Best holiday points of interest in Ephesus 2023? Pamukkale is 3 hours drive from Kusadasi town. Right by the natural wonders the ancient city of Hierapoolis was founded. Today a unesco heritage site. Its natural beauty and historical background attracts many travellers. Pamukkale means cotton castle. There are two reasons why the area is name as cotton castle. One reason the white cliffs look like a castle made of white cotton, the other reason is that the area houses lots of cotton processing factories. ​Natural thermal springs which has high density of chalk inside formed glacier looking terraces on the areas where flowed for thousands of years. It is a unique site. Ancient Hierapolis was founded by Pergamum Kingdom. Due to the existence of thermal waters which healed people. Thousands of patients came to the area to get cured. The ones who were not able to be cured died and buried in the area. Today the site has the largest ancient necropolis. The number of thumbs like sarcaphaguses excavated is over 1600. The total number is expected to be over 3000. St. Philip the apostle lived in the city and martyred during the persecution time to the christians. This is a must see site for travellers. Find extra info at Ephesus Travel Blog.

This citadel-like basilica once occupied the whole breadth of the hill it sits on and was ranked with the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople (now the Aya Sofya) as one of the Byzantine Empire’s largest churches. According to tradition, the grave of St. John is under the church. Originally, a mausoleum with a domed roof borne on four columns was built over the grave, but the Emperor Justinian replaced this simple monument with a three-aisled basilica on a Latin-cross plan boasting six domed roofs. Including the narthex at the western end and the arcaded courtyard, the basilica was 130 meters long and 40 meters wide. After the Seljuks captured Ephesus in 1130, the church was converted into a mosque and later served as a bazaar until it was finally destroyed by an earthquake. Although only partially restored, the basilica ruins that remain give a good idea of the awesome size of the original building.

Just one lonely column (topped by a stork’s nest) is all that remains of the Temple of Artemis, once one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Excavations carried out by archaeologist JT Wood here showed that the site was originally occupied by a stone platform on which the cult image of the goddess stood, while underneath were rooms where votive offerings were presented. The renowned gigantic marble temple of Seven Wonders fame was built in the 6th century BCE and boasted a staggering 127 columns. Although destroyed by fire and other disasters across the centuries, it was twice restored and rebuilt before finally falling into a state of complete dilapidation in the Byzantine era, when its stones began being used as a quarry for building material. The most famous major Byzantine monument that reused Temple of Artemis stone was the Hagia Sophia, where some of the temple’s columns and marble slabs can still be seen.

Ephesus is now under the protection of UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee since 2015. According to UNESCO, the city is remarkably contributing to the overall Outstanding Universal Value within its long historical status. Moreover, the city contains many important places in the context of historical settings. Library of Celsus, the Temple of Hadrian, the library and the most important place in Ephesus; Temple of Artemis. This temple has been nominated as one of the Seven Wonders of Ancient Worlds. Selcuk, where the ancient city of Ephesus is located, is also one of the most fertile lands in Anatolia. For this reason, many trade routes pass in this direction. However, there is also a port that connects the east and west of the world.

Our professional tour guide will be waiting for you with a board your name written on, you will take your private vehicle (Brand-New VIP Mercedes) from your Hotel, Izmir or Kusadasi Cruise port and drive to Ephesus Ancient City. Also visit other highlight according to your preferences. Your guide will skip the line to buy tickets at the entrances of sites. Tour totally be planned according to your preferences and after tour you will be dropped port or anywhere you like to be dropped. Read even more info on bestephesustours.com.

Temple of Artemis, is also known as the Temple of Diana. The temple is dedicated to the goddess Artemis was completed in Ephesus around 550 BC. The temple was built entirely from marble. Even if the temple has been used for more than 800, it was never really completed. The architect of the temple, known as Artemisium in Latin, is known as Chersiphron from Greece. When the temple was first built, it was visited by many people from kings to artists, traders, and travelers, and was used as a religious building where they offered their blessings and beliefs to the goddess. There is no entrance fee for the Temple of Artemis. Visiting hours of the temple have been announced from 9 A.M to 7 P.M but as there are any guards in the neighborhood, the hours might be flexible too.