Ephesos is Turkey’s most scenic historic excavation site and one of the most well preserved of all the cities of antiquity, a place of the superlative whose structures continue to impress right up to the present day.

Due to Greek influence the name of the venerated goddess of fertility was changed to ‘Artemis’ whose temple became one of the greatest pilgrimage destinations within the seven wonders of the ancient world.

Temples and hillside buildings lined Kureten Street, one of the city’s main streets, each villa highlighting the wealth of its occupants. The buildings were embellished with valuable mosaics, wall paintings and many works of art.

Although Ephesos eventually fell into decay, unlike other cities of antiquity it has not been lost forever and has managed to survive a thousand years of slumber.