Top rated holiday points of interest in Ephesus

Travel places to see in Ephesus 2023 from bestephesustours.com? During our Ephesus tours, for our guests who are interested seeing how the silk is extacted from the cocoons and how the Turkish handmade carpets are made. We take them to workshops nearby Ephesus where they enjoy learning about the Turkish culture besides the ancient city of Ephesus. Turkey is the second largest silk producer of the world. Seeing how the silk is obtained with the ancient techniques is a very interesting opportunity for travelers. Silk is a natural fibre, The best type of silk is obtained from the cocoons that silkworms form by eating the leaves of the mulberry trees. According to some historians, silk threads were used to cut the marble in the Roman Times. Turkish carpets and rugs, whether hand knotted or flat woven are among the most well known hand crafted art works in the world. A dying art form in Turkey. Discover more information on Ephesus tours from Kusadasi port.

This citadel-like basilica once occupied the whole breadth of the hill it sits on and was ranked with the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople (now the Aya Sofya) as one of the Byzantine Empire’s largest churches. According to tradition, the grave of St. John is under the church. Originally, a mausoleum with a domed roof borne on four columns was built over the grave, but the Emperor Justinian replaced this simple monument with a three-aisled basilica on a Latin-cross plan boasting six domed roofs. Including the narthex at the western end and the arcaded courtyard, the basilica was 130 meters long and 40 meters wide. After the Seljuks captured Ephesus in 1130, the church was converted into a mosque and later served as a bazaar until it was finally destroyed by an earthquake. Although only partially restored, the basilica ruins that remain give a good idea of the awesome size of the original building.

Approximately two kilometers down a road from the Ephesus ruins is this small cave system with an interesting local legend attached to it. Supposedly, in 250 CE, the Emperor Decius persecuted seven early Christian converts who then were sealed up by the emperor in this cave. Two hundred years later, the Christians awoke to find the Roman world had become Christian and lived peacefully in Ephesus for the rest of their days. When they died, they were buried back here in the cave, and it became a pilgrimage center. There’s not a huge amount to see inside the cave except some tombs, but just before the cave entrance is an outdoor terrace where local women cook traditional gözleme (flatbreads), which make for a great lunch after visiting Ephesus.

Ephesus Ancient Theatre has been known for being the biggest open-air theater of the ancient period. The capacity of this theater is 25 thousand people and it includes 65 rows. Ephesus Ancient Theatre is considered one of the most important structures worldwide in terms of art history. The theatre has not been only used for artistic activities. It has also been used as a place for gladiator fights. Even if the stage of the theatre has collapsed, the rows are still solid. The story of the theatre actually tells us about the formation of modern theatre. According to this story; various performances were held to honor Dionysus, the god of wine, during the vintage festivities. The main subject of these games was Dionysus’ life philosophy, which alternated between pleasure and pain.

Our professional tour guide will be waiting for you with a board your name written on, you will take your private vehicle (Brand-New VIP Mercedes) from your Hotel, Izmir or Kusadasi Cruise port and drive to Ephesus Ancient City. Also visit other highlight according to your preferences. Your guide will skip the line to buy tickets at the entrances of sites. Tour totally be planned according to your preferences and after tour you will be dropped port or anywhere you like to be dropped. See even more details at best Ephesus tours.

Located right next to the Celsus Library, the square is the city’s most important trade and cultural center, Agora, which is the marketplace. Agora has a total of 3 doors, and was built in BC. It was founded in the 3rd century during the reign of Emperor Augustus. Agora was damaged due to a big earthquake in the 4th AC. century and became unusable. In the 6th century AC, a new agora was established in the northern part using the remains here. The section where the newly established agora is located today serves as the Gendarmerie barracks center and entrance to that area is prohibited.