IONIA - CARIA

THE TEMPLE OF APOLLO AT DIDIM

Consulted by Croesus, destroyed by the Persians, favoured by Alexander, Seleucus, Trajan and Hadrian, it was eventually eclipsed by the rise of Christianity. The vast temple is well preserved and an awesome reminder of the wealth of such places.

MILETUS

One of the great cities laid low by geographical changes. Nearby lies the island of LADE where the Greeks were defeated in a naval battle in 494 B.C. before MILETUS itself was captured. IASOS Iasos is a place where you feel you are almost stumbling upon agoras, theatre, villas mosaics and harbour moles.

EPHESUS

Ephesus is one of the largest archaeological sites in the world and famous throughout history for its Temple of Artemis, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Ephesus formed a focal point in the ancient world because of its protected harbor and as a starting point for the Royal Road via Sardis to Susa. It was also a cult center attracting thousands of pilgrims for traditional worship of the female, first Cybele, then Artemis and finally the Virgin Mary in the Christian period. Begin the visit from the Upper Agora. Clustered around this agora were the Varius Baths and the Odeon, both from the second century A.D., the Prytaneon or Town Hall, and the Temple of Domitian-the first temple of Ephesus to be built in the name of an emperor. Then down towards the Pollio and Trajan Fountains, the Temple of Hadrian, the Scholastika Baths and the Hercules Gate.At the start of the Marble Street is the lower Agora, the Celsus Library. Then down to the Theatre and Arcadian way. House of the Virgin Mary, is nearby on Bulbuldag (Mt. Nightingale). According to tradition St. John brought Mary to Ephesus after the death of Christ, and she spent the last days of her life here. Officially sanctioned by the Vatican, it is now a popular site of pilgrimage. The Ephesus Archaeological Museum in Selcuk has been enlarged and display the many impressive works of art recovered from and around Ephesus.