Ephesus, an ancient Greek city, is particularly famous for the Temple of Artemis (recognised as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World). Considered to be the best-preserved city in the eastern Mediterranean region, Ephesus offers its travellers with excellent insights of what life was like during the Roman times. All Ephesus tours are centred around the various historical and cultural attractions that the ancient city has to offer, but there is no shortage of natural beauty either.
Ephesus underwent a turbulent history and a long period of conquests and reconquests finally ended when it became a Roman city in the year 133BC. In fact, its turbulent history is what makes Ephesus tours so fascinating. Ephesus grew to become the capital of Asia Minor in the year 27BC and attracted immigrants from all over the world. The city was at the height of its power during the 1st and 2nd century AD and was considered the largest city in Roman Asia in the year 100AD. The Library of Celsus, the third largest library of the ancient world, was also constructed in Ephesus.
Today, Ephesus primarily attracts mostly history buffs and Mediterranean cruise travellers. It is also considered to be extremely sacred for Christians because of its association with a number of biblical figures such as St. Paul the Evangelist, Virgin Mary and St. Paul. Ephesus tours offer you the ideal opportunity to check out one of the top architectural delights of Turkey, but the architecture is not everything in Ephesus. The popular tourist town of Selcuk is located at a distance of 2 miles from Ephesus. It is home to the Isabey Mosque and the St. John Basilica, both considered to be worth a watch. The remains of the world-famous Artemision are also located below them. Another reason to visit Selcuk is its weekly market that is held on Saturdays. It is considered to be one of the most famous markets to be held in Turkey.
Ephesus can easily be covered as a day trip from Istanbul, but the best Ephesus tours normally take approximately two to three days. Exploring the surrounding cities of Didyma, Miletus, Aphrodisias and checking out attractions like the Kusadasi and Pamucak beaches and the hot mineral water spas of Pamukkale is definitely worth an extra day or two.
To see the full list of tours visit the Ephesus Tours Page
