ANCIENT EPHESUS CITY
  
Ephesus was one of the most famous cities of Neolithic Age on the delta of the Small Menderes River (Cayster River). The fact, that its sheltered seaport was the point, where the King Road, which started from the Susa in Iran, met with the sea, and this fact increased the importance of the city significantly. When Augustus became the emperor of Roma Impire, he made Ephesus the capital of proconsular Asia and its population exceeded 200.000 inhabitants during the 1st - 2nd centuries B.C. and this was a huge number, for that period. It became one of the most important centers for science, arts and culture together with Miletus during the 6th century B.C. The famous philosopher Heracleitos, the dreams interpretor Artemidorus, the poets Callinos and Hipponax, the grammarian Zenodotus, the physicians Soranos and Rufus were from Epesus.

The excavations carried out on Ayasalouk Hill reveal that the history of Ephesus goes back to 6.000 B.C., the Chacolithic Period. Excavations at the Ayasalouk Hill brought to light a settlement from the Early Bronze Age. Thus ancient Ephesus was first located on the Ayasalouk Hill. It was first settled by Anatolian tribes and Hittites, for Ephesus is mentioned in the Hittite cuneiform tablets under the name of Apasas. According to the linguists, the name Ephesus had been derived from the word Apasas.  

According to Herodotus, Carians and Lelegs, which were proud of being the oldest inhabitants of Anatolia, lived in this city during the 1st thousand centuries B.C., then came migrants from the west and they built up a colony here. The Kybele, their main goddess, had been renamed as Artemis of Ephesus, through the migration of colonists. The temple, which was built in the name of Artemis, became one of the Seven Wonders of the World, even during that period. The Cimmerians attacked the city in the 7th century B.C. and Lydians in the year of 560 B.C. and short thereafter, Persians attacked this city. Alexander the Great liberated the city once again.         
After Alexander the Great, the city entered into the dominance of Lysimachus, this emperor reestablished the city according to the “Grid Plan” founded by Hippodamus of Miletus. According to this plan, all streets and lanes in city are perpendicular to each other.   
The city became the richest and largest metropolis of Asia, with the sea and land trade during the Rome Empire. All of parts the city was ornamented with monumental structures made of marble. This was the first city, which was completely made of marble. The trade went back, since the seaport had been filled up. The emperor Hadrian had the seaport cleaned up several times. The seaport became filed up with the alluviums brought by Small Menderes river and Marnas stream. As result, Ephesus harbor remained far from the sea. In 7th century, Arabs attacked to these seashores. Ephesus had been moved to Ayasalouk Hill, as its defense was much easier. In 13th century, when the Turks came here, they found Ephesus as a small village. Then, they rebuilt the city and ornamented the city with buildings such as masques, rest houses and Turkish baths, which are specific for Turkish settlements.                        
Today, there are two entrances to the city. For an easy visit, the entrance to the city can be made through the “Magnesia Gate” (Upper Gate) on road to the Virgin Mary’s House. The “East Gymnasium” is located near the Magnesia Gate on the hillside of the Panayir Mountain. When entered through the upper gate, the first monumental structures are the “Odeon” and “Varius Baths” located nearby. Administration of Ephesus had two councils. The first one of these was the Consultation Council and the meetings of this council had been performed here. Therefore, this building is also named as “Bouleterion”. In front of the Odeon, there is a building named “Basilica”, where the trade affairs (stock exchange) had been handled. The building with thick columns located near this building is the “Prytaneion” (city hall). Prytan had performed a duty like a mayor. His most important duty was to keep the fire in this building burning continuously, without extinguishing. He undertook this duty in the name of Goddess Hestia. The Artemis statues exhibited in Ephesus Museum were found during the Prytaneion excavation. The area in front of Odeon is the “State Agora (Upper Agora)”. The Temple of Isis (Temple of Egyptian Gods) is situated at the center of this area. The monumental fountain of Laecanius Bassus was made in the year of 80th A.D. and located in the south of the Agora. From there, you can reach to “Domitian Square” and to the buildings such as “Pollio Fountain”, “Temple of Domitian”, “Temple of Memmius” and “Heracles Gate”, which are grouped around this square.          
The famous “Curetes Street” lies down in direction to west from upper Agora. While walking in direction to west on the street, the most interesting buildings are respectively “Trajan Fountain”, “Temple of Hadrian” with its elegant front façade and “Scholastica Baths”. Right near the Temple of Hadrian, there are “House of Love” and “Latrina (Toilets)”. On the hillsides at the left side of the street, there are “Hillside Houses”.  These are the most beautiful houses from the privileged houses and those houses had almost the same comfort of the today’s houses. The walls of all these houses are ornamented with friezes and frescos and the floors are covered with mosaics. Each one of these houses had heating system and bath. The Ephesus Hillside Houses are an independent theme in the archeological literature and should be visited. The “Celsus Library” is situated at the end of the street and it is one of the most beautiful buildings of the Rome Empire’s Age. After Celsus was died, who was the proconsul of Ephesus, the library had been built as a monument tomb in his name by his son. The tomb of Celsus is located under the west wall of the library. One of the most interesting buildings of Ephesus is the “Temple of Serapes” is placed behind the “Celsus Library”. The “Mazaeus Mithridates Gate” located near the Celsus Library is a passway to the “Trade Agora (Lower Agora)”.                    
Lower Agora is the start point of the “Marble Street”. At the end of the street, there is the largest theater of the world and had a capacity of 24.000 persons. Saint Paul gave his homilies here. Theater was open for all kind of culture activities and music events throughout the summer and autumn months. Right at the corner of the big theater, there is situated “Hellenistic Fountain”, which is the smallest building of Ephesus. The “Theater Gymnasium” had been built in the 2nd century A.D. and it has a separate bath.    
The Harbor Street (Arcadiane Street) leads to the “Ancient Harbor”, which is today completely filled up, and there are marble columns on the both sides of this street and it is the longest street of Ephesus and covered with marbles. The “Four Apostles Monument”, which is four columned and there is the statue of one apostle on each column, is situated almost in the middle of the street. At the end of this street, there are “Harbor Gymnasium and Baths”, which had been buit close to the harbor. The “Church of Virgin Mary (Church of Consul)”, where the Ecumenical Consul of 431 was held, is situated at the north side of this building.
 “Vedius Gymnasium” is placed at the north end of the city and near the city walls of Byzantine Age. Near this building, there is the “Stadium” built in the form of horseshoe during the times of Emperor Neron.

