• Kusadasi - Meet at the Kusadasi Cruise Port! After booking, please contact our team to confirm and secure your meeting time.
• Ancient City of Ephesus - Ephesus has been situated in various locations over time. Initially, it was on Ayasuluk Hill, inhabited by ancient Anatolians (Amazons, Hittites), Carians, and Lelegians. The second settlement was north of Mount Panayır (Mount Pion). Like other Aegean coastal cities of Anatolia, Ephesus was ruled by Croesus of Lydia and the Persians. The third settlement, founded by Lysimachus, a general of Alexander the Great, was in the valley between Mount Panayır and Mount Bülbül (Mount Coressus). This is the largest settlement and can be visited today. Eventually, due to the harbor silting and Arab raids, the city moved back to Ayasuluk Hill, forming the Fourth Ephesus.

History of Ephesus

Excavations reveal that Ephesus dates back to 6000 BC, during the Chalcolithic Period. Discoveries at Ayasuluk Hill uncovered a settlement, indicating that ancient Ephesus was first located there. It was initially settled by Anatolian Tribes, as Ephesus is mentioned in Hittite cuneiform tablets as Apassas, meaning “Honey Bee.”

According to ancient geographers Strabo and Pausanias, and historian Herodotus, Ephesus was founded by Amazons, with native tribes being the Carians and Lelegians around 3000 BC. The Amazons named the city Ephesos, possibly after one of their queens or generals. The Hittites arrived around 1400 BC, renaming the city from Ephesos to Apassas. Ionian colonists settled around 1100 BC.

• The Temple of Artemis - Artemis, the Greek goddess, was a virginal huntress and twin of Apollo, replacing the Titan Selene as Goddess of the Moon.

In Ephesus, a goddess associated with Artemis was fervently worshipped in an archaic icon. The original was wooden, with many breast-like protrusions, emphasizing fertility over the virginity typically linked with Greek Artemis. Unlike Greek deities, her body and legs were enclosed in a tapering pillar-like term, with feet protruding.

On Ephesus-minted coins, the many-breasted Goddess wears a mural crown (like city walls). She rests each arm on a staff of entwined serpents or a stack of ouroboroi, the eternal serpent with its tail in its mouth. Like Cybele, the Ephesian goddess was served by hierodules called megabyzae and maidens (korai).

A votive inscription from the 3rd century BC links Ephesian Artemis with Crete: “To the Healer of diseases, to Apollo, Giver of Light to mortals, Eutyches has set up in votive offering (a statue of) the Cretan Lady of Ephesus, the Light-Bearer.”

For a detailed exploration of Artemis of Ephesus and her role in Ephesian life and religion, please see our special article on Artemis of Ephesus.

History

The ancient temple, built around 650 BC for the cult of Artemis, was on a site already sacred to the Anatolian Mother Goddess, Cybele. The wealthy king of Lydia financed the temple, choosing marshy ground to prevent future earthquakes.

The temple attracted merchants, kings, and sightseers, many donating jewelry and treasures to Artemis and her temple. Its splendor drew worshippers and pilgrims, strengthening the cult of Artemis.

On July 21, 356 BC, the night Alexander the Great was born, legend says a psychopathic arsonist seeking immortality set fire to the temple. Plutarch noted that Artemis was too preoccupied with Alexander’s birth to save her burning temple.

The arsonist, Herostratus, sought fame at any cost, leading to the term “herostratic fame.” The Ephesians, outraged, decreed that Herostratus’ name never be recorded and that anyone mentioning him should be executed, but Strabo later recorded the name.

Twenty-two years later, during his campaign in Asia Minor, Alexander the Great offered to rebuild the temple. In a famous refusal recorded by Strabo, the Ephesians said it would not be right for one god to build a temple for another.

The Temple of Artemis was eventually rebuilt, staying true to the original except for a raised platform, a classical architecture feature adopted in later temples. By 263 AD, the temple had been plundered by Nero and destroyed by the Goths.

The temple was reconstructed in the 4th century, but by the end of that century, it was abandoned and used as a marble quarry for new buildings, including churches.

