Ephesus, Turkey
During our recent trip to Turkey, we took a little road trip to explore one of the country’s most famous historic sites–Ephesus. Once an ancient Greek city, then later a major Roman city, today Ephesus draws visitors for being one of the largest collections of Roman ruins and home to one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Temple of Artemis. Ephesus was only a 1.5 hour drive from our base in Alacati, and we found navigating the Turkish highways quite simple. We purchased an English guidebook on arrival rather than hiring a guide, and found the excavations well-marked and easy to view on our own–but definitely a commitment of a minimum of 3 hours at a leisurely pace. The Library of Celsus, bathed in the yellow glow of sunlight, was definitely the most architecturally stunning ruin on site, with its inscribed façade. Other highlights were the long expanses of Harbor Street and Marble Street, the ancient Agora, Hadrian Temple, and the Grand Theater. In many ways, particularly considering its location buried in the hills of the Turkish countryside, this was one of the most impressive ancient architectural sites we’ve ever visited.