HOUSE OF VIRGIN MARY  
  
St. John tells in his Gospel that Jesus entrusted him the care of his mother, before dying on the cross, said to his mother “woman, this your child” and showed St. John and said to St. John “here is your mother” and showed the Virgin Mary. St. John brought Virgin Mary to the Ephesus 4 or 6 years later, after the death of Jesus Christ. It had been mentioned in notes of the year 431 that they stayed for a short period in a building, which remains partly under the today’s Consul Church (Church of Virgin Mary). Then, St. John brought Virgin Mary to a house, which he had prepared on Bulbul Mountain. Virgin Mary lived her last days in this house, but, the place of this house had been forgotten in time and it had been ruined. On the other hand, short after the Middle Age, the place of this house had been discussed frequently, however, no result had been obtained for these discussions.  

            
In the yeat of 1878, Clementi Brentado wrote the explanations of German nun Katherina Emmerich under the title of “Life of Virgin Mary” and this refreshed the ideas regarding to the place of this house. In 1891, the director of the Izmir College, Eugene Poulin, Lazarist Priest, commissioned a group to explore these explanations and the head of the group was Yung. This group made explorations on the mountains at the south side of Ephesus for a long time. Finally, they found the place known as House of Virgin Mary in Panaya Kapalu.       

 
The place, which was told by Katherina Emmerich (1774-1824), who had never been to anywhere out of the city, where she lived, was exactly the same as the place in Panaya Kapulu. Eugene Poulin published a serial of writings after this event, in order to introduce this place quickly. This fact attracted the interest of the whole world. Most of the theological researchers accepted this view. After completing his researches, in the year of 1892, Monsieur Timoni, the Bishop of Izmir, permitted the religious ceremonies to be conducted at this place. Pope 23rd Jean stopped the discussions about the House of Virgin Mary, in the year of 1961 and announced firmly this place as a pilgrimage place. In the year of 1967, the Pope 6th Paul and the Pope 2nd Jean Paul in 1979 had visited the House of Virgin Mary and mentioned the importance they gave to this place.   

 
At the end of the way after the Cistern, there is a cross planned and domed small church. This is the building, which is known as the House of Virgin Mary. This building dated to 6th-7th century had been found in a partly ruined onto its fundament and then, restored and brought to its today’s appearance. In order to distinguish the ancient walls from the new walls, they had been separated with red colored line. After the entrance with niches at both sides similar to doors, you pass into the vaulted inner area. The statue of Virgin Mary at the abscissa had been brought here hundred years ago. In front of it, the place, which can be distinguished with its gray color from the floor marble, had been determined as the fireplace. The coal remainders and some parts of the house fundaments found during the excavations had been dated as per the 1st century. As the Virgin Mary is also accepted as a holy person by the Muslims, Muslims make here their ritual worships. The scripts on the walls are the translations of the Suras related to the Virgin Mary from Qur’an. In a cupboard, there are also Qur’an translations in various languages, in order to serve the people, who intend to read the Suras of the Qur’an more comprehensively.                                        

TEMPLE OF ARTEMIS
  
It is located at start of the Selcuk-Kusadası road. THE TEMPLE ARTEMIS, ONE OF THE SEVEN WONDERS OF THE WORLD, had became worldwide famous between the years of 334 and 250 B.C. It had been ruined and rebuilt seven times. Wile it was surrounded with columns in Ionian form, however, it remained only the altar place. The temple was Today’s temple belongs to the Hellenistic period. The population of Ephesus worshipped same as monotheist religions and they believed that the powers of many Gods unified in the structure of Artemis. The temple is 17,65 m high on the area of 105x55 and has 127 columns. There are 13 stairs to reach the altar place. The statues in the temple had been elected with competitions. The 36 columns on the façade had been presented by the Lydian King Croesus.         

