The ancient city of Ephesus in Turkey
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The western coast of what we now call Turkey was once the cultural center of ancient Greece. A lot of buildings were built here at that time. In particular, various cities and ports were founded. But in the womb of time, those cities or towns were lost thousands of years ago. We may have heard the name of the famous Greek philosopher Heraclitus. He was born in Ephesus in modern day Turkey. This article will talk about the ancient city of Ephesus.
Ephesus is an ancient ruin in modern Turkey. Ephesus emerged as a Greek city in the 4th century BC. This preserved ancient city was used as a port. It was once considered the most important Greek city and trade center of the Mediterranean region. History tells us that Ephesus has been attacked many times in the past, and has changed hands many times. It was the center of Christianity. It is also an important archaeological site and Christian pilgrimage site.
History of Ephesus
The history of Ephesus dates back to the Chalcolithic period in 6000 BC. An ancient settlement has been discovered by digging in the Ayasuluk Hills. Therefore, ancient Ephesus is believed to have been originally located on Ayasuluk Hill. It was the settlement of the first Anatolian tribe, as Hittite cuneiform tablets mention the name 'Apasus', meaning 'bee'.
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| The ancient city of Ephesus; Image source: history.com |
According to the ancient geographers Strabo and Pausanias, and the historian Herodotus claims, the Amazons found Ephesus, and the local inhabitants of the area by 3000 BC were Carians and Lelegians. The Amazons named the city 'Ephesus'. According to them, the Hittites came here around 1400 BC, and changed the name of the city from Ephesus to Apassus. Then the Ionian colonists came here around 1100 BC.
According to legend, the Ionian prince Androclus was hoping for an oracle to found a new Greek settlement. Once the prophecy came true that a boar and a fish would show him a new path and a place to settle. One day Androklos was cooking fish on a fire in the open. Then a fish jumped out of the fire and fell into the nearby bush. As a result, the sparks set fire to the bush and a wild boar ran out. Remembering the oracle, Androclus built a new settlement at the site, and it became known as Ephesus.
According to another legend, a tribe of female warriors called the 'Amazons' founded Ephesus, and the city was named after their queen Ephesia.
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| Image source: World History Encyclopedia |
But much of the ancient history of Ephesus is unwritten and obscure. It is known that the region was destroyed during the Cimmerian invasion at the beginning of the 7th century BC. Later, however, it came under the rule of the Lydian kings, and became one of the most prosperous and wealthy cities in the Mediterranean. Men and women had equal opportunities there. The Lydian king Croesus ruled the city from 560 BC to 547 BC. But Croesus was defeated by the Persian king Cyrus, establishing Persian dominance over the entire Aegean coast.
After the Persians defeated Croesus, the Ionians offered to make peace, but King Cyrus of Persia asked them to surrender and unite with the Persian Empire. Later in 547 BC they were defeated by the Persian commander Harpagos. In 546 BC Ephesus was incorporated into the Persian Empire along with the rest of Anatolia. While other Ionian cities rebelled against Persian rule, Ephesus continued to prosper.
Then in 334 BC, Alexander the Great defeated the Persians and captured Ephesus. But after his death in 323 BC, Lysimachus captured the city. Lysimachus was one of Alexander the Great's twelve generals. After he became the ruler of the region, he focused on the development of the city. He named the city Arsinia after his wife Arsinoe.
Lysimachus moved Ephesus two miles away and built a new harbor and defensive walls there. But he realized that the Ephesians were unwilling to leave their old city. So he disabled the entire sewage system during a heavy storm one night, rendering the houses uninhabitable, and forcing the residents to relocate. Lysimachus was killed at the Battle of Corupedium in 281 BC and the city was renamed Ephesus.
Ephesus came under Egyptian rule in 263 BC. But in 196 BC, the Seleucid king Antiochus III brought the city back under his rule. However, six years later, Ephesus was defeated at the Battle of Magnesia and came under Pergamon rule.
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| Statue of the Greek Goddess Artemis; Image source: World History Encyclopedia |
In 129 BC, King Attalus of Pergamon voluntarily surrendered Ephesus to the Roman Empire. As a result, the city fell under the jurisdiction of the regional Roman governor. Later came the most prosperous period in Ephesus with the reconstruction efforts of Caesar Augustus, which lasted until the third century. Most of the ruins of Ephesus today include the amphitheatre, the library of Celsus, and the aqueducts built or rebuilt during the reign of Augustus.
Ephesus flourished as a port during the reign of Tiberius. By 43 BC the site had become the center of trade and commerce in the region. A large number of goods were served by caravans traveling on the port and the ancient Royal Road. According to some sources, Ephesus was second only to Rome as a center of culture and commerce at the time.
After Constantinople in the 5th and 6th centuries, Ephesus was the most important city of the Byzantine Empire in Asia. The Seljuk Turks conquered Ephesus in 1090, but the Byzantines regained control of the city around 1100, and renamed the city Hagios Theologos. They controlled the region until 1308.
