Ephesus

This article is about the ancient city in Anatolia. For the town in the southern United States, see Ephesus, Georgia. For homonyms of the Turkish word Efes, see Efes.
"Ephesian" redirects here. For the New Testament book, see Ephesians.
Ephesus
Ἔφεσος (Éphesos)
Efes
The roof of the Library of Celsus has collapsed, but its large façade is still intact.
The Library of Celsus in Ephesus
#Asia
#Asia
Shown within Turkey
#Asia
#Asia
Ephesus (Asia)
LocationSelçuk, İzmir Province, Turkey, West Asia
RegionIonia
Coordinates37°56′28″N 27°20′31″E / 37.94111°N 27.34194°E / 37.94111; 27.34194
TypeAncient Greek settlement
Part ofWest Asia
AreaWall circuit: 415 ha (1,030 acres)
Occupied: 224 ha (550 acres)
History
BuilderAttic and Ionian Greeks
Founded10th century BC
Abandoned15th century
PeriodsGreek Dark Ages to Late Middle Ages
Site notes
Excavation dates1863–1869, 1895
ArchaeologistsJohn Turtle Wood, Otto Benndorf
Websitewww.muze.gov.tr/en/museums/ephesus-archaeological-site Edit this at Wikidata
CriteriaCultural: iii, iv, vi
Reference1018
Inscription2015 (39th Session)
Area662.62 ha
Buffer zone1,246.3 ha

Ephesus (/ˈɛfɪsəs/;[1][2] ‹See Tfd›Greek: Ἔφεσος, translit. Éphesos; Turkish: Efes; may ultimately derive from Hittite: 𒀀𒉺𒊭, romanized: Apaša) was a city in Ancient Greece[3][4] on the coast of Ionia, 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) southwest of present-day Selçuk in İzmir Province, Turkey. It was built in the 10th century BC on the site of Apasa, the former Arzawan capital,[5][6] by Attic and Ionian Greek colonists. During the Classical Greek era, it was one of twelve cities that were members of the Ionian League. The city came under the control of the Roman Republic in 129 BC.

The city was famous in its day for the nearby Temple of Artemis (completed around 550 BC), which has been designated one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.[7] Its many monumental buildings included the Library of Celsus and a theatre capable of holding 24,000 spectators.[8]

Ephesus was a recipient city of one of the Pauline epistles and one of the seven churches of Asia addressed in the Book of Revelation.[9] The Gospel of John may have been written there,[10] and it was the site of several 5th-century Christian Councils (Council of Ephesus). The city was destroyed by the Goths in 263. Although it was afterwards rebuilt, its importance as a port and commercial centre declined as the harbour was slowly silted up by the Küçükmenderes River. In 614, it was partially destroyed by an earthquake.

Today, the ruins of Ephesus are a favourite international and local tourist attraction, being accessible from Adnan Menderes Airport and from the resort town Kuşadası. In 2015, the ruins were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

  1. ^ "Ephesus Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com".
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Olausson2006 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Gagarin2010 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Ramirez-Faria2007 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference BritishMuseum was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference SteadmanMcMahon2011 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ "accessed September 14, 2007". Penelope.uchicago.edu. Retrieved 2009-04-20.
  8. ^ Ring, Trudy; Salkin, Robert (1995). "Ephesus". International Dictionary of Historic Places: Southern Europe. London: Fitzroy Dearborn. p. 217. ISBN 978-1-884964-02-2.
  9. ^ 2:1–7
  10. ^ Harris, Stephen L., Understanding the Bible, Palo Alto, Mayfield, 1985.