. The site centres on ancient Ephesus, a Roman and Hellenistic city whose remains stretch across a broad archaeological landscape.
Marble streets and civic façades
The city’s surviving fabric includes long paved streets, civic buildings and the well-known Library of Celsus. That library, built in the early second century AD, gives the site one of its most recognisable fronts, with a tall façade restored from original blocks and fragments.early second century AD
Nearby stand the Great Theatre and the remains of other public buildings from the Roman city. The theatre belongs to a much older Hellenistic layout, and its Roman rebuilding left a vast semicircular cavea cut into the slope above the site.Great Theatre
The cult place of Artemis
Efes is also tied to the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Little survives there beyond foundations and a single reconstructed column, but the sanctuary remains central to the city’s identity and long memory.Temple of Artemis
The temple site lies near Selcuk and belongs to the wider story of Ephesus, where Greek, Roman and later Christian layers meet. UNESCO’s World Heritage listing links the city with other monuments such as the Church of Mary and the Basilica of St John, showing how the settlement changed through successive historical periods.World Heritage listing
Ephesus in the Roman cityscape
The wider site preserves the scale of a major ancient city in western Anatolia. Curetes Street, the agora, stoas and baths give the place its urban rhythm, while the stonework keeps the layout legible even in ruin.
Fragments of sculpture, inscriptions and rebuilt architectural members add texture without turning the site into a museum indoors. The visual effect comes from the sequence of monuments spread across open ground, with marble surfaces, carved details and broad voids between them.ancient monuments
Visiting Efes: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- Efes lies near Selcuk in ?zmir Province, on Turkey’s Aegean side. The archaeological site is reached from the town by road, and the Temple of Artemis lies separately near the edge of Selcuk.
- The ground covers a large ancient city, so expect a long walk across stone paving, stepped changes in level and exposed surfaces. Comfortable shoes matter more than any single landmark.
- The site belongs to a broader archaeological setting that includes Roman civic architecture and the remains of the Artemision. The Great Theatre and the Library of Celsus are two of its clearest surviving forms.
- English is not an official language here; the official language is Turkish and the currency is the Turkish lira.
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Frequently asked questions about Efes
Where is Efes?
Efes is the ancient city of Ephesus near Selcuk in western Turkey. It lies in ?zmir Province on the Aegean side of the country.
What does a visit involve?
The place is an archaeological site spread across open ground, with marble streets, civic ruins and prominent monuments. Walking is central to the experience.
What makes Efes distinctive?
Its scale, marble architecture and association with the Temple of Artemis set it apart. The Library of Celsus and the Great Theatre give the site two strong visual anchors.
