We’ve been to Rome on a previous trip, but if you want to see the largest, best preserved Roman city, where do you go? Turkey, of course, to the ruins of Ephesus.

Ephesus (Efes)

The view down Marble Way (yes, it's paved with Marble.)

Built as part of ancient Greece, in Roman times it was the second largest city of the Empire, and had more than 250,000 people. Only about 15% of the city has been excavated, yet it is amazing to walk through. Ephesus was the home of one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World: the Temple of Artemis. Today, all that remains is a lone column.

Ephesus was originally a port, but as the river silted up, the city is now several 7 kilometers from the sea. The theater at Ephesus is where Saint Paul was almost lynched.

Diane's namesake. Now in the museum, this statue from Ephesus is the fertility goddess Artemis (or Diana). Archeologists disagree over whether the goddess is sporting multiple breasts, or eggs, or bull testicles.

The facade of the Library of Celsus, reconstructed from original pieces that had fallen here. This library once held 12,000 scrolls. The statues in the lower niches represent wisdom, knowledge, destiny, and intelligence.

Diane sits at the public latrine. A stream washed under these benches, washing the waste away.

One of the most interesting things at Ephesus is touring the Terrace Houses. These seven attached dwellings of the rich elite are still being excavated out of a hillside. These luxurious homes included indoor baths and fountains, pipes built into the walls for heating and cooling, intricate mosaics, brick walls covered in marble panels, and beautiful frescoes. These represent the lifestyle of only a tiny portion of the population, but are amazing in their detail.

Terrace Houses at Ephesus: Lifestyles of the Roman Rich and Famous

The wall panels being painstakingly reconstructed from the fragments

Hieropolis and Necropolis

Tombs at the Necropolis

The theater at Hierapolis

Aphrodisias

Although Ephesus is the most famous of the ancient ruins, we found Aphrodisias to be more impressive, probably as more of it can be seen. A city dedicated to Goddess of Love, Aphrodite, settled abound 4000 BC. Later, Christians "converted" pagan temples, or tore them down and used the stones to build a defensive wall around the city, so most of the ruins we saw are from 1st and 2nd century AD.

The ruins of Aphrodisias

The temple of Aphrodite

We visited what remains of the largest swimming pool in the ancient world--five times longer than a modern Olympic-sized pool. Facial friezes like the ones below originally surrounded the pool, every face different, all kinds of expressions. Semi-precious stones were used for eyes, but have been vandalized.

Friezes like this surrounded the swimming pool

Hadrian's Bath. Made of sandstone because of better insulation, then covered in marble. Statues adorned the bath.

Antalya