Title: The Ephesus Archaeological Museum

View Description: Exterior of the Museum Parking lot

Larger Entity Name: Ephesus

Culture: Roman; Byzantine; Greek

Period: Roman Republic; Roman Empire

Century: 20 CE

Work Dates: 1979

Country: Turkey

Current Site: Ephesus, TUR

Repository Site: Ephesus, Museum

Creation Site: Ephesus, TUR

Original Site: Ephesus, TUR

Discovery Site: Ephesus, TUR

Notes:

  • [Creation Notes] The excavations which have been continueing since the last century at Ephesus, today are being carried out by Austrian archaeologists. The works unearthed during these excavations are being displayed at the Ephesus Museum. However the works obtained in excavations prior to World War II, were taken to the Vienna Museum. The works museum which formerly was situated in a small building, the new building was further enlarged in 1979 to the present size of today’s Ephesus Museum. The works brought from the ruins of Ephesus, the Temple of Artemis, the Ayasoluk Hill and the Belevi Mausoleum are being displayed in this museum. All of these are spread out in seven different halls.
  • [Provenance Notes] Most of what remains in Ephesus today is a result of when it was the capital of the Roman province of Asia. At that time it was known as the ‘first and foremost Metropolis in Asia’ and the center for Greco-Roman life in the eastern portion of the Roman Empire. It served as a major trade and religious center in the Aegean Sea because of the excellent harbor and Temple of Artemis it possessed. Built at the base of Mount Pion it had to change its location several times moving progressively more to the west due to the silting up of its harbor and the shifting coast line. Ephesus is important to Christianty because it is considered the death place of the Virgin Mary and it is also known as one of the seven churches mentioned in the Book of Revelations. By 392 CE Ephesus’s importance as a trade and religious center was fading. During its height it is said to have had a population of over 250,000 individuals.
  • [Description Notes] Ephesus contains one of the most abundant and best preserved archeological sites of Greco-Roman architecture in Turkey. One of the seven wonders of the ancient world was at Ephesus, namely the Temple of Artemis. Some of its most beautiful sites include the Great Theater, the Arcadian Way, St Mary’s Church, St John’s Church, the famous Library of Celsus, and the Harbour Baths and Gymnasium, not to mention several fountains and temples.

Category: Architecture

Work Type: Museum