 
After St. Paul had been killed, St. John headed the churches bounded to the Ephesus Church and wrote the Gospel here. After he had been died, upon his own will, he was buried in the Basilica, which is called with his name today. In the 4th century A.D., when the Christianity became more powerful, there had been built a basilica with a wooden roof on his tomb. During the period of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian (527-565 A.D.), the church, the remainders of which we see today, had been built. In cross form planned building consists of courtyard, narthex and main section with 5 naves. St. John’s tomb is located under the domed section, which located right in the middle. It was believed that a holy powder that comes out of a hole on his tomb had a healing effect. During the 7th-8th centuries, when the church was faced with Arab attacks, the castle walls had been built around the church and it bounded with castle located on the hill and it gains an appearance such as an outer castle. In the 14th century, the famous IsaBey Masque had been built close to the church and therefore, importance of the region had been increased significantly. Today, it attracts thousands of tourists each day, with excavation and restoration works.               

AYASALOUK CASTLE
  
Although the castle had been built in Byzantine period, the most of the appeared remainders belong to Seljuk and Ottoman periods. There are to entrance gates, one of these opens to the south and the other one to the west, which has a more monumental structure. The castle walls, which were strengthened with 15 castle turrets, had been widely restored. According to a tale, St. John wrote the Gospel here in this castle. 

     
Ayasalouk Hill had been defended with this well strengthened castle during the early Christianity, Byzantine, and Seljuk periods. The castle walls still stand and it had been built during the early Christianity period and widely restored during the Seljuk periods. 

In the 6th century A.D., the main entrance gate in the castle wall had been built with the stones taken from buildings built in the Rome period. There is a small chapel and cistern in the castle. This building was an old Byzantine church, however, it was determined that it had also been used as a water cistern.     

ISABEY MOSQUE
  
Isabey Mosque is the last memorial work of art left by those civilizations, which came and passed through Ephesus. This great mosque was built on the side of the hill, where Ayasalouk Castle and St. John's Church are located. It is interesting that Isabey Mosque was built between the center of Christianity and the temple of idolatrous, both of which attracted large people groups in earlier ages.
As result of its topographical location, its north and east facades had been established on the hillsides. For that reason, its stateliness and splendor are more noticeable on its western side. The building covers nearly square area of 51x57m.

This mosque holds an important place in Art History and serves as a transition from Seljuk to Ottoman architecture, as it is the first Turkish mosque in Turkish architecture, which has two worship places for the prayers.

CAVE OF SEVEN SLEEPERS
  
The road near the gymnasium of Vedius, which leads to the east, brings you to the Cave of the Seven Sleepers. The most important problem experienced by the Christians within the Roman Empire was the cult of the empire, as they did not want to perform the duty to present sacrifice to Empire Temple. Therefore, they became enemies of the empire. They had been handled, as they were enemies. 

After the seven died they were buried in the cave attended by a large funeral procession. Excavation in 1927-28 found a church and hundreds of graves here. Many grave inscriptions were addressed to the seven sleepers. For centuries, people wanted to be buried as close to the seven sleepers as possible. Some are even brave enough to say the Mary Magdalene was buried here.

BELEVI MAUSOLEUM
  
On the eastern side of the intersection point located the 13 km. far from Selçuk on the Izmir road, there is a mausoleum at Belevi that was the second highest mausoleum in Anatolia, after the one in Halicarnassus, which is one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

According to the remainders found there, its podium had a height of 11.37 m, which was built on a local bedrock and its four sides had been covered with handworked blocks. The south side of the bedrock had been carved as a tomb chamber and the tomb had been placed into this carved tomb chamber, however, the tomb is protected now in the Ephesus Museum.

On the podium, there were eight columns on each of four sides of a Doric peristasis. According to remainders found in this area, its height up to the corniche of the second level was 11.32m above the podium, providing a total height of 23 meters. However, no remainders were found, showing, how the roof ending was accomplished.

The mausoleum is dated to the Hellenistic period. Moreover, it is also assumed and claimed that it can be the grave of Seleucid King Antiochus II, who died in Ephesus in 246 BC. In the northwest of the Belevi municipality area, there is a castle located on the top of high mountains, which is called as Goat Castle that has a view making hair stand on end.