Panayır Mountain
Panayır Mountain, the ancient Mount Pion, is the hill behind the Great Theater of Ephesus, with a palace and a rock sanctuary of Cybele on its slopes.
Cruises Are Back to Kusadasi
UPDATE October 14, 2021 Today Viking Cruise made its 3rd visit to Kusadasi Cruise Port. News sources confirmed that several other cruise liners such as Norwegian, Windstar, and…
Nasreddin Hodja
A brief look at the life of Nasreddin Hodja, who was a Turkish satirist and he is thought to have lived in the 13th century, during the Anatolian…
Top 10 Reasons To Visit Ephesus
Ten reasons to visit Ephesus, from its UNESCO World Heritage status and Aegean food to easy travel, Sirince wine and a swim in the sea.
7 Best Places to Eat Ice Cream in Turkey
Turkey is a destination which can be visited all year round but it might be more popular especially during summertime. Ice cream is a very popular dessert in…
Grotto of Saint Paul in Ephesus and the Fresco of Paul and Thecla
The Grotto of Saint Paul in Ephesus, also called the Cave of Saint Paul, is a small cave chapel above Ephesus Ancient City with a late 5th-century fresco of Apostle Paul, Thecla and her mother Theoclia. A licensed local guide tells its story, the life of Thecla and why the grotto is closed to visitors today.
Soranus the Physician from Ephesus
Soranus the Physician from Ephesus was born in the Roman capital of Asia Minor which was Ephesus city. He was believed to be born in the end of…
Amazing Video of A Short Walk in Ephesus
A YouTube channel belonging to a Professional Licensed Ephesian tour guide called IcarusFlyMore released a video featuring a short walk in Ephesus. Considering the times of COVID-19 pandemic…
The Seven Sleepers of Ephesus: The Cave and the Legend
The Cave of Seven Sleepers on Mount Pion near Ephesus: the legend of seven young Christians who slept from Emperor Decius to Theodosius II, the same story in Surah Al-Kahf of the Quran, the church and graves around the cave, and what you can see there today, from a licensed guide in Kuşadası.
Hermodorus of Ephesus
Hermodorus was a famous person from Ephesus who lived in the fourth century before Christ. He was a philosopher who was known with two of his works which…
Chersiphron and Metagenes of Ephesus
Chersiphron and his son Metagenes were natives of Crete. They were the architects of the second temple of Artemis in Ephesus. They began their work in 550 BC.…
Battle of Ephesus in 498 BC
The Battle of Ephesus in 498 BC was one of the turning points of the Ionian Revolt, which took place between 499-493 BC. Many Greek cities including Ephesus…
Caravansary of Kusadasi
The commercial potential of the cities play an important role in the historical development. The commercial buildings are the most concrete indicators of this potential and liveliness. Kusadasi…
Pigeon Island
Pigeon Island Kusadasi, called Güvercinada in Turkish, is a small castle island on the seafront of Kuşadası, right beside the cruise port. You can walk around its old…
Otrera the Mother of Amazons
Otrera was the daughter of the god of the eastern winds Eurus. She was the mistress of god of war Ares. As we know Otrera created Amazons who…
Heracleides the Sculptor from Ephesus
Heracleides the Sculptor from Ephesus left the world known statue of Ares which is shown today in the Louvre Museum in Paris. The names of Heracleides and Agasias…
Carian Labrys Symbols in Ephesus
The Carian labrys symbols in Ephesus are small double-axe signs that Carians scratched into the marble of the city. The Carians came from Caria, around today’s Muğla region…
Oneirocritica by Artemidorus Ephesius
Oneirocritica by Artemidorus Ephesius was a book about interpretation of dreams written by Artemidorus of Ephesus in the second century AD. There are five volumes of Oneirocritica. 3…
Apelles of Ephesus
Apelles of Ephesus is the painter of Alexander the Great. In the 4th century BC he became the court painter of Philip II and then of Alexander, and…
Artemidorus Ephesius of Ephesus
Artemidorus Ephesius of Ephesus was a philosopher or better to be called a fortuneteller from Ephesus. He lived around the second century AD. His masterpiece of works was…
Xenophon of Ephesus
”The Ephesian Tale of Anthia and Habrocomes” which was one of the most famous books of the ancient times. It was written by Xenophon of Ephesus. His masterpiece…
Paeonius of Ephesus
Paeonius of Ephesus was a local of Ephesus who lived between 420 and 380 BC. Paeonius was one of the greatest architects of his time. Chersiphron was the…
10 Mysterious Facts About Ephesus
Sacred flame of the goddess Hestia was kept in the Prytaneion of Ephesus ancient city. The first archeological excavations in Ephesus started in 1863. The Grand Theater of…
Rufus the Doctor from Ephesus
Rufus the doctor was an Ephesian Greek who was born during the era of Emperor Trajan. Rufus was a follower of the famous physician Hippocrates and later he…
10 Fascinating Facts About Ephesus
Ephesus’ name comes from the word ‘Apis’, which means bee. There are two entrances of Ephesus known as the upper gate of Ephesus and the lower gate of…
Poem Called Works by Menecrates of Ephesus
Menecrates of Ephesus was a famous poet from Ephesus. He studied the well known poem of Hesiod called ”Works and days” and improved it. He added a part…
10 Unknown Facts About Ephesus
Some unknown facts about Ephesus are hidden in plain sight. The Library of Celsus is also a tomb, the gate next to it is more than a century…
Maximus the Magician from Ephesus
Maximus the Magician from Ephesus was the leading advisor and magician of Emperor Julian (331 – 363). Maximus was born to a wealth family in Ephesus and got…
Memnon of Ephesus
Memnon of Ephesus was the bishop of Ephesus during one of the most important Christian era events of the city which was the third ecumenical council held in…
Parrhasius of Ephesus
Evenor who was another painter from Ephesus was the father of Parrhasius. Parrhasius of Ephesus did not fall far from the three and became a painter himself too. He…
Magic in Ancient Ephesus and Asia Minor
Magic in ancient Ephesus meant amulets, oracles and curse tablets. Acts 19:19 tells of magic books there worth fifty thousand pieces of silver.
