Daily Private Ephesus Tour

Ephesus tour is a must if you are visiting Turkey! Visits for today: Ephesus Ancient City, House of Mother Mary, Artemision You can join our daily Ephesus tour from Izmir/ Kusadasi/ Selcuk and Kusadasi Cruise port.

Highlights:

• Discover ancient Ephesus
• Visit the House of Mother Mary
• See the place of Artemis Temple

Includes:

• Private Guide
• Transportation by private vehicle
• Lunch
• Entrance fee

Please note: The price for 3-4 pax: 155 $ per person, 5-6 pax: 135 $ per person, 7-8 pax: 120 $ per person.

Ephesus had been a trade center of the ancient world because Ephesus is in that location where trade roads end by land and from the harbors of the city continuous to Europa by sea.

Other reason is Ephesus always been an important cult center of Mothergoddes, Kybele or Artemis in Greek period and later all these female figures converted in to Mother Mary and also Ephesus is considered to one of the most well-preserved ancient cities from Greko-Roman period where you can imagine easily how people lived 2000 years ago. Visit to the ruins of the ancient city Ephesus is the most important visit of the day. You will walk through the original streets of the city which is 2000 years old. You will enter the city from the top gate from the official part of the city. Firstly, you will visit bouleuterion, the parliament building of the city. So do not expect to see a palace of a king here because Ephesus has never been a kingdom. After Greek colonization the city was a Greek Federation, 1 century B.C. Ephesus became a state of the Roman empire. That's how you will see Greek and Roman style together in this city architecture.

After you walk down to Domitians Square, you will see beautiful Nike relief. Then you will pass through the Hercules Gate where you have a general look to the city center. You will walk by the Trojan Fountain, Hadrian Temple, public toilets and reach the most important monument in Ephesus, the Library of Celsus. Last visit point will be a great public theater which has a capacity of 25.000 people, one of the biggest in the world.

Another visit during the tour will be The House of Virgin Mary. As it is believed when Jesus crucifixion, he left his mother to the guard of St. John the Evangelist and because of his mission St John traveled to Ephesus with Mother Mary where Virgin Mary. spent her last days and died. The Vatican has recognized this small house as the final resting place of the Virgin Mary. You will have lunch in a local restaurant.

As before the Christianity period Ephesus was the Major center of Artemis worship, one of the most spectacular Temples of all the times built for Artemis here in Ephesus where we call Artemision or Temple of Artemis. Artemis Temple had been a pilgrim center for Pagans of those times and was the very first example of banking in history as merchants left their valuable things to the mercy of Artemis. Today only one column left from the temple but the view from the temple is spectacular.

Isa Bay Mosque is another visit in Selcuk town which is in the old center of Selcuk and surrounded by old Turkish houses. This mosque is from the 14th century, Turkish period and built before the conquest of Istanbul which makes this modest mosque very different from imperial Islamic architecture.

End of the tour you will be transferred to Kusadasi.