Ephesus is located on the west coast of modern Turkey, where the Aegean Sea meets the estuary of the Kaistros River. Only 15% of this huge city has been excavated. Even in a ruined state, the huge buildings on both sides of the city's main road stand in a row. It is estimated that around 250,000 people lived here. The entire city was planned. There was a huge sewer underground, and mud pipes on both sides of the road, which provided clean water for bathing and drinking. Besides, there were public toilets along with the baths. There everyone sat next to each other. The houses here give us a picture of Ephesian life 2,000 years ago. The residents of these houses lived a very luxurious life.
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| Public toilets in the city of Ephesus; Image source: Ephesus |
The location of the city gave it a special geographical advantage. The city was built near a rich natural harbor. But in Roman times ships had to reach the port through a very narrow and difficult sea channel 1.5 km west of the Temple of Artemis. This was due to the Kaistros River, which empties into the Aegean Sea just west of the city. A delta formed here formed by the alluvium carried by the river over thousands of years. By the end of the Byzantine period the canal had become so silted up that it was no longer usable. The seabed gradually receded, resulting in swamps around the harbor, and diseases such as malaria.
Christianity in Ephesus
Ephesus played an important role in the spread of Christianity. In the first century AD, figures such as St. Paul and St. John ridiculed and condemned the cult of Artemis when they saw it. As a result of their various arguments, many here converted to Christianity. Also, St. John is believed to have spent the last years of his life in Ephesus. It is believed to contain the house and tomb of St. John.
Fall of Ephesus
In 262 AD, the Goths destroyed the city of Ephesus, including the Temple of Artemis. Although parts of the city were later restored, it never regained its grandeur.
Emperor Theodosius erased all traces of Artemis during his reign. He prohibited freedom of worship. Schools and temples were also closed. The temple of Artemis was destroyed and the church was built there. During the Byzantine period, Constantine the Great declared Christianity the official religion of all Rome and made Constantinople the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire.
During the sixth and seventh centuries AD, major earthquakes and the collapse of the port led to Ephesus' gradual decline. Most of the people of Ephesus fled during the later Arab raids. In the 14th century, under the rule of the Seljuk Turks, there was a brief period of prosperity, but the decline continued.
In the fifteenth century, the Ottoman Empire took control of Ephesus. But the city's port became virtually useless and the entire city was abandoned by the end of the century.
Archaeological sites of Ephesus
Today this place is very interesting to many archaeologists, historians and thousands of visitors. Every year many people flock to the region to see the ancient ruins.
Temple of Artemis
The Lydian king Croesus rebuilt the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus. Artemis was the goddess of the hunt, chastity, childbirth, wild animals, and the wilderness. She was one of the Greek goddesses. Modern excavations have revealed that there were three smaller temples of Artemis before the temple of Croesus.
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| Ruins of Temple of Artemis; Image source: Elephango |
In 356 BC, a madman named Herostratus burned down the temple of Artemis. Later the Ephesians rebuilt the temple even bigger. It was four times larger than the Parthenon, and was known as one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The temple was later destroyed and never rebuilt.
Double Church of the Roman Borse or Virgin Mary
This Roman building dates back to the 2nd century BC. It is a three aisled church. Secular functions were performed here until it was converted into a church in the 4th century AD. Proximity to the port allows important commercial products to be marketed here without the need for transport to the city. Later the Byzantine church was built on the west side.
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| Mary's Church; Image source: Turkish Archaeological News |
Library of Celsus
The Library of Celsus is one of the most beautiful buildings in Ephesus. Originally, it was built in 125 AD in memory of Tiberius Julius Celsus Polemianus. Julius Celsus was a Greek citizen who served as the governor of Roman Asia in the Roman Empire from 105-107 AD. Celsus paid for the construction of this library. He was buried under it.
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| Ruins of the Library of Celsus; Image source: Jet Set Together |
Amphitheater and Odeon
The impressive amphitheater with a capacity of 25,000 spectators is believed to be the largest in the ancient world. Although it was used for theatrical performances, there is evidence that it was also used for gladiator fights. Besides, the Odeon Theater was also one of the greatest architectural marvels of ancient Athens. Built around 150 AD, the theater was used for plays, seating approximately 1,500 people. The Corinthian style pillars were of red granite stone.
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| Amphitheater at Ephesus; Image source: Marmaris Excursions |
Temple of Hadrian and Sebastien
Hadrian's Temple is estimated to date back to the 2nd century. However, it was repaired in the 4th century and its original parts are housed in the Ephesus Archaeological Museum.
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Temple of Hadrian and Sebastien; Image Source: Ephesus Turkey |
The Temple of Sebastien is also known as the Temple of Domitian. The temple was originally dedicated to Emperor Domitian. However, the temple was later rededicated to Vespasian, Domitian's father. Its stairs are still standing today.
St. John's Basilica
Emperor Justinian I built this basilica in the 6th century AD. Located near the town of Selcuk, this ancient church is believed to have been built over the tomb of St. John.
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| St. John's Basilica; Image source: Ephesus |
The story of the sleeping seven cavemen
The story of the seven sleeping cavemen is a popular story among Muslims and Christians. This incident is mentioned in Surah Qahaf of the Holy Quran. However, although the name of the place is not specified there, in view of other events, many people come to the conclusion that these cave dwellers are mentioned.
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| The cave of Ashab Kahaf; Image source: Turkish Archaeological News |
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