Emperor Hadrian
Emperor Hadrian, full name ”Caesar Traianus Hadrianus”, was born in 76 AD. He came from a Roman family who moved to Spain. His parents were from the city…
Zenodotus of Ephesus
Zenodotus of Ephesus was the first head of the Library of Alexandria, the first critical editor of Homer and the first person known to use alphabetical order.
10 Exciting Facts About Ephesus
The famous term known as “herostratic fame” comes from the incident related to Herostratus who was the arsonist burned the temple of Artemis in Ephesus. World wonder temple…
10 Intriguing Facts About Ephesus
The most intriguing facts about Ephesus are the old stories around the Temple of Artemis. The temple was lost for many centuries and found again in 1869, its…
Basilica of Saint John Nearby Ephesus and the Tomb of Saint John
The Basilica of Saint John on Ayasuluk Hill in Selçuk, nearby Ephesus: Justinian's six-domed church over the tomb of Saint John the Evangelist, the manna tradition, the baptistery, the Ayasuluk Fortress and the Isa Bey Mosque, with visiting tips from a licensed guide based in Kuşadası.
Anne Catherine Emmerich
Anna Katharina Emmerich lived between 1774 and 1824. She was a nun who was bedridden for years in the town of Dülmen which is in Germany. Anna Katharina…
Synagogue in Ephesus
Jewish Community of Ephesus It is a known fact that there was a massive local Jewish population in Asia Minor. Ephesus, being the largest city of its area,…
Emperor Domitian
Domitian, the Roman Emperor between 81 and 96, was remembered for peace and stability, but was also under the influence of fear and serious paranoia. Some historians even…
Saint John the Evangelist in Asia Minor
John the Evangelist in Asia Minor is mostly the story of Ephesus. Tradition says John led the churches of the province from there, was sent to Patmos by…
Amazing Time-lapse Video of Celsus Library in Ephesus
It was the year 2019 when I shot this Amazing Time-lapse Video of Celsus Library in Ephesus. It was a very busy day with 3 cruise ships in…
Amazing Photo of Ephesus from 1895
A recent discovery of a photo taken by an Austrian traveler sparked joy in Ephesus community. An Austrian traveler visited Ephesus ruins in the year 1895. This makes…
Ancient Arias in Ephesus Odeon
An amazing night featuring Ancient Arias in Ephesus Odeon was organized on 18th of September 2020. Concert’s host was the state opera house of Izmir and six talented…
Amazing Illustration of Ancient Ephesus Port
This amazing illustration shows us how Ephesus Port looked like during the golden era of Ephesus, Turkey. Silting and land slides filled the Ephesus Port with debris and…
Ephesus Promotional Video by Ephesian Tour Guides
I participated in this amazing Ephesus Promotional Video by Ephesian Tour Guides, showcasing Ephesus Ancient City, made by Kusadasi (Aydin) Chamber of Tour Guides, Izmir Chamber of Tour…
Gaius Laecanius Bassus of Ephesus
Gaius Laecanius Bassus of Ephesus was Roman senator served as a consul in the year 64 and he was the governor of Asia between 80 – 82. The…
Gaius Laecanius Bassus Fountain in Ephesus
According to this fountain’s inscription, Gaius Laecanius Bassus, from the governors of the Province of Asia ordered the contruction of Gaius Laecanius Bassus Fountain in Ephesus. It was…
T. Claudius Flavius Dionysius of Ephesus
Philostratus of Athens speaks about T. Claudius Flavius Dionysius of Ephesus as the subject in his work “Life of the Philosopher”. Philostratus tells that he was buried in…
Milestones in Ephesus
Like today’s mileage signs, milestones in Ephesus were erected on roads and used to show the distance between cities in the ancient times. Milestones made of marble are…
Amazing Concert in Ephesus Ancient Theater
A boys choir from the United States gave a mini concert for the visitors in the Ephesus Ancient Theater.