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Ephesus was an ancient Greek
city on the west coast of
Anatolia, near present day
Seljuk, Izmir province, Turkey.
It was one of the twelve cities
of the Ionian League during the
Classical Greek period.
The city was famed for the
Temple of Artemis (completed
around 550 BCE), one of the
Seven Wonders of the Ancient
World. The Temple was destroyed
in 401
CE by a mob led by St. John
Chrysostom. Emperor Constantine I
rebuilt much of the city and
erected new public baths. The
town was again partially
destroyed by an earthquake in
614. The city's importance as a
commercial centre declined as
the harbor was slowly silted up
by the Cayster River (Kucuk
Menderes).
Ephesus was one of the seven
churches of Asia that are cited
in the Book of Revelation.
The Gospel of John may have been
written here. It is also the site
of a large gladiators'
graveyard.
Today's archaeological site lies
3 kilometers southwest of the
town of Selcuk, in the Selcuk
district of İzmir Province,
Turkey. The ruins of Ephesus are
a favorite international and
local tourist attraction, partly
owing to their easy access from
Adnan Menderes Airport and via
the port of Kusadasi. |
