History
The Meaning of Ephesus
From the Hittite "Apasa" to an Amazon queen — where the name of the great city actually comes from.
Go deeper
Ephesus Travel Guide & Articles
The stories behind the stones — written by guides who have answered every question a traveler can ask.
History
Today
Modern Day Ephesus
Selcuk, the market town beside the ruins — traditional quarters, Ayasuluk Hill, storks on the aqueduct and a 12 km beach.
History
The Decline of Ephesus
Goths, earthquakes, emperors and relentless silt — the thousand-year decline of the Aegean's greatest city.
Reference
Timeline of Ephesus
Every key date from the founding legends to the Gothic sack — the city's three millennia at a glance.
Heritage
Judaism in Ephesus
Josephus, Roman Sabbath decrees and a menorah on the library steps — the evidence for Jewish life in ancient Ephesus.
Faith
Popes Who Visited Ephesus
Paul VI, John Paul II and Benedict XVI each prayed at the House of Virgin Mary — the story of the papal pilgrimages.
Faith
The Church of Ephesus
The congregation Paul founded, the "first love" letter of Revelation, and the Double Church where a council changed Christianity.
Culture
Concerts in Ephesus
Pavarotti, Sting, Elton John and Ray Charles have all played the ancient theater — Ephesus's stages never really closed.
Practical
Entrance Fees for Ephesus & Around
Which sites charge, which are free, and how to plan your ticket budget — updated local advice.
Practical
Map of Ephesus
The city's layout explained: two gates, the great marble street, and the walking strategy locals swear by.
Biblical history
Apostle Paul in Ephesus
Three years, one riot, several letters and a bonfire of sorcery scrolls — Paul's Ephesus years, told on the streets where they happened.
Plan your visit
Best Time to Visit Ephesus
Month by month, hour by hour: when the marble city is at its best, from the guides who see it every single day.
Plan your visit
How to Get to Ephesus
From Kusadasi port, Izmir, the airport, Istanbul or Selcuk on foot — every route to the ruins with real times and honest local advice.
People of Ephesus
Heraclitus of Ephesus
Everything flows: the grumpy aristocrat from Ephesus whose river aphorism outlived the empire — and whose city was buried by a river.
History
Alexander the Great, Lysimachus and the City That Moved
Alexander offered to rebuild the burned wonder; the Ephesians talked their way out. Then his general moved the whole city — with plumbing as the weapon.
History
The Gladiators of Ephesus
The world's only excavated gladiator cemetery was found at Ephesus — and the skeletons upended almost everything the movies taught you.
Biblical history
The Seven Churches of Revelation
Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamon, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea — what Revelation says to each church, and the route that still links them.
Prefer the spoken version?
Everything in these articles comes alive on tour. Ask us anything as we walk.