The ancient city of Ephesus was built in about 1000 BC as a place to worship the Anatolian goddess of fertility, Cybele, later the Greek goddess Artemis, and in Roman times, there was a temple to Diana. The temple, no longer in sight, is one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

Heraclitus, the sixth century BC philosopher, was born at Ephesus. In addition to his contributions to philosophy, he is the only person in history who wasn't using a cliché when he said that a man cannot step into the same river twice. The town of Ephesus, once a thriving seaport of 250,000 people, declined primarily because of the silting of the harbor. Many of the remaining structures at the site date from the Roman period.

The entrance to the street called Curates Way is gated by two pillars carved with reliefs of Hercules, dating from the fourth century AD. The two sides were probably originally connected by an arch, and the structure was once two stories high.

The street behind the gate was lined with statues. Terrace houses that stood on Curates Way are currently under excavation. These houses were as tall as three stories high and contained frescoes and mosaics depicting stories from mythology. Lived in until about the seventh century AD, some of the houses had luxurious furniture, central heating, and fountains.

In front, the library appears to be two stories, but the large reading room inside was a single story with a very high ceiling. The columns are not even so that the building appears larger to the eye. Niches hold copies of statues (the originals are in Vienna) of the Virtues: Sophia (wisdom), Arete (goodness), Ennoia (intellect), and Episteme (knowledge).

The library once held 12,000 volumes, undoubtedly the largest library in antiquity. A gap between the inner and outer walls protected the books from extreme temperature and humidity.

The Great Theater, built by the Greeks in the third century BC and renovated by the Romans in the first century AD, can hold about 25,000 people. Saint Paul lived at Ephesus, probably about 60 AD, preaching his new religion. He was so successful that people stopped buying the silver and gold replicas of the goddess Artemis that were sold by local craftsmen, and the silversmiths, led by Demetrius, staged a revolt, right in this theater.  "Great is Artemis and the Ephesians!" Today, Demetrius would be happy to see all the vendors around the site selling little statues of goddesses to tourists.

We were able to return to Ephesus to watch the Antalya State Symphony Orchestra perform at night. The acoustics are excellent, and votive candles atop ancient columns gave the performance a timeless quality.