The temple site was rediscovered in 1869 during a British Museum-sponsored expedition, and several artifacts and sculptures from the reconstructed temple are displayed in the museum today.

• The Basilica of Saint John - The Basilica of St. John, a grand church in Ephesus, was built by Emperor Justinian in the 6th century. It stands over the believed burial site of St. John, identified as the apostle, evangelist (author of the Fourth Gospel), and prophet (author of Revelation).

The basilica is on the slopes of Ayasoluk Hill near Selçuk’s center, just below the fortress and about 3.5 km (2 miles) from Ephesus.

Myth and Mystery

A St. John associated with Ephesus since the 1st century seems to have originally been the author of Revelation, exiled on Patmos. By the second century, this John was equated with John the Evangelist, author of the Gospel of John (presumed also to be the same as John the Apostle, beloved disciple of Jesus).

Legend says John wrote his gospel in Ephesus at the request of other disciples, then died in the church named for him on Ayasoluk Hill. Later legends claimed he was not truly dead but sleeping, with dust seen moving above his grave as he breathed.

• Meryemana (The Virgin Mary’s House) - It is known that the Virgin Mary went to Ephesus and lived there for some time. Whether she died in Ephesus was unknown until Anne Catherine Emmerich’s vision. The stigmatized German nun, who had never been to Ephesus, had a vision of the Virgin Mary’s House and described it in detail to German writer Clemens Brentano, who later published a book about it. Catherine Emmerich died in 1884. In 1891, Paul, Superior of the Lazarists from Izmir, read about her vision and found a small building matching Emmerich’s descriptions. Archaeological evidence showed the house was from the 6th century AD, but the foundations were from the 1st century AD.

This site was officially declared a shrine of the Roman Catholic Church in 1896 and has since become a popular pilgrimage destination. Pope Paul VI visited the shrine in 1967, Pope John Paul II in 1979, and Pope Benedict XVI in 2006.

• Kusadasi Castle - Kuşadası’s charming Byzantine fortress stands on the causeway-connected Güvercin Adası (Pigeon Island) and has been recently renovated. It is now part of a popular and well-maintained public park. A path winds around the island past informative boards and a small lighthouse, offering excellent views of Kuşadası. Inside the fortress, there is a skeleton of a 14.5m fin whale and a few models of sailing boats.
• Selcuk - An ideal base for exploring the Aegean coastline, Selcuk attracts many tourists due to its proximity to the ancient city of Ephesus. The ruins of this ancient Greek settlement are among Turkey’s best-preserved archaeological sites, allowing visitors to explore nearly 3,000 years of history and learn about the region’s rich cultural heritage. Selcuk itself is a relatively small town, compensating for its lack of modern tourist attractions with hospitality and a relaxed atmosphere. Stroll through the compact city center to see the remains of an ancient Roman aqueduct and the ruins of a Byzantine citadel.
• Kusadasi - At the end of the tour, return to the Kusadasi Cruise Port according to your ONBOARD TIME!

PLEASE NOTE: There are several ships with different arrival and departure times. We carefully check all timings, confirm with passengers, and coordinate our return time to the Cruise Port.

• Professional Licensed Local Tour Guide
• All Parking fees
• Port pickup and drop-off
• Transportation by luxury vehicle

• Entrance fees ( We will arrange tickets of Ephesus in advance, so you will skip long ticket lines )
• Personal expenses

Get ready to be astonished by the splendid architecture and rich history of Kusadasi as you explore the unforgettable highlights of the UNESCO-recognized Ephesus Ancient City on this private tour that spans a single day. Be fascinated by the grandeur of the Celsus Library, understand how Ephesus gained its renown, and delve into history with a visit to the old city of Ephesus and Virgin Mary House. By touring the ancient city of Ephesus, get a glimpse of the extravagant lifestyles of the Ephesians, and check out the mythical Turkish traditions, where you can find everything from rugs to Turkish leather.

Discover Ephesus, the residence of Virgin Mary, and Kusadasi Market Avoid the long queues for entry.
Get local insights about the area from your guide. Experience personalised service on this private tour.
*See all the significant landmarks of the region in just a day.

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For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.