Ephesus
Located within what was once the estuary of
the River Kaystros, Ephesus comprises successive Hellenistic and Roman
settlements founded on new locations, which followed the coastline as it
retreated westward. Excavations have revealed grand monuments of the
Roman Imperial period including the Library of Celsus and the Great
Theatre. Little remains of the famous Temple of Artemis, one of the
“Seven Wonders of the World,” which drew pilgrims from all around the
Mediterranean. Since the 5th century, the House
of the Virgin Mary, a domed cruciform chapel seven kilometres from
Ephesus, became a major place of Christian pilgrimage. The Ancient City
of Ephesus is an outstanding example of a Roman port city, with sea
channel and harbour basin.